Kudos to the Environmental Defense Fund (#EDF, @edf) for using the Freedom of Information Act (#FOIA) to obtain the latest greenhouse gas inventory from the Environment Protection Agency (#EPA), and making it #OpenAccess.
https://www.edf.org/freedom-information-act-documents-epas-greenhouse-gas-inventory

"As a party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United States is obligated to submit a national greenhouse gas emissions inventory report by April 15 each year. This year, for the first time in nearly three decades, the U.S. failed to meet that obligation and did not publicly release a greenhouse gas inventory."

Here's the OA inventory itself.
https://library.edf.org/AssetLink/145ky510ew61fk1tq5c2klp5kq5yp33j.pdf

The Seattle Police Officers Guild is suing the Seattle Police for being slow as fuck with records requests.

This all stems from an SPD policy where if you make more than one records request they will group and process your orders one at a time, each taking possibly months or years.

Which I for one am extremely happy to see the SPOG helping us cop watchers have more tools to expose the bad behavior of SPOG members

https://publicola.com/2025/05/06/seattle-police-guild-sues-police-department-over-public-records-delays/

The #ACLU Is Suing the Government to Get Access to #DOGE Records

The ACLU claims the Department of #VeteransAffairs and the #SocialSecurity Administration have violated the Freedom of Information Act.
#foia #ssa

https://www.wired.com/story/aclu-lawsuit-government-doge-access-sensitive-data/

Why did the #TrumpAdministration fire all of the #FOIA staff at the #CDC? What are they hiding? https://theconversation.com/the-sudden-dismissal-of-public-records-staff-at-health-agencies-threatens-government-accountability-254024
#health #science #RFKJr

Hey #FOIA fans want to do your part to make it easier to get DOGE records? Easy peasy. Send a short (polite!) email to National.FOIAPortal@usdoj.gov and say, please make it possible to submit electronic FOIA requests to the U.S. DOGE Service through FOIA.gov. That's all. I'll take it from there.

FOIA.gov - Freedom of Informat...

I wrote up a quick #blog about making a #FOIA request to the #FBI through their web portal, the basics of how to make a request, how to write the request itself and tips on making sure that your request gets processed. While this blog is specific to the FBI the tips could be used for other agencies.
https://realhackhistory.org/2025/04/07/how-to-foia-with-an-example-from-hacking-history/

"The Trump administration has begun its purge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by dismissing 10,000 employees, with agency Freedom of Information Act offices being among the casualties.

This comes after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a FOIA requester himself, promised “radical transparency” at the agency.

The entire FOIA office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was placed on administrative leave, and emails sent to CDC’s FOIA office received the response, “Hello, the FOIA office has been placed on admin leave and is unable to respond to any emails.” Most FOIA staff at the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health were also let go.

Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold noted that CDC’s FOIA website was briefly taken entirely offline, but was restored after public outcry.

It’s important to note that even if CDC or other agency FOIA office websites are taken offline, requesters can visit FOIA.gov to find contact information for agencies and continue to submit requests. Agencies are still obligated to respond to requests even if their entire FOIA office has been sacked."

https://freedom.press/the-classifieds/rfk-jr-promises-radical-transparency-then-closes-foia-shops/

A confidential Revenue paper said a massive loophole in pensions law meant some people could wipe out all of their tax liability by transferring huge sums into a retirement saving fund for spouses and other family members.

The paper said the link between salary and pension had been completely “broken” and the system left open for large scale abuse by the wealthy.

Our latest set of records available at:

https://www.thestory.ie/2025/04/04/pension-loophole-meant-wealthy-company-owners-could-employ-family-members-part-time-on-token-salaries-and-funnel-up-to-e2-million-into-tax-deductible-pension-funds/

Democracy Dies in Darkness:

"Hearing the entire FOIA office at CDC has been eliminated."
-D Boguslaw

"And apparent mechanism to request (as required by law) …"
-A Morey

"The entire CDC FOIA office — nearly two dozen people — received RIF notices. FOIA personnel at FDA & NIH were also dismissed. The CDC has seen a massive uptick in FOIA requests this year. It’s the second busiest year since Covid."
-J Leopold

#FOIA #Fascism #TrumpMusk #HHS #CDC #USPol

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-01/us-health-agency-mass-firings-begin-as-kennedy-orders-10-000-cut?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0MzUzMDg1OCwiZXhwIjoxNzQ0MTM1NjU4LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTVTAwOVBUMEFGQjUwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiIyQjE3NzFFOTlEODc0QzRDOTY1Njg1RTZBQkJGM0QwRCJ9.3wzhDHewZ9AAlOO6yvdQ8Xl-F-AhPjCgiQeL3BYqbDg

Recently heard about DeFlock:

https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/

The #AustinDSA #DSA tried to stop these things from cropping up in #Austin #atx, and failed (though they did keep retention times down IIRC).

Whelp. #FortWorth, where I live now, has plenty of open data sources and portals to dig through in search of ALPR stuff too. Which *did* lead me to a contract the city has maintained, since 2020, with Flock for 200+ #ALPR cameras, some new cameras (which Flock apparently gets to own/operate forever despite charging 2500 USD+ per camera) and some licenses for IP cameras to turn them into ALPRs (for these, presumably, they are for cameras the City of Fort Worth already owns/operates).

However, no maps of the cameras' locations are available in these online data portals. More interestingly, the required permits for Right of Way Encroachment don't appear available online either (there are some independent Flock deployments listed for various HOAs, but nothing from the 2020-2021 time-period when theses cameras first went up by the city that I could find). However however, the contract specifically states that such a map must be provided to the city by Flock, and integrated into its GIS, if requested. I'mma go out on a limb and assume that such a request has been made at least once in the last five or so years. So, I made a Public Information Request ( #PIR / #FOIA ) for the info. Hopefully they already have it as shapefiles.

Then, I can get the data added to #OpenStreetMap #osm. Looks like cities near Fort Worth -- Burleson (S), Mansfield (SE), North Richland Hills (NE), Colleyville (NE) -- have some ALPRs mapped. But nothing in Fort Worth proper (or west of Fort Worth).

#dfw #Texas

Every day I remain unemployed is a day I will do everything in my power to be a pain in the ruling capitalist class's ass.

Everyone needs to FOIA the shit out of these motherfuckers. At some point, the courts WILL notice the non-responsiveness.

I drove 300 miles in rural #Virginia , then asked police to send me their public #surveillance footage of my car. Here's what I learned. - Cardinal News

Anyone might wonder how often they are caught on police cameras that operate 24/7. I spent a day driving, and over a month trying to get the answer.
#flock #privacy #foia

https://cardinalnews.org/2025/03/28/i-drove-300-miles-in-rural-virginia-then-asked-police-to-send-me-their-public-surveillance-footage-of-my-car-heres-what-i-learned/

anyone have tips for an #FOIA request from a public K-12 school? or favorite FOIA resources in general?

appreciate boosts for reach, thank you!

#DOGE Keeps Trying to Dodge #FOIA. So We’re Suing.
#TheIntercept filed a #lawsuit to force Trump administration to comply with federal transparency law when it comes to so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court under Freedom of Information Act, concerns multiple FOIA requests for DOGE records. At first DOGE simply ignored these requests while #ElonMusk’s crew ransacked federal agencies and accessed sensitive data systems.
https://theintercept.com/2025/03/24/intercept-lawsuit-doge-freedom-of-information-act/

More than 400 Social Security numbers, other private information revealed in #JFK files. The data belongs to ex-congressional staffers and others connected to decades-old investigations. “It’s absolutely outrageous. It’s sloppy, unprofessional,” said one man whose information was included. Tell me again they will not use the #SocialSecurity Database #maga stole however the want. #cybersecurity #cybercrime #FOIA #privacy #doxing https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/more-than-400-social-security-numbers-other-private-information-revealed-in-jfk-files/ar-AA1BgW14

Great question! Are there any European countries where the Freedom of Information Act could mandate politicians and public institutions to publish on alternative, login-free platforms? Or is there a similar requirement at the EU level?

Any legal expert?

https://mastodon.social/@btel/114196826192379571