President Bush has been clear that Social Security reform is a top priority in his second term. Even though he has not announced a plan, he expressed his desire to allow people the option of creating private – or in Bush language, personal – investment accounts. Given the necessity of benefits cuts as well as heavy transition costs years into the future, several high-ranking Republicans have begun expressing doubts about the president’s plan. Moreover, many are beginning to question whether Social Security really has a “crisis” as Bush claims.

The public will not have access to health and safety data about a proposed uranium enrichment plant in New Mexico, despite a legal requirement that the public have ample access to such information.

The Homeland Security Department (DHS), under pressure from congressional offices, federal employee unions and the media modified it policies for “Sensitive But Unclassified” (SBU) information and stopped requiring nondisclosure agreements.

A Jan. 11 ruling by a federal district court judge in Wisconsin in a complex case challenging the federal faith-based initiative has blocked funding to a program that incorporated religious content into government funded activities, but dismissed a claim that another program discriminated against secular nonprofits in awarding subgrants. Freedom From Religion Foundation v. Towey may be appealed by both sides.