Month: May 2013

A recent Supreme Court decision could make it harder for information to be freely accessed across state lines. The gist, penned by Justice Samuel Alito, for noncitizens? “There is no constitutional right to obtain all the information provided by FOIA laws.” Some background: A Rhode Island resident who had divorced his wife […]

Spreading the word for our friends, Investigative Reporters and Editors: COLUMBIA, MISSOURI – Investigative Reporters & Editors, Inc. is launching a new award – dubbed the Golden Padlock – recognizing the most secretive publicly-funded agency or person in the United States. It is calling on journalists and the public for worthy nominees. “This honor […]

Getting a Freedom of Information Act request filled can be a labor-intensive process, and many requests languish for days, weeks or months without any response at all, let alone a response that includes the requested information and documentation. A FOIA request for Internal Affairs data submitted to the police department […]

The American Civil Liberties Union just published a summary of their findings after a Freedom of Information Act request supplied them with the FBI’s Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide (DIOG) from 2008 and 2012. The ACLU calls their findings “distressing.” From the 2012 guide: In enacting the ECPA, Congress concluded […]

Jake Griffin at the Daily Herald published an excellent analysis this week of 2012 FOIA request denials from the of Illinois attorney general’s office. Appeals in response to denied FOIA requests jumped up 22 percent last year. AG Lisa Madigan’s Chief of Staff offered Griffin one explanation: That increase could […]

  Last week, the appointed school board behind Chicago Public Schools voted to close 50 programs citywide. Their stated goal: to balance a projected $1 billion budget deficit by trimming the fat and closing buildings that aren’t optimally “utilized.” But a report by the anti-closure advocacy group Raise Your Hand, the […]