The Implausibility of Secrecy, by Mark Fenster. University of Florida – Fredric G. Levin College of Law. February 18, 2013 “Government secrecy frequently fails. Despite the executive branchs obsessive hoarding of certain kinds of documents and its constitutional authority to do so, recent high-profile events among them the WikiLeaks episode, the Obama administrations celebrated… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: March 2013
POGO – Shining a Light on FOIA Practices
“In celebration of Sunshine Week, a number of organizations released Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reviews. These reviews, conducted by National Security Archives, the Center for Effective Government, Cause of Action, Associated Press, and OpenTheGovernment.org, indicate how agencies measure up when it comes to providing the public with information. Although the studies indicate that agencies… Continue Reading
CRS – Guns, Excise Taxes, and Wildlife Restoration
Guns, Excise Taxes, and Wildlife Restoration. M. Lynne Corn, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy; Jane G. Gravelle, Senior Specialist in Economic Policy. March 12, 2013 “As a result of the recent debate over guns, gun rights, and gun-related violence, there has been a marked increase in sales of many weapons as well as ammunition. Through… Continue Reading
Google Spectrum Database
“The rapid growth of connected devices around the world has dramatically increased demand for wireless spectrum. Google is working with industry and regulators to make more spectrum available by enabling dynamic spectrum sharing through a database. This TV white spaces database is part of Google.orgs efforts to make more spectrum available for broadband access. To… Continue Reading
Mobile Search Moments: Understanding How Mobile Drives Conversions
Google Mobile Ads Blog: “In this era of mobility, our smartphones are always with us, keeping us connected anytime and anywhere. With this constant connectivity, weve come to expect information (literally) right at our fingertips just a search away – whether its locating the nearest sushi restaurant or booking flights for your upcoming trip. In… Continue Reading
Economic Report of the President 2013
Economic Report of the President transmitted to the Congress March 2013 together with the Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers, March 15, 2013 “This year’s Economic Report of the President describes the progress we have made recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. After years of grueling recession, our businesses… Continue Reading
Aaron Swartz to be honored with freedom of information award
Follow up to previous postings on Aaron Swartz, news that Aaron is to be honored with freedom of information award by the American Library Association – “A champion of open access rights to documents on the Internet, the 26-year-old activist under prosecution committed suicide earlier this year.” See also Aaron Swartzs Lawyers Accuse Prosecutors of… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Housing and Urban Developmen, IRS Information Security, Medicaid
Department of Energy – Status of Loan Programs, GAO-13-331R, Mar 15, 2013 Housing and Urban Development – Strategic Human Capital and Workforce Planning Should be an Ongoing Priority, GAO-13-282, Mar 15, 2013 Information Security – IRS Has Improved Controls but Needs to Resolve Weaknesses, GAO-13-350, Mar 15, 2013 Medicaid – Additional Enrollment and Expenditure Data… Continue Reading
Federal Reserve System publishes annual financial statements
News release: “The Federal Reserve System on Friday released the 2012 combined annual financial statements for the Federal Reserve Banks, as well as for the 12 individual Federal Reserve Banks, the consolidated variable interest entities (VIEs) that were created to respond to strains in financial markets, and the Board of Governors. These financial statements are… Continue Reading
POGO – FOIAonline is a one-stop shop for requesters
“The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you the right to access information from federal agencies. FOIAonline allows you to submit FOIA requests to all participating agencies from this website, track the status of requests, search for requests submitted by others, and generate up-to-the-minute reports on FOIA processing. FOIAonline participating agencies include: the Environmental Protection… Continue Reading
NOAA – Sharks and Manta Rays Receive Protection Under CITES
News release: “This week is marked by a historic conservation milestone for sharks and rays globally. At this years Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties meeting in Bangkok, countries agreed to increase protection for five commercially-exploited species of sharks and manta rays. CITES member… Continue Reading
Much Ado about Mosaics: How Original Principles Apply to Evolving Technology in United States v. Jones
Much Ado about Mosaics: How Original Principles Apply to Evolving Technology in United States v. Jones, by Priscilla J. Smith. Yale University – Information Society Project. March 14, 2013. North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology, Vol. 14, 2013. Yale Law School, Public Law Working Paper “This paper argues that supporters and detractors of the… Continue Reading
