MuckRock

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The easy way to request and share public records, making government more transparent and democracies more informed.

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In a vault at the National Security Agency lies a historical treasure: two AMPEX 1-inch open reel tapes containing a landmark lecture by Admiral Grace Hopper, a giant in the field of computer science. Yet this invaluable artifact remains inaccessible. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Admiral Grace Hopper’s landmark lecture is found, but the NSA won’t release itwww.muckrock.com In a vault at the National Security Agency lies a historical treasure: two AMPEX 1-inch open reel tapes containing a landmark lecture by Admiral Grace Hopper, a giant in the field of computer science....

Following MuckRock’s “Air We Breathe” series with the Cicero Independiente, elected officials from the Village of Stickney are opting out of secret Koppers community meetings about air pollution. But the company says the meetings will continue — in secret. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Elected officials are opting out of secret Koppers community meetings about air pollution.www.muckrock.com The Illinois EPA has created a Koppers resource website, with documents related to all four Illinois EPA violations, due to “significant public interest” in the facility. And the state attorney genera...

Over the past few weeks, the MuckRock tech team has focused on several key updates and additions. These include the development of the Knight Election Hub, which offers vital resources to U.S. newsrooms for comprehensive coverage of the 2024 elections. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Release Notes: Knight Election Hub, more OCR tools and expanded raw email accesswww.muckrock.com Over the past few weeks, the MuckRock tech team has focused on several key updates and additions. These include the development of the Knight Election Hub, which offers vital resources to U.S. newsroo...

The Freedom of Information Act, transparency’s landmark legislation, was signed into law on July 4, 1966. Get in the spirit of the holidays by making your own public records request with some tips from your fellow MuckRockers. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

For the Record: Celebrate the Fourth with FOIAwww.muckrock.com Get in the spirit of the holidays by making your own public records request or taking some inspiration from your fellow MuckRockers.

#FOIAFriday is back and bringing you tips and tricks for your requests. This month, we’re talking about FOIA, nonprofits and private companies. Have you ever wondered what that company your government contracts with is doing? We’ve got you covered. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: July's #FOIAFriday session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.us02web.zoom.us #FOIAFriday is back and bringing you tips, tricks and inspiration for your requests. This month, we’re talking about FOIA, nonprofits and private companies. Have you ever wondered what that company ...

Last Friday’s #FOIAFriday session, part of MuckRock's occasional free FOIA workshopping series, covered how to request overlooked documents that can shine a light on candidates up and down the ballot. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

For the Record: How to background political candidates through public recordswww.muckrock.com As November inches closer, June’s #FOIAFriday session explored what type of public records can be used to investigate political candidates who are running in the 2024 election cycle. Friday’s session ...

MuckRock has now archived information over 160,000 FOIA requests across twenty agencies in our FOIA Log Explorer. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

For the Record: Navigating MuckRock’s FOIA Log Explorerwww.muckrock.com MuckRock has archived data on over 160,000 FOIA requests, including the Environmental Protection Agency and Customs and Border Protection.

Experts who reviewed the contracts and documents for RECOVER, the long Covid research initiative, say the NIH set itself up for failure by not selecting scientists fluent in the post-infectious chronic diseases that predate the Covid-19 pandemic. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

‘They bungled it:’ NIH documents reveal how $1.6 billion long Covid initiative has failed so far to meet its goalswww.muckrock.com Budget and other project documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show how the National Institutes of Health set up its flagship long Covid research initiative, including the scientif...

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betsy ladyzhets 📊

You can also read a shorter version of the story at @statnews.bsky.social (and soon will be at @muckrock.bsky.social too): www.statnews.com/2024/05/31/l...

NIH documents show how $1.6 billion long Covid initiative has failed so far to meet its goalswww.statnews.com NIH documents show how the $1.6 billion long Covid initiative called RECOVER has failed so far to meet its goals.

Missed today's #FOIAFriday webinar on data inventories? We've uploaded the entire webinar to MuckRock's YouTube channel: youtu.be/9-Do81pKSmM

#FOIAFriday webinar: Requesting data inventoriesyoutu.be Topic of the week: Data Inventories. Agenda for this week's webinar: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TdWg3AMPnxtN3_AI_cyWIXBn-1UoSSYIc5aaLlZTUZA/edit#heading=h.kpzgaf90rcn8 MuckRock Guides and Manuals: https://muckrock.notion.site/Guides-and-Manuals-9852bdcb6046454f80840a3f833fd95c #FOIAFriday Feedback Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqh5p6TR0nWybhfOrlbv9fnzwXcqTvzA4JKrtmL85RwOzTeQ/viewform Join MuckRock Slack: https://www.muckrock.com/slack/ Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.muckrock.com/newsletters/

#FOIAFriday is back next Friday, May 10, at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific and we’re bringing you tips, tricks and inspiration for your requests. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: #FOIAFriday Zoom session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.us02web.zoom.us You can hop on these calls and get help filing the requests on #FOIAFriday, ask questions about documents or get advice on roadblocks in the request process. If you have a request you’ve been wanting...

Requesters face denials of their public records requests, but there are ways to appeal. This week’s For the Record column offers insight to how reporters at MuckRock and the Cicero Independiente dealt with denials in their “Air We Breathe” series. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

For the Record: Appealing an unduly burdensome denial in Illinoiswww.muckrock.com This week’s For the Record shares how reporters at MuckRock and the Cicero Independiente overcame rejection in their “Air We Breathe” series.

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Michigan is one of two states in our union that does not apply its freedom of information law to its legislature. As @muckrock.bsky.social reports, that could change! Congress shows no sign of applying the FOIA to itself, but should extend FOIA to support agencies: www.archives.gov/files/ogis/a...

For the Record: Michigan bill could expand FOIA law to governor and legislaturewww.muckrock.com Two bipartisan bills in Michigan could expand the state’s Freedom of Information Act to allow requests for documents in the governor’s office and the state legislature.

“The Air We Breathe,” published by the Cicero Independiente and MuckRock, has been chosen as the 2024 winner of the Victor K. McElheny Award from MIT’s Knight Science Journalism program for local and regional journalism. ksj.mit.edu/news/2024/04...

Air Pollution Investigation Wins 2024 McElheny Award for Local Science Journalismksj.mit.edu The first-of-its-kind analysis of Cicero’s air quality by the Cicero Independiente and MuckRock revealed the reality of air pollution in the area, giving residents answers about their health, and the ...

MuckRock’s For the Record column goes to Louisiana to understand how a new proposed legislation would exclude a local government’s “active” negotiations in economic development projects from the state's public records law. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

NEW: An investigation by a team of journalists reporting for MuckRock and New York Focus offers a first-of-its-kind look at how “peace officers” assigned to New York City’s homeless shelters are held accountable — and how long their behavior can go unchecked. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Behind the Badge: In New York City Homeless Shelters, the Same 'Peace Officers' Abuse Residentswww.muckrock.com Previously unreleased disciplinary files expose officers who beat, slap, and pepper spray the residents they're supposed to protect. Most are back at work within a month.

MuckRock’s For the Record column continues to cover state legislation changes to public records law with Utah’s new law that allows for the exemption of elected officials’ calendars from public records law. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

For the Record: New Utah law redefines what is a public recordwww.muckrock.com Utah’s Senate Bill 240 allows for the exemption of elected officials’ calendars from the state’s public records law.

After the Cicero Independiente and MuckRock published investigative articles about air pollution and the chemicals company Koppers, the company hired a public-relations firm to organize a secret, behind-the-scenes campaign to influence local officials. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

The inside story on a billion-dollar chemical company’s fight to keep its secrets from the publicwww.muckrock.com After the Cicero Independiente and MuckRock published investigative articles about air pollution and the chemicals company Koppers, it hired a public-relations firm to organize a secret, behind-the-sc...

In this week’s For the Record column, we’re tackling new proposed public-records legislation in New Jersey and Arkansas. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

For the Record: What’s next for public records law in New Jersey and Arkansas?www.muckrock.com This week’s For the Record is turning to New Jersey and Arkansas that have active legislation that could modernize public record laws in their states.

#FOIAFriday is back next Friday, April 12, at 1 p.m. and we’re bringing you tips, tricks and inspiration for your requests. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

From states creating a “vexatious requester” label to government agencies redefining what is a government record, here’s a breakdown of state legislation in Colorado and Kentucky that would change how public records are accessed. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

For the Record: The state of new public records legislation in Colorado and Kentuckywww.muckrock.com This week’s For the Record tackles proposed state legislation in Colorado and Kentucky that would change how public records are accessed.

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker revealed that in the past 12 months alone, more than $1.6 million in attorneys fees was awarded to journalists and news outlets suing state and local agencies for access to public records. pressfreedomtracker.us/blog/the-pub...

The public is paying the price for local government secrecypressfreedomtracker.us When journalists must sue for access to public records after they’re wrongfully withheld by state and local officials, it’s a …

DocDive is a new feature on MuckRock where we break down a type of document we have obtained and analyzed, with just enough information to explain why you should request it and how. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

DocDive: Getting put on (legal) noticewww.muckrock.com Some state and federal laws require what are called “demand letters,” or notices of legal action, to be sent from one party to another before a lawsuit is filed.

Analysis by David Cuillier shows that of 37,000 FOIA requests submitted to federal agencies through MuckRock in 2010, barely more than half of requests were successful. By 2022, it was barely more than 10% of requests. theconversation.com/growing-secr...

While the Freedom of Information Act establishes blanket requirements for federal agencies, no such law exists at the state level. Instead, states are left to create and regulate their own public record laws, including costs. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

MuckRock survey of FOIA fees points to uneven picture across the U.S.: From $2 in Washington state t...www.muckrock.com A fee is charged for about 16% of U.S. public-records requests, according to a MuckRock analysis of our data. The rising costs of records limits government accountability at the state-level but reques...

Nuclear waste haphazardly stored in the St. Louis suburbs was found to pose a health risk to those living near Coldwater Creek. Now, the contaminated creek will finally have warning signs installed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, almost 75 years later. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Coldwater Creek to finally have warning signs after decades of nuclear contaminationwww.muckrock.com Nuclear waste stored outside St. Louis was found to pose a risk to nearby Coldwater Creek as early as 1949. The contaminated creek will finally have warning signs almost 75 years later.

Over the coming months, we’re working to bring additional election-related resources, training and reporting to you. Check out our latest training: www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

MuckRock’s guide to using public records to investigate 2024 political candidateswww.muckrock.com With competitive Congressional races across the country and state and local candidates fighting to keep or take elected office, there are endless stories that can be reported out to help the public ma...

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Also today @thesicktimes.bsky.social: I wrote about the new #LongCovid death data from the CDC, citing past reporting from me & colleagues @muckrock.bsky.social about why this death toll is likely a major undercount.

New CDC data identify more than 5,000 Long Covid deaths, but tally is likely a significant undercoun...thesicktimes.org Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on deaths caused by Long Covid, reporting that more than 5,000 Americans have died from this disease since 2020. The C...

A backlog of FOIA requests pending at federal agencies “continues to persist, indicating that agencies are not keeping pace with the number of requests received” despite increasing use of exemptions that allow agencies to simply deny requests. www.fedweek.com/federal-mana...

Agencies Not Keeping Up with FOIA Requests, Report Showswww.fedweek.com A backlog of Freedom of Information Act requests pending at federal agencies “continues to persist, indicating that agencies are not keeping pace with the

MuckRock and Sunlight Search are researching political candidates for the 2024 campaign season. We're providing training and support for journalists and the public to explore political races and candidates, and we want to hear from you. airtable.com/app5VFNq7Qdz...

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