“U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today introduced legislation that would preserve the open and democratic character of the Internet. The Internet Freedom Preservation Act would ensure that all content, applications and services are treated equally and fairly on the Internet by [...]
Archive of entries posted on May 2006
Lugar, Specter, Dodd & Schumer Introduce Free Flow of Information Act
“Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA), Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) today introduced the Free Flow of Information Act, a bill seeking to protect the public’s right to information through a free press. This legislation would provide appropriate protections for professional journalists and their employers from having [...]
New Congressional Research Service Report on Phone Tapping
Government Access to Phone Calling Activity and Related Records: Legal Authorities
This report will summarize statutory authorities regarding access by the Government, for either foreign intelligence or law enforcement purposes, to information related to telephone calling patterns or practices. Where pertinent, we will also discuss statutory prohibitions against accessing or disclosing such information, along with relevant [...]
FCC Issues Second Order Mandating Internet Wiretapping Standards
From the Center for Democracy and Technology:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a second order reaffirming its decision to require that broadband and certain VoIP services be designed to make government wiretapping easier. This new order was issued despite the fact that a federal appeals court is considering a legal challenge to the FCC’s [...]
Congress Begins Pressure, Could Block EPA Library Cuts
Library Journal reports:
The proposed 80 percent cut in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) library budget is causing Congress to take notice, especially after a recent meeting between library representatives and several EPA staff members suggested that the agency has planned far too little for the transition. A subcommittee of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee [...]
Politicos propose new action on Net neutrality
From News.com:
The push for new laws mandating Net neutrality principles appears to be gaining steam on Capitol Hill.
The leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee released a five-page bill on Thursday that would embed new provisions requiring so-called network neutrality in existing federal antitrust laws.
Judge rules EFF can keep sealed documents in domestic spying lawsuit
From the Mercury News:
Secret documents allegedly detailing surveillance of AT&T Inc. phone and e-mail lines under the Bush administration’s domestic spying program can be used in a lawsuit against the telephone giant, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, but the records will remain sealed.
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker rejected a bid by AT&T to return the [...]
Lawmakers got briefings on surveillance, intelligence chief says
From the Mercury News:
National Intelligence Director John Negroponte declassified a list of 30 congressional briefings the Bush administration says have been held since the National Security Agency began its no-warrant surveillance program after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Half of the briefings took place between Oct. 25, 2001, and the public disclosure of the program this past [...]
Toxic Release Inventory Victory
Congratulations! Your help was instrumental in securing a major victory to preserve our right to know about pollution in our environment.
As you know, we have been in a long battle with EPA over their proposed rollbacks to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [...]
Barbara Boxer’s staff wants “stories” about possible closure of EPA libraries
If you have specific examples of how the SF Regional EPA library is used, please contact Grant Cope in Senator Boxer’s office. He can be reached at (202) 224-2738 or grant_cope@boxer.senate.gov. The following comes from Mary Alice Baish, AALL’s representative in the April 24 meeting with the EPA. I posted Mary Alice’s notes from the [...]