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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Freedom of Information Act

Freedom of Information Act stories: 24 news summaries

1 - 20 of 24 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

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 'Complacency' Faulted in 
 US Nuke Sub Crash 

'Weak' command, lax standards prevailed aboard USS Hartford

Nov 18, 09 10:00 PM CST
(Newser) - US Navy investigators are pinning blame for the March collision between a nuclear-powered submarine and another Navy ship on lax atmosphere and “weak” command aboard the USS Hartford, where sailors slept while they were supposed to be on watch, and the radio room was rigged up with music speakers.... More »

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investigation • Persian Gulf • Freedom of Information Act • US Navy • collisions • Strait of Hormuz • USS Hartford • USS New Orleans • complacency • nuclear-powered submarine

ANALYSIS

Top Wall Street Execs Have Direct Line to Geithner

Treasury chief's calendars show frequent contact with big players

Oct 8, 09 6:22 PM CDT
(AP) - A look at Timothy Geithner's phone calendars show the Treasury secretary has maintained close ties with Wall Street executives he has known for years. Executives at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Citigroup can reach the nation's most powerful economic official at will. While there's nothing inherently wrong with keeping tabs on... More »

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Barack Obama • Goldman Sachs • Freedom of Information Act • Citibank • Treasury Department • Barney Frank • Lloyd Blankfein • JPMorgan Chase • Obama administration • Jamie Dimon • President Obama • Timothy Geithner

Judge: Cheney Interview in Plame Case Can't Be Sealed

But government can redact certain portions

Oct 1, 09 1:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - A federal judge has ordered the FBI to release most of the interview it conducted with Dick Cheney over the Valerie Plame case, in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Both the Bush and Obama administrations have tried to keep the record of the 2004 sit-down sealed, arguing... More »

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Dick Cheney • Valerie Plame • FBI • Freedom of Information Act • Lewis Scooter Libby • Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics

Obama to Open White House Visitor Logs

Aims to boost transparency, resolve watchdog lawsuits

Sep 4, 09 9:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Obama administration has agreed to release the normally private list of visitors to the White House, as a move to increase transparency, and resolve four lawsuits against both it and the previous administration from a watchdog group. “We will achieve our goal of making this administration the most... More »

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Bush administration • Barack Obama • White House • Freedom of Information Act • White House visitors • Obama administration • Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics

Obama Met at Least 27 Health Industry Execs

Lawsuit prompts
White House to finally release the list

Jul 23, 09 6:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Since February, President Obama has hosted at least 27 meetings with health industry bigwigs—representing hospitals, doctors, pharmaceuticals and insurance companies—the Huffington Post reports, in its campaign to head off resistance to health care reform. Names of the visitors were released last night, just before the president's press conference... More »

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Barack Obama • health insurance • Freedom of Information Act • American Medical Association • health care reform • Obama administration • Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics

(Newser) - In 2003 a federal agency compiled hundreds of pages of research on the dangers of using cell phones while driving, but suppressed the findings because of pressure from Congress. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a part of the Transportation Department, also planned a long-term study of the risks of... More »

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cell phones • highway safety • Freedom of Information Act • driving • car safety • consumer advocacy • Department of Transportation • driver distraction

OPINION

 'Ethics Elves' 
 Hounded Palin 
 Out of Office 



Endless FOIA requests, ethics investigations, made her quit

Jul 8, 09 10:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - The real reason Sarah Palin quit governing Alaska has nothing to do with 2012, writes John Fund of the Wall Street Journal. She was forced to quit by an onslaught of Freedom of Information Act requests—which anyone can file in Alaska—used by her political enemies to paralyze... More »

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Alaska • Freedom of Information Act • resignation • Sarah Palin • investigations • Election 2012

(Newser) - Business execs who jet around in private planes are fighting to keep their flights secret, reports ProPublica. After a freedom-of-information request from ProPublica, the FAA agreed to change policy and reveal which businesses are allowed to keep their flight records out of public databases. Before the information came out, however,... More »

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Freedom of Information Act • businesses • business travelers • ProPublica • corporate jets

(Newser) - Despite President Obama’s promise of transparency, the administration is blocking requests for the White House visitors list, MSNBC reports, defying two federal court rulings that the lists are public record. In addition to denying MSNBC’s request for a list of all visitors since Jan. 20, the Secret Service... More »

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Barack Obama • Secret Service • Freedom of Information Act • executive privilege • watchdog • visitor logs • transparency • Obama administration • President Obama

Courts Unlikely to Block Release of Torture Pics

White House has slim hopes for appeal, may look to Congress

May 14, 09 6:06 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama has said he wants to prevent the publication of photos depicting abuse of  detainees, but legal experts say the White House has an uphill battle in reversing the court decision to release them. The administration thinks that the Bush-era lawyers did not make a sufficiently strong case in... More »

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Barack Obama • torture • Freedom of Information Act • Joe Lieberman • abuse • detainee • photograph • Lindsey Graham • civil lawsuits • Obama administration

(Newser) - The White House is rethinking its promise to release photos of detainees being abused in US custody, press secretary Robert Gibbs suggested yesterday, saying President Obama has “great concern” about the impact they would have. At issue are 44 photos targeted in a Freedom of Information Act suit by... More »

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Barack Obama • torture • ACLU • American Civil Liberties Union • Freedom of Information Act • harsh interrogation • Obama administration • Robert Gibbs

OPINION

Flyover 'Red Flags' Get
News Orgs Poking Around


Apr 29, 09 1:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - At least one news organization may file a Freedom of Information Act request, demanding the manifest for Monday’s Air Force One flight over New York, according to the American Spectator’s anonymous “Prowler”—who relays suspicions that civilians or a high-level administration official was on board. “... More »

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New York City • Freedom of Information Act • rumor • Boeing 747 • speculation • Obama administration • Air Force One • President Obama • Louis Caldera • campaign donors

 Rose Mary's Baby: 
 FBI Named Worst 
 at 'Losing' Files 

Agency comes up empty on 2 of every 3 requests

Mar 13, 09 3:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - "We never find our files" might be an apt motto for the FBI, according to a damning report from the National Security Archive. The private institution awarded the FBI its "Rosemary Award" for the worst Freedom of Information Act performance of any federal agency. It fails to fulfill... More »

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FBI • Freedom of Information Act • National Security Archive • public records

(Newser) - President Obama announced today that he was freezing the salaries of top White House staff who take in more than $100,000 a year, the AP reports. “Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington,” he said. Obama is also requiring federal agencies to respond more actively... More »

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Barack Obama • White House • Freedom of Information Act • Obama administration • President Obama • salaries • salary freeze

 Fed Won't Say 
 Where $2T 
 in Loans Went 

Money is in addition to $700B Wall St. bailout; collateral unclear, too

Nov 10, 08 12:54 PM CST
(Newser) - The Federal Reserve has lent more than $2 trillion to financial institutions under programs without congressional oversight—and will not disclose to whom or under what terms, Bloomberg reports. The loans are separate from the $700 billion congressionally approved bailout package. Investors and citizens are concerned that the collateral given... More »

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Ben Bernanke • Wall Street • Federal Reserve • Freedom of Information Act • lawsuit • credit crisis • bailout • financial crisis

Secret Justice Memo Bares CIA Torture Defense

Agents would be safe from prosecution if they acted in good faith

Jul 25, 08 1:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Bush administration advised the CIA in 2002 that its agents would not be prosecuted on anti-torture legislation as long as they professed an "honest belief" that their actions would not cause severe pain and anguish, CNN reports. The memo is one of three made public by the ACLU,... More »

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CIA • torture • Department of Justice • ACLU • Freedom of Information Act • torture memo

White House Emails Can Stay Missing: Judge

Watchdog group outraged by ruling about lost missives

Jun 16, 08 8:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - Records on millions of missing White House emails can stay secret after all, a federal judge ruled today. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rejected a watchdog group's lawsuit, saying the records are kept in an agency exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. A probe, lawsuit, and appeal are all... More »

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White House • Freedom of Information Act • watchdog • federal judges • ruling • George W. Bush • missing White House emails

 Clinton to Release
 First Lady Schedules 

All 11,046 pages of them

Mar 19, 08 8:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - The public can finally get a look at Hillary Clinton’s record as first lady—all 11,046 pages of it. The National Archives will release all of Clinton's daily schedules, it announced yesterday, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request made almost a year ago. The documents detail... More »

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Hillary Clinton • Bill Clinton • Freedom of Information Act • Clinton administration • Clinton Presidential Library • National Archives • first lady • Clinton records

CIA 'Gulled' Court on Torture Tapes, Says Judge

May quiz officials himself

Jan 18, 08 5:25 AM CST
(Newser) - A federal judge said he suspects the CIA lied to his court about tapes showing the harsh interrogations of two al-Qaeda leaders, the New York Times reports. The CIA claims no records exist concerning the tapes, which were destroyed in 2005. But the judge, currently deciding a Freedom of Information... More »

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CIA • torture • ACLU • Freedom of Information Act • Abu Zubaydah • interrogation tapes • Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein • Office of the Inspector General • al-Qaeda • Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri

WH Told to Reveal Visitor List

Court rules that Bush and Cheney's appointments are public knowledge

Dec 17, 07 7:36 PM CST
(Newser) - Who stops by the White House or Dick Cheney's place is a matter of public record, a district court judge ruled today, blocking the Bush administration's attempts to keep visitor logs sealed. Liberal watchdogs had argued the information is covered by the Freedom of Information Act, while President Bush had... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Bush administration • White House • Jerry Falwell • James Dobson • Freedom of Information Act • Gary Bauer • White House visitors • visitor logs • George W. Bush

1 - 20 of 24 Stories | 1 2 Next >>


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