January 10, 2022
April 12, 2021
What should the pandemic teach us about the future of unemployment insurance?
One year ago, weeks into Covid-induced lockdowns and with the trajectory of the pandemic unknown, Congress passed the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion relief package providing aid to businesses, local governments, and individuals. For workers who lost jobs in the unprecedented unemployment crisis triggered by the pandemic, the most impactful piece of this legislation was its massive expansion...
March 18, 2021
The FTC went after Amazon for withholding gig drivers’ tips. Can consumer harm approaches be stretched even further to protect gig workers?
For years, Amazon promised its Fresh and Prime Now gig delivery drivers they would receive all customer tips. Instead, Amazon diverted these tips to cover base wages, according to a complaint against Amazon by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last month. The FTC’s settlement with Amazon is a win for the drivers who will now be repaid their diverted...
March 7, 2021
H.R. 1: Congress’s Plan for a Stronger Democracy
Late Wednesday night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the “For the People Act,” for the second time in as many years. The nearly 800-page bill includes a sweeping set of voting rights, campaign finance, and good government reforms. And between the Covid-19 pandemic, the violent response to the 2020 election, and the upcoming post-Census apportionment,...
February 19, 2021
What’s Next for California Drivers’ Challenge to Prop. 22?
Four app-based drivers and the SEIU are challenging Prop. 22, the California ballot initiative passed last year that exempts app-based drivers from state employment law and reclassifies them as independent contractors. They argue the initiative is unconstitutionally broad and impermissibly constrains both the legislature and courts. After the California Supreme Court declined to hear the state constitutional...
January 13, 2021
Everalbum, Inc: In first facial recognition misuse settlement, FTC requires destruction of algorithms trained on deceptively obtained photos
In the Matter of Everalbum, Inc., File No. 1923172 (FTC Jan. 11, 2021) [Complaint, Proposed Settlement]
Everalbum, Inc. has settled Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations that it deceived users about its use of facial recognition and improperly retained photos and videos from users who had deactivated their accounts.
As described in the FTC’s complaint, the company used photos uploaded to...
October 20, 2020
Reed v. Bernard: Third Circuit Finds No First Amendment Right to Verbatim Record of Judicial Proceedings
Reed v. Bernard, No. 20-1632 (3d Cir. Sep. 29, 2020)
The First Amendment right of access to judicial proceedings does not require courts to release or allow creation of verbatim recordings of their hearings, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled on September 29, 2020. Reversing an earlier district court decision, the Third Circuit held that journalists...
August 24, 2015
Sunlight joins coalition demanding Congressional Research Service reports be published online
In an open letter sent today to the leadership of the House and Senate committees that oversee the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Sunlight Foundation joined a bipartisan coalition of 40 advocacy groups, businesses, nonprofits and think tanks, as well as over 90 scholars, researchers, librarians, activists and private citizens, to support public access to CRS reports.
Last year,...
August 12, 2015
Track which federal websites are using HTTPS with Pulse
In June, the federal chief information officer instructed all executive departments and agencies to ensure that their websites and online services use secure Internet connections by default. Adoption of secure web standards will not be instantaneous, but several agencies have made notable strides towards improving security — and a new online dashboard called Pulse allows anyone to follow...
July 30, 2015
NASA’s EPIC photographs: Sunlight and open data on a global scale
Sunlight’s Outside the Beltway series was set up to shine a light on exciting developments in the open government world beyond Washington. But this week we’re taking it a step further and highlighting a new open government initiative that is literally out of this world.
On December 7, 1972, the crew of the last manned lunar mission captured a...
July 24, 2015
DNC retreats, lifts ban on money from lobbyists and PACs
As it gears up for an expensive election, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has decided to loosen its restrictions and start accepting contributions for its national convention and presidential campaign accounts from lobbyists and political action committees, lifting a ban that has been in place for the past two presidential elections.
Donors who want to support a presidential candidate...
July 13, 2015
Pilot program will publicize all FOIA responses at select federal agencies
Last week, the Obama administration quietly announced it is trying a new policy that will increase public disclosure of government information requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). During a six-month pilot period, seven executive departments and agencies will start publishing all responses to FOIA requests – a promising shift from present practice.
Currently, federal agencies are...
July 10, 2015
Court ruling could spur action on greater disclosure of contractor contributions
On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously ruled in Wagner v. FEC that a 75-year-old ban on political contributions by federal contractors is constitutional. The decision comes at a time of renewed interest in executive action to require that government contractors disclose their political activity.
The statute upheld by the court prohibits government...
May 9, 2014
New Lathrop Library to host Meyer’s services
Lathrop Library is currently being renovated to replace Meyer Library, which will be closed for the 2014-15 academic year and is scheduled to be demolished the following summer.
The new facility will be located in the former Graduate School of Business (GSB) South Building, adjacent to Memorial Auditorium. Renovations on the building began last summer and are scheduled for completion...