Federal Government – Page 12 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Editorial: The Latest Benghazi Freak-Out in 10 Sentences

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Last week, in response to a Freedom of Information request filed by Judicial Watch, the White House released a memo related to Benghazi that was authored by Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser for strategic communication. The four-page memo, written a few days after the attacks, was designed to prep Susan Rice for her upcoming appearances on several Sunday talk shows. Among other things, it addressed the anti-American protests that had first sprung up in Egypt and then spread throughout the Middle East, including this line as one of the goals of her appearances:

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NARA creates FOIA advisory committee

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The National Archives and Records Administration will create a committee to improve the way the government process Freedom of Information Act request, a May 5 Federal Register notice says.

"NARA has determined that the creation of the FOIA Advisory Committee is in the public interest due to the expertise and valuable advice the Committee members will provide on issues related to improving the administration of FOIA," the notice says.

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Believe the hype: Big data can have a big social impact

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Given all the hype around so called big data at the moment, it would be easy to dismiss it as nothing more than the latest technology buzzword. This would be a mistake, given that the application and interpretation of huge – often publicly available – data sets is already supporting new models of creativity, innovation and engagement.

To date, stories of big data's progress and successes have tended to come from government and the private sector, but we've heard little about its relevance to social organisations. Yet big data can fuel big social change.

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Editorial: Federal Data Act is a victory for open government commentary

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Recently, in a victory for open data, both chambers of Congress passed with bipartisan support the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act. The bill now heads to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature. The DATA Act would drastically improve the public’s access to federal spending data by expanding the universe of information the government is required to post online and creating government-wide financial data standards.

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Federal Government Releases Names of Schools Under Sex Assault Investigations

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The federal government on Thursday took the unprecedented step of releasing the names of 55 colleges and universities under investigation for their handling of sexual violence or harassment complaints. On the list are some of the most prestigious schools in the nation, such as Harvard, Amherst and Princeton.

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Federal Office of Government Information Services is a good resource for information on FOIA services

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The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) resource for the public and the government. Congress has charged us with reviewing FOIA policies, procedures and compliance of Federal agencies and to recommend changes to FOIA based on what we see. Our mission also includes resolving FOIA disputes between Federal agencies and requesters.

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Data Act Moves Forward: Transparency Closer to Becoming a Reality for Millions of Citizens

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A big data transformation is evolving apace in government agencies across the United States, and federal organizations will soon join the movement as the historic Data Act has just cleared a major milestone. Teradata Corp. (NYSE: TDC), the analytic data platforms, marketing applications and services company, announced today that supporters of the legislation will gather one week from today, April 29, for the inaugural Data Transparency Summit at Union Market in Washington, sponsored by the Data Transparency Coalition.

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Tech Industry Applauds Senate DATA Act Passage

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The United States Senate approved an amended version of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 994) today by unanimous consent. Advocates expect the landmark open data legislation, known as the DATA Act, to earn swift approval in the U.S. House of Representatives, where an earlier iteration of the bill passed by a 388-1 vote in November 2013. The DATA Act would mandate the publication of all federal spending disclosures as standardized open data. In many cases, that information is currently locked behind inaccessible document-based formats.

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Report: Some Agencies Struggling with FOIA Requests

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A report published by the nonprofit Center for Effective Government (formerly OMB Watch), has ranked 15 agencies on how well they are implementing the Freedom of Information Act, and it gave seven of them failing grades.

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Shot officers suing ATF for records in federal court

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Shot officers suing ATF for records in federal court

Citing the federal Freedom of Information Act, four Drug Task Force officers shot while serving warrants at the Greenland home of Cullen Mutrie have filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for unredacted records pertaining to the April 12, 2012 shootings.

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