Sensitive But Unclassified Info: You Can't Have It. Why? Because They Say So.

The explosion in the use by federal agencies of Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) designations to withhold information since the 9/11 terrorist attacks has resulted in uneven policies across agencies and unnecessary restrictions on public access to information, according to a recent American Bar Association report. Such problems have manifested themselves in Connecticut, where state officials are trying to access, and make public, safety information pertaining to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, in order to determine and reduce any risk to the public posed by the plant.

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Bush Budget Cuts Target EPA Libraries

President Bush's proposed budget for 2007 includes deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Library Network, which EPA staff and the public rely on for research, policy making and advocacy efforts. According to internal EPA documents, the proposed cuts would force the EPA to close its headquarters library, discontinue its Online Library System electronic catalogue, and shut the doors of many of the libraries operating in EPA's 10 regions.

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Patriot Act Deal Compromises Civil Liberties

After two short-term extensions of the USA PATRIOT Act, Congress and the White House appear to have reached a deal on the controversial legislation. Unfortunately, the deal fails to make real progress toward protecting civil liberties.

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Update: Criticism of Domestic Spying Remains Steady

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales defended the Bush administration's policy of warrantless domestic surveillance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 6. The administration's authorization of warrantless eavesdropping by the National Security Agency (NSA) on international calls of U.S. citizens has come under fire since news of the program was first leaked to the press in December 2005.

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State, Local Officials Try to Halt Federal TRI Cutbacks

Numerous state and local governments are moving to strongly oppose the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposals to relax federal chemical reporting requirements under the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program. In addition to comments criticizing the EPA proposal, there have been state legislation and city and county resolutions introduced to void EPA's proposed changes.

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White House Adds Bricks to Its Congressional Stonewall

The Bush administration's pattern of doggedly withholding information from Congress seems to have garnered national attention as congressional oversight on critical issues has accelerated. The White House has refused to provide copies of internal legal documents regarding warrantless domestic spying by the National Security Agency (NSA), communications detailing when the administration learned of potential wide-spread damage from Hurricane Katrina, and information, including photos, related to the president's dealings with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

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Openness: The Best Defense Against Bioterrorism

The National Research Council (NRC) concluded, in a recent report on biochemical research and bioterrorism safeguards, that an open and free exchange of scientific research and ideas is an important component of efforts to protect the country from a biochemical attack or accident. Globalization, Biosecurity, and the Future of the Life Sciences recommends several measures to reduce the risk of an attack using biological weapons or an accident involving biological agents and technology.

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