First Amendment News

The costs of keeping government secrets has escalated in recent years, now around $10 billion a year. But the specific classification costs for specific agencies, the CIA chief among them, are not revealed to the public. -DB Secrecy News Federation of American Scientists June 1, 2009 Following sharp increases in the first several years after 9/11, the total estimated costs of implementing the national security classification system seem to have leveled off at around $10

Open government advocates are saying they are unclear how the government plans to proceed with their program to solicit public ideas in making the federal government more transparent -DB NextGov May 29, 2009 By Aliya Sternstein As the White House transitions into the second phase of its open government initiative, participants in the first phase said the project has yet to demonstrate a willingness to collaborate between federal officials and the public. “We don’t find

Five news organizations have asked a federal judge to release government evidence against a suspected terrorist. They claim the evidence is crucial to public understanding of the government’s case. -DB Townhall.com May 28, 2009 By Greg Bluestein (AP) News organizations asked a federal judge last week to grant the media access to copies of audio and video court records key to the upcoming trial against a terrorism suspect. The motion seeks access to about 12

An Industry citizens group is planning to file suit charging the city council with violating state open meeting laws in adopting an environmental impact report for a proposed National Football league stadium. The group claims says the council failed to give notice on a public hearing on Feb. 26 on the report’s final draft. -DB Pasadena Star-News May 30, 2009 By Brian Day WALNUT – Community activists said Saturday they hope two lawsuits filed against