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First Amendment News

Help available for government watchdogs

donal brown November 5, 2009

Citizens and organizations seeking information about the relationships between officials, corporations and policy makers can tap into a myriad of resources. Here is a description of ten of the most helpful watchdog projects. -DB MediaShift November 3, 2009 By Katie Donnelly With the 2010 U.S. elections coming into view, many people are looking for more information about the people running for office — and the individuals and organizations funding these candidates. Fortunately, there are dozens

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Newspaper claims constitutional protection in withholding jailhouse interview notes from county attorney

donal brown November 5, 2009

A Kansas county prosecutor has issued a subpoena to the Dodge City Daily Globe and reporter Claire O’Brien to obtain her notes, testimony and the identity of an anonymous source concerning a Labor Day shooting that left one man dead. The prosecutor says he is trying to obtain the information from other sources so O’Brien and the newspaper does not have to become, in the newspapers’  words, “an investigative agent for the government.” -DB Dodge City

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Open government group asks secretary of health to come clean on mistakes concerning swine flu vaccines

donal brown November 3, 2009

The Project on Government Oversight is calling for transparency in the H1N1 vaccine program to discover why there is  a shortage of vaccine. -DB Project on Government Oversight November 2, 2009 By Bryan Rahija Last Friday, POGO renewed its calls for transparency in the government’s H1N1 vaccine program. In a letter sent to Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, we urged the Secretary to make public several aspects of the program,

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Indiana high School students sue after school imposed penalties for posting racy photos on internet

donal brown November 3, 2009

Two sophomores from an Indiana high school were barred from afterschool sports for the 2009-2010 school year when the administration objected to sexually provocative images of themselves the girls posted on MySpace. The American Civil Liberties Union is filing a suit against the school, arguing that the posting was not disruptive and therefore violated the students’ First Amendment rights. The students apologized and have been reinstated for the fall sports season. Tech Herald contributor Steve

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Groups for sealing Tennessee handgun database ask for the records

donal brown November 3, 2009

The Tennessean November 3, 2009 By Erik Schelzig Associated Press Even though Republicans have opposed releasing records of Tennessee handgun permit holders, the state Republican party and a company doing campaign work for the Republicans have both requested the records. Open government advocates are seeking the records to determine if the state is properly denying permits to those not allowed handguns. -DB

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