Barack Obama’s transition team has released its internal report about any contacts between Mr. Obama’s staff and embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich over an appointment to the Senate seat being vacated by Mr. Obama.
Special Report: Toward a 21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda: Recommendations to President-elect Obama and Congress
At the beginning of 2007, the steering committee of OpenTheGovernment.org put a spotlignt on the importance of developing recommendations for the next administration and Congress to strengthen government transparency. OMB Watch agreed to spearhead such a project and to work with the OpenTheGovernment.org coalition and others including the AALL Government Relations Office staff in fashioning recommendations for providing a new roadmap for openness in the federal government that will in turn provide greater government transparancy, accountability and usability of government information.
The resulting report “Moving Toward a 21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda: Recommendations to President-elect Obama and Congress,” was delivered to President-Elect Obama’s transition team the day after the election. It includes more than 70 prioritized recommendations on issues relating to national security and secrecy, usability of government information, and how to create an environment for greater transparency. Those who are concerned and would like to make their own positions known can go to a special website established by OMB Watch and endorse the findings of the Report.
Haworth Journal Titles Now on Informaworld
All subscribers to journal titles published by Haworth Press should have received the following e-mail. Although it is only addressed to current subscribers, others may also be interested in this information; we are therefore posting the letter here:
Dear subscriber,
I am delighted to let you know that from today all journal titles formerly published by Haworth Press are now available at www.informaworld.com. This marks the first stage in migrating the ejournals from www.haworthpress.com to www.informaworld.com. The following information will help you to prepare for a smooth platform transition for you and your users.
Technology: What’s Coming in 2009?
Michael Gartenberg’s predictions as reported in Computerworld – December 17. 2008.
“Well, it’s that time of the year again. Time to enjoy the glow of a nice LED-backlit display and huddle with the warmth that only an overclocked PC can produce. Yep, it’s time to take a look at what’s going to happen in technology in 2009. Here are my five predictions for the new year.”
Gates Foundation Awards Library Internet Grants
“The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nearly US$7 million to fund a pilot program aimed at helping public libraries in seven states get faster Internet connections, the foundation announced Thursday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nearly US$7 million to fund a pilot program aimed at helping public libraries in seven states get faster Internet connections, the foundation announced Thursday”. Click to Continue.
_____________________ CIO Insider, December 19, 2008.
Findlaw Case Summaries: Constitutional Law 5
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Week of December 15-19, 2008.
U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, December 15, 2008 Doe, Inc. v. Mukasey, No. 074943 In litigation concerning First Amendment challenges to the constitutionality of statutes governing the issuance and judicial review of National Security Letters (NSLs) which request records from providers of wire or electronic communication services, decision finding 18 U.S.C. subsections 2709(c) and 3511(b) unconstitutional and enjoining certain actions by FBI officials is affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded where: 1) the statutes are construed to avoid some constitutional challenges; 2) subsections 2709(c) and 3511(b) were unconstitutional to the extent that they imposed a nondisclosure requirement on NSL recipients without placing on the Government the burden of initiating judicial review of such a requirement; 3) subsections 3511(b)(2) and (b)(3) were unconstitutional to the extent that a governmental official’s certification that disclosure may endanger the national security of the U.S. or interfere with diplomatic relations was treated as conclusive; and 4! ) district court’s injunction is modified by limiting it to enjoining FBI officials from enforcing the nondisclosure requirement of section 2709(c) in the absence of Government-initiated judicial review.
Findlaw Case Summaries: Criminal Law and Procedure 6
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Week of December 15-19, 2008.
U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, December 17, 2008 US v. Jones, No. 07-2052 Sentence is affirmed where defendant pled guilty to charges stemming from her role in a bank fraud conspiracy. Loss amount was properly calculated to include dollar amounts that she had not yet withdrawn, and her base offense level was properly increased where the physical act of popping small air bubbles on the laminated face of her fake ID constituted production of a counterfeit access device.
Findlaw Case Summaries: Second Circuit US Court of Appeals
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December 18, 22 2008.
CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE, HABEAS CORPUS, IMMIGRATION LAW
Findlaw Case Summaries: New York Court of Appeals. December 18, 2008.
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December 18, 2008
CONTRACTS, FAMILY LAW, INTERNATIONAL LAW
ABA Journal Weekly Newsletter. December 23, 2008.
Top Ten Stories of the Week December 23, 2008.
Law Firms Is Thacher Proffitt Dissolving Before Christmas?
Dec 22, 2008, 11:59 am CST