First in our 3 part series on records created by independent Congressional support agencies. This week: the Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Read MoreWSJ Publishes Jet Tracker Database after Obtaining Private Aircraft Flight Data from the FAA
The Wall Street Journal has waded into the debate over whether flight data generated by private aircrafts should be considered public information even if aircraft owners request that the data be blocked from public view.
Read MoreWall Street Journal’s Motion to Intervene Reopens Court Case that Blocked Public Disclosure of Medicare Claims Data in 1979
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) maintains a computerized database that tracks every Medicare claim filed by providers and every dollar paid out to beneficiaries. The database is accessible by government investigators to detect fraud, but it is unavailable in its entirety to the general public due to a 1979 federal court decision. Yesterday, a United States Magistrate Judge recommended that the case be reopened for consideration.
Read MoreOSHA Records Provide Employer History Information
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) makes many of its records available online.
Read MoreBay Area Public Employee Salaries Database Updated, with Additional Detail
The Bay Area News Group, which first launched its public employee salaries database last year, has updated the site with data for 2010.
Read MoreSacramento Bee Gift Database Updated and Expanded
The Sacramento Bee's recently updated state leader gift database contains data on nearly 82,000 gifts from registered lobbying entities valued at approximately $4 million. The database, which covers the last 10 years, is searchable by corporations/interest groups that lobby or the name of the gift recipient.
Read MoreCenter for Public Integrity Launches iWatch News for Investigative Journalism
This week, the Center for Public Integrity launched a beta version of a new investigative journalism web site called iWatch News.
Read MoreCPSC Database Now Available from SaferProducts.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission launched the SaferProducts.gov portal for complaints and recalls related to the 15,000 types of consumer goods it oversees.
Read MoreNew Art of Access Blog and Accompanying Book Provide Useful and Practical Advice on Getting Public Records
The Art of Access public records blog emphasizes strategies for gaining access to records. The blog is targeted toward journalists that write document-based stories, but its resources are relevant to any member of the general public with an interest in public records.
Read MoreMaking Public Records Requests During Budget Cuts
Budget cuts have impacted FOIA and open records response times. Here are a few tips on making successful public records requests during budget cuts.
Read MoreGoogle Introduces New Spam Filter to Customize Search Results
Last week, Google introduced a new spam filter that enables users to customize searches by providing the option to block unhelpful web sites from appearing in future results.
Read MoreBlinkx Uses Speech Recognition and Image Analysis for Comprehensive Internet Video Searches
Most video search engines search the text of tags and descriptions written when a video is uploaded. A company called Blinkx also uses speech recognition and analyzes images.
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