firstamendment

Although the Obama administration has established a web site, Recovery.gov, to help the public track government stimulus money, it may never deliver the transparency originally promised. The administration is now looking for ways to require detailed reports from those receiving federal contracts. -DB The Washington Post May 21, 2009 By Alec MacGillis Shortly after the economic stimulus bill was signed, Vice President Biden was talking up the administration’s Web site to track the spending, Recovery.gov,

President Barack Obama announced that the government is reviewing current policies of agencies responsible for classifying documents. Long overdue, the review is expected to eliminate obsolete rules and put the skids on overclassification. -DB Secrecy News Federation of American Scientists May 21, 2009 “We are launching a review of current policies by all of those agencies responsible for the classification of documents to determine where reforms are possible,” announced President Obama in a speech at

A college student accused of illegally hacking into Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s e-mails says a court had declared the e-mails part of the public record. Among a number of issues, the federal case addresses whether e-mail is property and thereby subject to privacy protection. -DB Wired May 20, 2009 By Kim Zetter A surprise legal maneuver by the defense in the Sarah Palin hacking case could undermine key charges carrying the stiffest potential penalties. A

In a suit that claimed tobacco companies ran fraudulent ads, by a 4-3 vote the California Supreme Court rejected the argument that every plaintiff in the class-action suit – millions of people – had to show they had seen an allegedly deceptive ad and relied on it to make a purchase. -DB San Francisco Chronicle May 19, 2009 By Bob Egelko Consumers have the right to sue as a group over advertising they believe misled

It’s not easy for public agencies to balance the need to get things done in a timely fashion and the need to give the public adequate time to address issues. In an attempt to satisfy everyone, the Redding City Council voted to adopt a 30 minute public comment period on items not on the agenda at the start of council meetings then allow unlimited comment at the end of the meeting. -DB Redding Record Searchlight