ABA Journal Names Gonzales, Mukasey Lawyers of the Year for 2007 and 2008

Press release: “Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been named 2007’s Lawyer of the Year by the ABA Journal, the flagship publication of the American Bar Association.” “The top legal story of 2007 was unquestionably the unraveling of support for the Bush administration’s expansive view of presidential power during wartime, and with it, the …

Subjects: Government Documents, Legal Research

Privacy, Public Access and Policymaking in State Redaction Practices

Government Technology: “A new white paper designed to help public officials develop policies for removing Social Security numbers and other sensitive information from public documents is now available online. The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), in collaboration with the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council (eC3), today released a joint white paper on redaction …

Subjects: E-Government, E-Records, Government Documents

Committee Report: White House Engaged in Systematic Effort to Manipulate Climate Change Science

“For the past 16 months, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been investigating allegations of political interference with government climate change science under the Bush Administration. During the course of this investigation, the Committee obtained over 27,000 pages of documents from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Commerce Department, …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, Government Documents

New GAO Reports: Military Base Realignments and Closures, Toxic Chemical Releases

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Estimated Costs Have Increased and Estimated Savings Have Decreased, GAO-08-341T, December 12, 2007 Smithsonian Institution: Status of Efforts to Address a Range of Funding and Governance Challenges, GAO-08-250T, December 12, 2007 Toxic Chemical Releases: EPA Actions Could Reduce Environmental Information Available to Many Communities, GAO-08-128, November 30, 2007 Toxic Chemical …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

FCC Response to GAO Report on the DTV Transition

Follow up to the GAO report, Digital Television Transition: Increased Federal Planning and Risk Management Could Further Facilitate the DTV Transition, GAO-08-43, November 19, 2007, the FCC Written Response to the GAO Report on DTV, December 11, 2007. “One of the most important responsibilities of the Commission, with respect to the nation’s transition to digital …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

Widespread Use and Availability of Social Security Numbers Puts Americans at Risk for ID Theft

Press release: “The widespread use and availability of Social Security numbers puts Americans at risk for identity theft and should be restricted, according to Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. The group urged policymakers to take action to protect consumers as part of a public forum on the issue organized by the Federal Trade …

Subjects: Congress, Cybercrime, Government Documents, ID Theft, Privacy

Retroactivity Approved for Crack Cocaine Guideline

Follow up to previous postings on sentencing guidelines, today’s press release: “The United States Sentencing Commission unanimously voted today to give retroactive effect to a recent amendment to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines that reduces penalties for crack cocaine offenses. Retroactivity of the crack cocaine amendment will become effective on March 3, 2008. Not every crack …

Subjects: Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

CDT and OMB Watch Release Report on Searchability of Government Information

Press release: “Vital government information appears “invisible” to millions of Americans who are combing the Internet and looking for answers via the most popular search engines, according to a report released today by the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and OMB Watch. The report, Hiding in Plain Sight: Why Important Government Information Cannot Be …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Internet, Search Engines

EFF Obtains Government Documents on Congressional Intelligence Briefings

“The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has received a second set of records from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) detailing behind-the-scenes briefings for lawmakers working to make substantial changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). EFF requested release of the records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) earlier this year…Last …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Privacy