October 2011
32 posts
Government Could Hide Existence of Records under... →
onaissues:
“A proposed rule to the Freedom of Information Act would allow federal agencies to tell people requesting certain law-enforcement or national security documents that records don’t exist – even when they do.
Under current FOIA practice, the government may withhold information and issue what’s known as a Glomar denial that says it can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records.
...
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UPDATE: Homeland Security intelligence office to...
Congress has called for further investigation of the Homeland Security Department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis following a Center for Investigative Reporting examination that found the outfit has done little to add to or improve the nation’s intelligence data.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last month directed the Government Accountability Office,...
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Watchcaliforniawatch:
The U.S. Department of Energy has moved ahead with $4.5 billion in new loans for clean energy projects in California – despite the recent bankruptcy of Silicon Valley-based Solyndra. The new loans all were approved last month during the final days of a federal program created with stimulus money. Our reporter Dan Goldstein has the story.
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Watchnpr:
How do you measure the whole economy in one number? (via Planet Money)
Feds continue their curious habit of giving... →
ageofperil:
Congress mandates that the Department of Homeland Security conduct special assessments whenever it builds new counterterrorism databases that explain how the systems might negatively impact the privacy of everyday Americans.
We keep track of these assessments at the Center for Investigative Reporting, and the latest offers insight into the warmly titled database “ICEPIC,” short for...
“Like I said, Tweet ‘em. Tweet ‘em. They’re all Tweeting all over the place....”
– President Obama, telling students at a rally at the University of Colorado how to get Congress’s attention. (via dcdecoder)
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WatchIn the heat of the desert in Coachella, Calif., more than 30,000 farmworkers have set up makeshift homes in overcrowded trailer parks—often without access to clean water, electricity and sewage systems. Some, like Ana Sanchez, are demanding basic rights to safe living conditions. Watch the new California Lost video and read more: On edge of paradise, Coachella workers live in grim conditions
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“The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads...”
– President Barack Obama announcing the United States will pull troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011. via New York Times.
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“After several hours, we were summoned to the residence, where I greeted the...”
– An excerpt of an exclusive excerpt from Condoleezza Rice’s new memoir about the former secretary of state’s meeting with the Libyan leader, who once called her his “African princess.” (via newsweek)
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“The girls who were detained were not like your daughter or mine. These were...”
– An Egyptian general admitting, in May, that protesters had been forced to submit to “virginity checks.” (via officialssay)
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WatchTonight, FRONTLINE and the Investigative Reporting Workshop examine the Obama administration’s controversial get-tough immigration policy. CIR reporter Andrew Becker contributed reporting.
Feds attempt to copyright public website owned by...
ageofperil:
The Pentagon got so excited about its new Guantanamo war-court website that it apparently tried to copyright the whole thing, until a Yale professor pointed out that the government can’t copyright its own publications. They’re owned by you and me. Interestingly, the phrase “If you see something, say something,” which the feds have used to promote suspicious activity reporting,...
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“I’m not just seeing print advertising. I’m actually hearing radio...”
– U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy, whose district includes Imperial and San Diego counties in California.
Federal prosecutors are preparing to target newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets that advertise medical marijuana dispensaries in California, another escalation in the Obama ...
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WatchVia FRONTLINE: “On Oct. 15, 2001, Senate intern Grant Leslie opened a letter addressed to then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.). White powder poured onto her lap, her shoes and the floor. Eventually, the entire building would have to be shut down. Leslie and her colleagues were given Cipro and vaccinated. It would be the most high-profile of the series of biological attacks that...
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Christian rock promoter pleads guilty to fraud
The way Downey, California resident Lauren Baumann tells it, she was putting on Christian rock concerts at a mini-golf fun park and renting a $10,000-a-month historic mansion in order to serve God. And also to pay off a $2.9 million judgment from a 1990s fraud conviction in Texas.
To federal prosecutors, it was just another Ponzi scheme. Baumann, 43, pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud,...
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How To Really, Really Prepare For A Debate
newshour:
Have been reading fascinating tidbits like this one over at Fresh Air’s Tumblr this week from their How-to do everything guest hosts.
nprfreshair:
Republican strategist Mark McKinnon, talking about debate prep on How To Do Everything today:
“Dick Cheney was a maniac about preparing for debates. He rehearsed over and over again. He’d do full mock rehearsals. He’d find out what the...
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Reinventing Journalism: 10 lessons learned (in no...
Executive Director Robert Rosethal lays out 10 lessons he’s learned from his time at The Center for Investigative Reporting.
CIR - Reinventing Journalism - 10 lessons learned (in no particular order)
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WatchSustaining investigative reporting means reinventing journalism itself - read CIR Executive Director Robert Rosenthal’s personal account of creating a new model of investigative reporting and launching California Watch, now the largest investigative reporting team in the state.
californiawatch:
Ever wonder where our investigative stories come from? Or how reporters piece them together?...
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The Council on Foreign Relations has produced a number of interesting crisis guides ranging from the global economy to Pakistan. Their newest one is on Iran.
From the Council’s website: “Amid upheaval in the Middle East, Iran’s ambitions as a regional power and its ongoing nuclear program pose major challenges to its neighbors and the global community. This interactive offers a...
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