Author: Ethan Johnson
On January 24th, by unanimous vote, Congress did something good for documentary filmmakers. Passed the Protection of Reporters from Exploitative State Espionage Act (also known as the Press Act). This is a bill to protect journalists, but it could just as easily be called the “Protecting All Documentary Makers Act.” The reason PRESS does not mention documentary filmmakers is due to the assumption that federal courts have uniformly included documentary filmmakers in their definitions of journalists. However, documentary makers may be among the biggest beneficiaries of this bill. The Press Act prohibits the federal government from forcing documentary filmmakers to…
My first meeting with Killeen city officials set the tone for my entire experience with government transparency.I was hired in July 2023 and my first talk was about the 2024 budget.But before I could attend the meeting, I had to meet with Janelle Ford, Executive Director of Public Affairs for the City of Killeen.I have no personal feelings towards Ford at all. She understands that she has a job just like me. But her first meeting really hammered into my brain what I was going to be dealing with.For one thing, Ford addressed the Herald's past mistakes.All news organizations make…
(NEXSTAR) – The organization that tricks people into handing over their money and personal information is not the fake IRS or the fake Social Security Administration. The company isn't even a private company, but his most recent Amazon scam involved tricking a financial advice columnist into handing over her $50,000 for a shoe box. According to a report released by the Better Business Bureau, scammers are more successful at impersonating the U.S. Postal Service than any other organization. How do these scams work? BBB Director of Communications Melanie McGovern explains that most are phishing schemes sent via text or email.…
This weekend marks the end of Sunshine Week, when journalists and other open government advocates emphasize the public's right to know.In the spirit of the New York Times' venerable in-house newsletter, Winners and Sinners, which points out the hits and misses of journalism, I've decided to list some of the highlights and lowlights of Oregon's public information. .And then a very strange letter arrived in my inbox.First, let's introduce the winners of Open Government.The Milwaukee Police Department and its retiring Chief Luke Strait set an example of transparency by releasing police body camera footage after a man died in custody.…
August 1, 2023, London Neighborhood (LTN) Barrier, UK. (Photo by Karl Cote/Getty Images)Getty Images The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has today published 11 'Plans for Drivers' press releases, several of which are led by those relating to 'Low Traffic Areas' (LTNs). Embedded within the press release is a report commissioned by Chancellor Rishi Sunak that aimed to undermine LTN's credibility, but which had the opposite effect. Low Traffic Neighborhoods: Research ReportThe report, published on Sunday, March 17, states that “LTN is effective in achieving the outcome of reducing traffic on city roads.” Additionally, “the LTN has successfully improved air…
(Central Square) – U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Thursday issued nine letters saying China has infiltrated the U.S. economy and government and must be eradicated. Sent to federal agency.Highlights of Chinese spying and infiltration successes, from Chinese spy balloons that blanketed China from coast to coast last year, to continued cyberattacks, to China's major purchases of American farmland, including near U.S. military installations There are several examples of collections.”The Chinese Communist Party is waging war against the United States by targeting, influencing, and infiltrating every economic sector and community in the United States without…
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration slams back after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested without evidence that baseball legend Hank Aaron's death in 2021 was caused by the COVID-19 vaccine. did.In an email to Twitter officials, the White House's coronavirus task force's digital director said: “We would like to flag the following tweets and are wondering if we can take steps to remove them as quickly as possible. “What the White House viewed as an effort to correct misinformation about lifesaving vaccines during the pandemic was criticized by critics as an example of a broader pressure campaign by the federal government…
I don't know if it's wise to have a child that you can't financially support. I'm also not sure whether people who have children they can't afford to support should simply assume that taxpayers will pay for adequate childcare and feeding for those children. Again, there are many reasons why children are struggling to provide for themselves at home. Recently, abortion advocates have argued that individuals who do not support the view that the government has an increasing responsibility to provide for economically disadvantaged children should not be considered “anti-abortion.” became. They argue that any truly “pro-life” person would never…
Niger's government announced on Saturday that it was terminating its military cooperation agreement with the United States “immediately.” Publication of: 17/03/2024 – 07:12 1 minute The declaration was issued a day after a senior U.S. delegation left Niger after a three-day visit to resume contacts with the military regime that ousted the president and moved closer to Russia.The statement said the government has decided to “immediately denounce” the agreement regarding U.S. military personnel and U.S. Department of Defense personnel in Niger. It was read out on state television Saturday evening. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the U.S. government…
SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a secret contract with U.S. intelligence agencies, five people familiar with the program said, and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. space companies and national security agencies are deepening. The network is being built by SpaceX's StarShield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the intelligence agency that manages spy satellites. said the person. The plan shows the scope of SpaceX's involvement in U.S. intelligence and military projects and marks a deepening of the Pentagon's investment in a massive low-Earth orbit satellite…