Today in #OpenGov 3/24/2014

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Keep reading for today’s look at #OpenGov news, events and analysis including paper processing, a Turkish Twitter tirade, and quizzing gubernatorial candidates on open data in Pennsylvania.series-opengov-today

National News

  • A group of technology companies urged Ron Wyden (D-OR), the new chair of the Senate Finance Committee, to promote greater transparency in trade deals. (The Hill)
  • “Deep underground, federal employees process paperwork by hand in a long-outdated, inefficient system,” is just about the most frustrating lede you’ll read this year. (Washington Post)

International News

  • The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is trying to remove Twitter from the internet in his country. He ordered Turkish ISPs to block twitter. Luckily, it appears to be very easy for users to sidestep the ban. Twitter has already posted instructions. (Ars Technica)
  • Qatar is moving forward with a new open data policy that would release large amounts of non-personal government data to the public. ictQuatar, the agency in charge of the initiative, is currently doing public outreach around the proposal. (Doha News)

State and Local News

  • A statewide group of civic hackers and open data advocates in Pennsylvania are preparing a set of questions to as the state’s gubernatorial candidates in a forthcoming public letter. (Technical.ly Philly)

Events This Week 3/24 – 3/28

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