March 2009

Arizonans and native Americans at a public forum in Flagstaff, Ariz., urged a broadband buildout that puts connectivity of disadvantaged groups at the heart of the federal stimulus spending. The discussion was the first of three panels on Wednesday's field hearing of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service. On Thursday, the fourth of six days of NTIA/RUS public hearings on how to spend $7.2 billion in the federal broadband stimulus, heads back to Washington. The forums will continue in Washington on Monday and Tuesday. As with Tuesday's field hearing in Las Vegas, the digital divide between America's wealthy bicoastal techorati was contrasted with the wide open, and often offline, regions of the American west.

The Justice Department has followed through on its pledge to reform the government's approach to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests, which are a tool used by journalists and the general public to get access to government information. The new guidelines, issued in memos to agency and department heads, expand on the openness principles expounded by President Barack Obama in a presidential memorandum on FOIA issued on his first day. They supercede guidelines issued under former Attorney General John Ashcroft shortly after 9/11.

Among the key points in the new guidelines are: Attorney General Eric Holder has instructed agencies not to withhold records just because it is technically defensible, but to make "discretionary disclosures" and partial releases." The Ashcroft guidelines were widely criticized by journalism organizations as being overly restrictive under the rubric of national security. There will also be a new standard for defending decisions to withhold records.

"Now, the Department will defend a denial only if the agency reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by one of the statutory exemptions, or disclosure is prohibited by law," said Justice in announcing the policy changes.

New Jersey's Attorney General has sued Verizon Communications, alleging the telco engaged in "deceptive and misleading" marketing, sales, billing and customer service practices related to its FiOS services. The state, through its Division of Consumer Affairs, charged that Verizon failed to provide advertised promotional gifts -- such as flat-screen HDTVs -- when consumers signed up for FiOS service. New Jersey also alleged that Verizon charged consumers higher prices for service than prices quoted in door-to-door solicitations and ads, and charged activation fees after consumers were told that such would be waived. "FiOS is touted for its clearer picture but Verizon obscured the truth from potential customers in its advertising and sales pitches," New Jersey attorney general Anne Milgram said in a statement. "Deception and misrepresentations have no place in the marketplace and we will hold businesses accountable when they violate the public's trust."