This week, news organizations dissect the funding for President Donald Trump’s “Salute to America” Fourth of July Celebration and a look at a construction company’s involvement in the Trump Organization’s plans to expand into Indonesia.
Continue readingCritical questions on ‘smart city’ tech: Continuing a conversation from Code for America 2019
Here are some critical questions cities need to ask to ensure “smart cities” and emerging technology projects are focused on people and outcomes, and not just tech.
Continue readingTransparency can help transit agencies earn public trust
A number of transit agencies face crises of public confidence, and greater transparency can help address this.
Continue readingThis Week in Conflicts: Search the First Family’s Potential Conflicts of Interest, Possible Tax Schemes and Another Emoluments Lawsuit Moves Forward
This week, search the newly released database of potential conflicts of interest associated with President Donald Trump and other members of the First Family, read the New York Times investigation into possible tax schemes involving President Trump and his family and hear why a judge is allowing a second emoluments lawsuit against the president move forward.
Continue readingThis Week in Conflicts: Cohen Subpoenaed in Trump Foundation Probe, Ivanka’s Ex-Business Partner Sued and Sen. Warren Unveils Anti-Corruption Bill
This week, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, is issued a subpoena as part of a Trump Foundation probe, Ivanka Trump’s former business partner is sued by the Department of Justice and Senator Elizabeth Warren unveils anti-corruption and public integrity bill.
Continue readingFacebook’s commitments to transparency before Congress are welcome, but insufficient
Unless Congress takes more time to understand and then to craft careful remedies, the emerging challenges for open government that Facebook is implicated in – from automated activity to algorithmic transparency to public speech on private platforms to data ethics and protections to anti-trust concerns to artificial intelligence – will most likely be obscured by more sound and fury emanating from Washington that ultimately signifies nothing.
Continue readingHow Baton Rouge is engineering open data for community involvement
Baton Rouge wants to make sure residents know about new open datasets as soon as they’re available. Leaders see this as a way to keep residents in the know about new resources, as well as an important part of how governments can and should be transparent in a digital era. A new website brings together all this work in one place.
Continue readingWhy we’re launching the Web Integrity Project
The mission of the Web Integrity Project (WIP) is to monitor changes to government websites, holding our government accountable by revealing shifts in public information and access to Web resources, as well as changes in stated policies and priorities.
Continue readingWhat Trump’s release of the memo tells us about transparency in DC
The selective declassification of this memorandum -- but not the one drafted by Democrats on the committee – is an indicator of bad faith on open government, not a commitment to fully informing the public about how surveillance is used, abused or authorized in U.S. government.
Continue readingIn its first year, the Trump administration has reduced public information online
Almost a year into the Trump presidency, we have seen are substantial public information removals and overhauls of federal webpages, documents, and entire websites, as well as significant shifts in language and messaging across the federal Web domain.
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