CIA releases 71 declassified 9/11 briefing products
A new CIA and National Archives release expands public access to pre-9/11 intelligence records while leaving key questions about decisions unresolved.
Government transparency
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National Archives Clarifies When Federal AI Materials Are Records
A new National Archives memo tells agencies when AI prompts, outputs and audit trails may need preservation, while stressing that records are not automatically public.
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Court keeps White House record-preservation order in force during appeal
A federal judge paused further trial-court proceedings but kept a Presidential Records Act preservation injunction in force during the administration’s appeal.
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Federal FOIA Requests Hit Record 1.7 Million as Backlog Rises 27%
Federal agencies processed a record number of FOIA requests in fiscal 2025, but unresolved requests and appeals grew faster, according to new figures.
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Dolton posts 2026 financial-distress and board materials
Dolton’s official website lists a February financial-distress presentation and a July 6 Board of Trustees agenda while maintaining online financial and meeting records.
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Chula Vista Drops Proposed Charter Overhaul After Backlash
The Chula Vista City Council abandoned a November ballot proposal involving council pay, third-term eligibility and contractor-disclosure rules.
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Justice Department Publishes Government-Wide Fiscal 2025 FOIA Summary
The Justice Department released a government-wide summary of federal agencies’ fiscal 2025 Freedom of Information Act reports, creating a new baseline for public-records oversight.
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St. Louis begins investing Rams settlement funds, adds tracker
St. Louis has begun putting Rams settlement money to work and launched a tracker intended to show residents how funds move from appropriation to spending.
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St. Louis launches tracker for Rams settlement spending
St. Louis launched a public tracker for Rams settlement funds, showing proposed investments in infrastructure, vacant buildings, small businesses and events.
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GAO finds federal inspectors-general integrity panel did not consistently follow investigative procedures
A Government Accountability Office review found that the federal Integrity Committee did not consistently follow required policies when reviewing complaints involving senior inspectors-general officials.
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Massachusetts Senate advances bill to open governor and legislative records
The Massachusetts Senate released S.3200, a proposal that would expand public access to voting, salary, ethics, spending and contract records while creating a process for requesting legislative documents.
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Federal FOIA Backlog Rose 27% as Record Demand Hit Agencies
Federal agencies received a record 1.7 million FOIA requests in FY 2025, but the backlog rose 27% and nearly half of processed cases closed administratively.
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DOJ’s FOIA Backlog Rose to 29,308 Requests Despite New Disclosures
DOJ posted selected FOIA records in July, but its FY 2025 backlog rose to 29,308 requests, showing why online disclosure is not the same as faster access.
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Report says Indiana inspector general will end routine posting of investigation summaries
A July 29, 2026, report said the Indiana Office of Inspector General will no longer routinely publish investigation summaries, raising questions about public access to executive-branch oversight information.
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Delaware governor orders updates to permitting accelerator and public publication
Gov. Matt Meyer’s Executive Order 23 amends an earlier order, authorizes updates to the Delaware Permitting Accelerator and requires the updated program to be published.
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Massachusetts Senate releases proposal to expand access to governor and legislative records
The Massachusetts Senate on July 23 released legislation that would require greater transparency from the governor’s office, Senate and House and expand public access to requested executive and legislative records.
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Massachusetts Senate Advances Public Records Proposal as Ballot Question Looms
The Massachusetts Senate advanced S.3200 on July 30, but the public-records proposal still needs House action and would not take effect until 2027 if enacted.
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Comptroller launches Rams tracker after St. Louis Board Bill 22 signing
After Mayor Cara Spencer signed St. Louis Board Bill 22 on July 13, the comptroller unveiled a Rams settlement tracker—showing what’s approved and what’s next.
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United States: OMB M-26-10 adds monthly IT contract transparency (July 10 cycle)
OMB memo M-26-10 creates CIO-led monthly IT contract reporting, with the next report due July 10 for June 1–June 30. It requires vendor utilization/pricing disclosures.