Project on Government Oversight says federal plans for contractor database omit exactly the information investigative types want most, including past wrongdoing by contractors. POGO's own database still the best tool available.

Politico broke the story of a January 18, 2011, meeting between House and Senate GOP aides and energy industry lobbyists to map out strategy for handcuffing President Obama and EPA on climate regulations.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has started publishing the industry wish-lists on its own — including in some cases full texts of industry letters back to Issa.

The Associated Press reports the House Oversight Committee has asked the Department of Homeland Security for documents about its policy requiring political appointees to review Freedom of Information Act requests.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says the Dec. 21 memo implies that existing EPA openness policy meets White House criteria. Meanwhile, the Office of Management and Budget may again be tampering with agency science for political purposes — accused by Arizona congressman Raúl Grijalva (pictured) of censoring FOIA'd documents relating to the mid-summer estimate of Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Some light bulbs require special handling to reduce toxic exposures. EPA's latest guidance for old fluorescent bulbs that contain PCBs and current generation CFLs that contain mercury both provide important fodder for consumer-awareness stories.