A blunt directive and reminder on FOIA’s 56th birthday

The Freedom of Information Act is a reminder of the obligation of federal officials, including the president, to enforce the laws and the Constitution, even to their detriment or defeat. The continuing hearings of the Jan. 6 Committee are a message to Americans that we all have a responsibility to uphold the Constitution and laws of our nation. The Freedom of Information Act was in part given to citizens of the US as repayment for the loyalty demanded of our people and officials. FOIA, signed into law in 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson, is celebrating its 56th birthday

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‘There’s nothing guaranteed about our democracy’: Biden marks July 4

President Biden encouraged the public to keep working toward a better America on Monday, saying in an address from the White House lawn that “there’s nothing guaranteed” about the future of democracy on a Fourth of July marred by the latest mass shooting.  “Each day, we’re reminded there’s nothing guaranteed about our democracy, nothing guaranteed about our way of life,” Biden said at an event for the families of members of the military. “We have to fight for it, defend it and earn it by voting.”  Biden said he remains optimistic for the future of the country d

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Swipe right (wing): Former Trump aides seek singles for Thiel-backed dating app

At a hip basement bar in Washington’s Shaw neighborhood on a recent Thursday night, singles from conservative nonprofits, GOP Capitol Hill offices and right-leaning media groups sipped craft cocktails from an open bar under the glow of neon lights, part of an effort to build buzz and a user base for a new dating app created by former Trump White House staffers and backed by tech billionaire Peter Thiel. There is a long lis

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Putin declares victory in eastern Ukraine region of Luhansk

POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared victory in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, one day after Ukrainian forces withdrew from their last remaining bulwark of resistance in the province. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin in a televised meeting Monday that Russian forces had taken control of Luhansk, which together with the neighboring Donetsk province makes up Ukraine's industrial heartland of Donbas. Shoigu told Putin that “the operation” was completed on Sunday after Russian troops overran the city

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Why Kansas will be a bellwether in abortion fight

In the wake of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, President Biden pointed to the November elections, saying, “This fall, Roe is on the ballot.”  But in Kansas, abortion rights are on the ballot even sooner.   Kansans will vote on a state constitutional amendment on abortion on Aug. 2, setting the state up as a key bellwether for how abortion rights resonate as a voting issue ahead of the midterm elections.   The amendment would overturn a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling finding that the Kansas constitution protects abortion

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