Government

A new online project by two longstanding open-government groups allows people and groups to vote for the government information they would most like disclosed.

In January 2009, President Obama reversed Bush administration policy and ordered most federal agencies to err on the side of disclosure when responding to FOIA requests. Why, then, are a number of agencies still operating under the old policies?

The USDA is interpreting a provision in the 2008 Farm Bill so broadly that it may amount to a FOIA exemption for most information about individual agricultural operations.

Get detailed flood data that is almost real-time, provided by 4,260 monitors on waterways throughout the US, and the latest information on temperature, precipitation, wind, El Nino and La Nina, Pacific sea level, events in the stratosphere, and more.

Data range from the very big picture, such as the total acreage devoted to agriculture in the country, and each state and county, to myriad details.

EPA proposes a new rule addressing emissions of toxic chemicals from kilns that are fueled by coal or other typical fuels, or allegedly nonhazardous waste. You'll find this, as well as other environmental story ideas, in the latest issue of TipSheet.

A significant number of Bush administration political appointees have converted to career civil service jobs in recent months — many in areas covered by environment, energy, resource, science, and health journalists.

Results of EPA's 2008 "National Dialogue" to develop an "Information Access Strategy" are now online.

A coalition of 262 citizen groups from many walks of life urge the new Congress to pass legislation ending the widespread practice of government retaliation against federal employees who reveal government waste, fraud, and abuse.

The deepening standoff between the White House and Congressional investigators over access to information about how the Bush-Cheney administration formed its energy plan may start coming to a head Sept. 6, 2001.