This day in 1996: President Bill Clinton signs amendments to the Freedom of Information Act that help usher in a new age of digital democracy. The new law requires the government to make electronic documents available online. http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/10/1002electronic-foia/
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A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to release records of interviews with former Vice President Dick Cheney conducted during its investigation into the Valerie Plame leak. Judge Emmet Sullivan rejected the DOJ’s argument that releasing the interviews would have a chilling effect on future investigations involving White House officials. He found that the government had failed to show that “specific ongoing or reasonably anticipated law enforcement proceedings” would be impacted. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202434234691
A Wisconsin lawmaker has proposed a bill to restrict information in Wisconsin’s online court records. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access offers free access to the state’s criminal and civil case filings. Rep. Marlin Schneider, a Wisconsin Rapids Democrat, says employers use the site to screen hires and neighbors use it to snoop. Under his bill, WCCA would show information only if the case features a conviction or finding of civil liability. Judges, police, attorneys and reporters would retain free access. Anyone else would have to pay $10 annually and register with the state courts director to use the site. The director also would track searches each visitor runs. The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council calls the bill unnecessary and overreaching. (entire item)
Del. Steve Landes said Thursday that he rejected a debate co-sponsored by WHSV Television 3 and The News Leader because of concerns of editorial fairness by The News Leader. http://www2.newsvirginian.com/wnv/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/landes_rebuffs_debate_request/46504/
Heirs to the “first family of country music” are raising questions about several items in a cache of Carter Family memorabilia acquired this summer by Virginia Tech, but university officials are refusing to say who sold them the articles. Lorrie Carter Bennett – granddaughter of Maybelle and niece of June – told The Washington Times that she did not know who sold the materials and said the family was eager to know whether some of the more personal pieces were acquired appropriately. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/02/carter-cash-heirs-inquire-into-tech-collection/?feat=home_headlines
The ACLU of Virginia says a sectarian prayer at a high school football game is unconstitutional, but a religious protest by students against the ACLU for objecting to the prayer is perfectly acceptable. http://valawyersweekly.com/vlwblog/2009/10/01/aclu-approves-of-religious-protest-against-it/
The Virginia Department of Health has awarded James Madison University a $3.4 million grant to produce content and design for an interactive website full of nutrition information for children and their families. The future “Health Bites” site is primarily designed to assure success of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) by providing easy-to-understand nutrition information based on the most up-to-date research, according to Dr. Rhonda M. Zingraff, associate dean of the JMU’s College of Integrated Science and Technology and director of the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services. http://augustafreepress.com/2009/09/30/website-to-provide-important-family-nutritional-information/
A Florida appeals court upheld Florida’s open meetings law Thursday and ordered the National Collegiate Athletic Association to hand over documents related to secret disciplinary proceedings against Florida State University. http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=11051
Decision: http://opinions.1dca.org/written/opinions2009/10-01-2009/09-4385.pdf
Eight county officials in Oklahoma have been charged with 38 violations of the state’s Open Meetings Act, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Five members of the Okmulgee County Criminal Trust Authority and the county’s sheriff, police chief and commissioner are charged with taking unauthorized votes, not recording votes and failing to give notice of action taken, among other misdemeanor violations of Oklahoma’s Open Meetings Act. http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=11050
The FBI says it did not edit videotapes of the aftermath of the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building before turning them over to an attorney who is conducting an unofficial inquiry into the bombing. The FBI turned over more than two dozen tapes taken from security cameras on buildings and other locations around the federal building to Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue, who obtained them through the federal Freedom of Information Act. Trentadue said the tapes are blank at various times in the minutes before the blast. “They have been edited,” Trentadue said Wednesday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gRfCOfLIH-is1bEif1oQD1KodLSQD9B1TUS00
Powerful Senate leaders on Thursday bowed to FBI concerns that adding privacy protections to an expiring provision of the Patriot Act could jeopardize “ongoing” terror investigations. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/10/patriot-act-debate/
Hackers last week apparently used stolen account information from a New Jersey company that provides online payroll services to target the firm’s customers in a scheme to steal passwords and other information. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/09/hackers_breach_payroll_giant_t.html
Former N.C. Gov. Mike Easley, who is a former crime-fighting prosecutor and state attorney general, is expected to be called to testify under oath about possible violations of state elections laws tied to his campaigns for the state’s highest office. North Carolina’s elections board Wednesday set a hearing for Oct. 26 to gather evidence about the Easley campaign and the state Democratic Party that the board said might indicate illegal contributions and inaccurate campaign finance reports. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/120409.html
The publisher of a monthly magazine based in Jefferson County, W.Va., is asking the West Virginia Supreme Court to back the publication’s effort to get the names of citizens who signed a zoning petition. The Shepherdstown Observer on Tuesday asked the high court to hear its Freedom of Information Act appeal. The step follows an August ruling by Jefferson Circuit Court Judge David Sanders, who backed keeping private the names of citizens who signed a zoning referendum petition. http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=67621
Following the lead of the NFL and NBA, the NHL said it was close to making recommendations that will prohibit players from using communicational devices for social media activity — including Twitter and Facebook — 30 minutes before and after games, practices, meetings and media access periods. http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE5905BZ20091001
Colorado Democrats complained when Republican gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry sent campaign information to state workers at their work e-mail addresses, but it turns out plenty of candidates of both parties are e-mailing voters at their state and local government jobs. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said he doubts candidates are violating the law, but he suggested that campaigns “scrub” their lists. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13466686
Two Salt Lake Tribune reporters violated a judge’s court decorum rules by filing minute-by-minute reports on Elizabeth Smart’s testimony from inside the courtroom. The paper pulled that information from its website, then had it resent from outside the courtroom, which adhered to the judge’s order. http://blogs.sltrib.com/slcrawler/index.php?p=3646&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
The Census Bureau says it’s had two “major breaches” of its embargo news release policy in recent days, and “will temporarily suspend prerelease access to data products.” http://www.poynter.org/forum/view_post.asp?id=13989
Dozens of colleges — including Amherst, Bates, Carleton, Colby, Vassar, Wellesley and Yale — are embracing student blogs on their Web sites, seeing them as a powerful marketing tool for high school students, who these days are less interested in official messages and statistics than in first-hand narratives and direct interaction with current students. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/education/02blogs.html?_r=1&ref=us
Federal employees will not be allowed to text while driving, according to an executive order signed Wednesday night by President Obama. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/technology/02distracted.html?ref=us
If you’re having trouble finding a good doctor, the Web is a useful place to start your research. These services can help you find the right doctor for you. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10365089-2.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5