Read on for the latest on revelations around Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer, plus the rest of the day's open government news from around the world including a key resignation at the State Department, a push for surveillance reforms, an open records win in New Jersey, and more.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Something in the Wray he moves
In today's look at open government news from around Washington, the United States, and the globe we focus on the lack of transparency in healthcare negotiations on the hill, the President's "voter fraud" commission, Pennsylvania's police body camera program, and much more.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Kid pro quo
Good morning from Washington, where we're seeing the familiar news cycle of morning tweets from President Donald J. Trump about today's headlines. In a statement on Twitter, presumably responding to a story in The Hill reporting that former FBI Director's memoranda describing his meetings with Trump contained classified information, the president said "James Comey leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION to the media. That is so illegal!" We expect to learn more about what was "so illegal" – or not – in the first months of the Trump administration in the months ahead. Read on for news from over the weekend, including our take on that story, more reporting conflicts, the Congressional war on expertise, an NYPD attempt to block a surveillance transparency law, and much more.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Public service, public trust
In today's edition, we dig into what Walter Shaub's resignation means for the Office of Government Ethics, explain why official communications need to be preserved, and think about how data can really be leveraged to make a difference. Read on for all that and much more.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: One lobbyist’s Mega Millions jackpot
Read on for today's roundup of open government news including the latest on President Trump's war with the media, top tips to win your FOIA appeal, evidence based approaches to fighting the opioid epidemic, and much more.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: An illustrated guide to transparency
In today's roundup of open government news we highlight the sketch artists that have long helped shed light on otherwise closed government proceedings, celebrate the return of the Congress App for Android, keep up with the latest backlash against the President's "voter fraud" commission, cheer on open data advances in several cities, check out open data portals in Latin America, and more.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Body-slamming democracy
As we prepare to celebrate essential unalienable American rights tomorrow, we see fundamental values under siege around the world, from DC to the Phillipines. Our founding fathers enacted the First Amendment for a reason: free and independent press is critical in a healthy democracy, acting as an immune system against corruption, restricted rights, and tyranny. We will be taking tomorrow off to celebrate Independence Day, but will return on Wednesday with all the latest open government news.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: What lobbyists lurk in the shadows of Washington?
In today's edition, we look at shadow lobbying, share some good news from DC, explore what's working in cities, and collect dispatches from Trumplandia. Read on for more of the latest open government news from Washington and around the United States.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Money talks
Jason Chaffetz, who until recently was the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, provided a partial explanation for his decision to leave Congress with more than a year left in his current term: It's about the money. He called serving in Congress a "rich man's game" while suggesting a housing stipend to help lawmakers afford the high cost of living in Washington, D.C Read on for more on the various ways that money influences politics and all the latest open government news from Washington, DC and around the US.
Continue readingToday in OpenGov: Putting a Facebook on open data
Yesterday, the Committee on House Administration hosted its annual Legislative Data and Transparency Conference at the U.S. Capitol. Many Sunlighters were on hand to learn about progress and initiatives, including the Library of Congress' App Challenge, the U.S. Government Publishing Office's new website, and much more. Check out our Facebook page and the #ldtc17 hashtag on Twitter for more from the event, and our blog today. Keep reading for more open government news from DC and around the United States!
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