South Carolina Cops Target Out-of-State Drivers for Highway Robbery
No arrest necessary as South Carolina police hunt for cash
FOIA
Operation Rolling Thunder: The Shocking Truth Behind Spartanburg's Traffic Stops
A 21-month legal battle unveils the dark side of South Carolina's annual traffic crackdown.
Ron DeSantis Won't Stop Trying To Gut Florida's Public Records Law
DeSantis' chief of staff used a personal phone to coordinate migrant flights to Martha's Vineyard. Now DeSantis' lawyers say those phone logs should be secret.
What Can You Do While Waiting for a FOIA Response?
It often takes almost a year or more to get public records from the federal government. Here are some things you can do while you wait.
Hey, Fauci's Staff: You Can't Just 'Make Your Emails Disappear'
A government scientist is the latest official whose attempts to evade the Freedom of Information Act have landed him in hot water.
New Jersey Mayors Want the Power To Sue You For Asking Too Many Questions
A bill backed by the Conference of Mayors would let courts issue restraining orders when people “harass” officials with information requests.
Florida Police Departments Spent Thousands on Training Seminars Banned in 9 States
A New Jersey government watchdog said Street Cop Training instructors glorified violence, made discriminatory remarks, and offered unprofessional and unconstitutional advice to officers.
Feds Worried About Anarchists Gluing the Locks to a Government Facility
A FOIA request reveals what the FBI and Homeland Security had to say about anarchist activities on May Day 2015.
Los Angeles Undermines Freedom of Information In Suit Over Police Photos
City gives journalist photos. Journalist publishes photos. City…sues journalist?
The FBI Was Monitoring Student Protests Against Ben Shapiro
A newly-obtained intelligence memo shows that the feds took a keen interest in Trump-era campus speech controversies.
The Government Doesn't Want You To See the Unused Space Force Logos
It took the Air Force four years to release redacted records of its quest to create spiffy new uniforms for the newest branch of the military.
Without More Accountability, Sunshine Laws Are Toothless
An AP survey found that most states have no mechanism to appeal denials of records requests, outside of filing a lawsuit.
Florida Bills Would Hide the Names of Police Officers Who Kill People
The bills would classify police and correctional officers who kill people on the job as crime victims.
HUD Refuses To Release Secretary Marcia Fudge's Email Address in Response to Reason FOIA Request
Cabinet officials often use pseudonymous email accounts, but declaring them secret from records requests is another matter altogether.
Florida Supreme Court Rules Police Can't Use Marsy's Law To Hide Names of Officers Who Shoot People
"Marsy's Law guarantees to no victim—police officer or otherwise—the categorical right to withhold his or her name from disclosure," the Florida Supreme Court ruled.
Inside Ron DeSantis' Crackdown on Drag Shows
"Is there any way to stop this from happening tomorrow?" Ron DeSantis' former chief of staff asked about a Christmas-themed drag show on tour in Florida.
Do the Proud Boys Deserve To Be in Prison Forever?
Plus: A listener question concerning porn verification laws.
Joe Biden's Email Aliases Are a Potentially Serious Transparency Problem
Multiple administrations have allowed senior officials to use alias email accounts. The practice undermines the Freedom of Information Act and encourages secrecy.
This Scientist Used To Spread Climate Change Alarmism. Now She's Trying To Debunk It.
The doomsday consensus around climate change is "manufactured," says scientist Judith Curry.
Massachusetts District Attorney Sued for Refusing To Release Names of Problem Cops
Massachusetts reformed its notoriously bad public records laws in 2020, but reporters are still fighting to get the police misconduct files they're legally entitled to.
Judge Rules New York State Police Must Disclose Misconduct Records
It's been nearly three years since New York repealed its police secrecy law, and departments are still fighting to hide misconduct records.
Want Better Journalism and Less B.S.? Demand Stronger Public Record Laws.
Even if you despise the media, you should be rooting for better public record laws.
Reason Files FOIA Lawsuit Against Bureau of Prisons for Inmate Death Records
Reason reported in 2020 on allegations of fatal medical neglect inside two federal women's prisons. The Bureau of Prisons heavily redacted reports that would show if women died of inadequate care.
Correspondence About UC Irvine Professor's Alleged Plagiarism Is Public Record, Subject to Disclosure
Retraction Watch prevails in a California appellate case.
New Jersey Town That Sued a Woman for Public Records Requests Now Wants Lawyer Prosecuted for Same Thing
Irvington made national headlines last year when it filed a lawsuit against an 82-year-old woman for filing too many public records requests. Now it says a lawyer for FIRE should be prosecuted.
Dungeons & Dragons Is Apparently Banned in Federal Prisons
State prisons around the country ban the roleplaying game, too, because of bizarre concerns about gang behavior and security threats.
The FBI Closely Tracked Aretha Franklin's Appearances at Civil Rights Events
The FBI used a network of snitches to spy on entertainers and activists, and the Queen of Soul was no exception.
The FBI Kept Tabs on Mort Sahl's Jokes About It, and Hoover Thought Sahl Was a 'Sick Man'
The late standup comedian's FBI file says he "ridiculed the FBI, law enforcement, and high public officials, beyond the bounds of good humor."
Do Small Town Cops Need Training in Israeli Counterterror Techniques?
U.S. taxpayers have been paying for training that encourages aggressive policing.
IRS Stole Money and Hid the Details for Years
As law enforcement agencies patrol for profit, the secrecy surrounding cash seizures must stop.
The Feds Spent $22 Million Researching Invisibility Cloaks, UFOs, and a Tunnel Through the Moon
However wonderful it is to imagine a world in which these things are possible, the government shouldn’t be shelling out millions to entertain speculation.
Why Does Border Patrol Need the Ability To Delete Messages?
A lawsuit attempts to find out how federal agents are implementing Wickr, a communications service that has an auto-erase function.
The FBI Is Hiding an Unpublished Police Use-of-Force Database From FOIA Requesters
Three years since it launched, an FBI data collection program on police use-of-force incidents has yet to gain enough participation to release any statistics.
FOIA Advocates Say Biden Administration Is Ignoring Transparency Issues
New administrations usually issue memos on transparency. The Biden administration has ignored calls to do so.
D.C. Cops Conspired to Keep Records From Reporters, Activists, and Critics, Says Lawsuit
Defense lawyer Amy Phillips is suing over what she calls the department's "watchlist policy."
Goodbye and Good Riddance to Bill de Blasio, a Terrible Mayor on Every Issue He Tripped Over
The best thing you could say about Bill de Blasio was that he was good for a laugh.
The Government Let a U.S. Citizen Spend Months in a Foreign Prison for No Good Reason
Amir Meshal was never charged with a crime.
Government Officials' Internet Browsing Histories Are Not Agency Records under FOIA
The D.C. Circuit rejects an effort to obtain internet browsing histories under the Freedom of Information Act
Performative Pandemic Panic
Officials’ cynical manipulation of the public damaged their own credibility as well as the world at large.
The Confusion Surrounding Brian Sicknick's Death Was a Failure of Government Transparency
Blame the media for running anonymous sources, but don't let government off the hook for its secrecy and misinformation.
RIP Mark Schlefer, the Man Who Made FOIA Happen
"In the drafting, we were adamant that you didn't have to have an interest to have access. You could just be a citizen."
I Asked for Public Records on a Fatal Police Shooting. Then a Washington Sheriff's Office Sued Me.
The move is similar to what's known as a "reverse FOIA" lawsuit, which forces the requester to go to court to defend his right to access public records.
CBP Official Allegedly Said Agents Should 'Beat That Tonk Like a Piñata Until Candy Comes Out'
The 2012 internal affairs report complaint was filed by a use-of-force instructor who warned the advice could lead to lawsuits.
A Federal Judge Says William Barr's Spin on the Mueller Report Makes the Attorney General Untrustworthy
Were the Justice Department's redactions influenced by Barr's desire to exonerate the president?
