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FDA to post information on WebMD
FDA to post information on WebMD, NextGov, Dec. 3, 2008.
FDA warnings and consumer information will appear on the online medical information portal WebMD.com under a partnership announced today. The agency will provide food-safety warnings, recalls and other alerts in a dedicated, ad-free section of WebMD's Web site, FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said.Von Eschenbach said that the agency is exploring similar partnerships with other organizations. Continue reading
State Department’s Social Networking Site: ExchangesConnect
The U.S. Department of State has launched a new web site, ExchangesConnect (connect.state.gov), to promote international exchanges and enhance the United States' image abroad, particularly among young people. ExchangesConnect is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. According to the Washington Post, "It’s a new online home for Americans and Web users overseas interested in interacting with other participants or potential participants in U.S. educational or foreign exchange programs." Use of the site requires registration. See also: State Department unveils social networking site, by Kellie Lunney, GovExec, December 1, 2008. Continue reading
White House documents found to be altered
Researchers at the University of Illinois say they have found evidence on the Whitehouse Web site that suggests "a pattern of revision and removal from the public record that spans several years, from 2003 through at least 2005. Instead of issuing a series of revised lists with new dates, or maintaining an updated master list while preserving copies of the old ones, the White House removed original documents, altered them, and replaced them with backdated modifications that only appear to be originals."
- Airbrushing History, American Style, Scott Althaus and Kalev Leetaru, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, November 25, 2008
- Iraq Ally Lists Were Altered, Study Shows, by Thom Shanker, New York Times, November 24, 2008.
CFAC and MAPLight sue for public access
CFAC and MAPLight sue for public access to state’s legislative database, California First Amendment Coalition, December 03, 2008. The California First Amendment Coalition and MAPLight.org have filed suit against the California Legislative Counsel’s office seeking a copy of California’s full legislative database--the texts of bills, amendments, votes, dates, etc.---for all legislation. This is a particularly interesting lawsuit because, as the press release above notes, "Although the public currently can access this info one bill at a time through the state’s official website, that does not allow computer-assisted analysis of the data." CFAC calls these "government-controlled databases" and they are indeed controlled by the government. This case is an excellent example of why we cannot rely only on the government to provide the access we need to government information. What we want is to wrest control from the government so that government information can be used in ways that any particular government agency does not (or cannot) provide. Continue reading
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