BREVITAS

JUSTICE & FREEDOM

Slashdot - The National Security Archive has awarded its 2009 Rosemary Award to the FBI for worst freedom of information performance. Previous winners have been the CIA and the Treasury. The NSA notes that 'the FBI's reports to Congress show that the bureau is unable to find any records in response to two-thirds of its incoming FOIA requests on average over the past four years, when the other major government agencies averaged only a 13% "no records" response to public requests.' The FBI's explanation, according to the NSA, is that 'files are indexed only by reference terms that have to be manually applied by individual agents,' and even then, 'agents don't always index all relevant terms.' Furthermore, 'unless a requester specifically asks for a broader search, the FBI will only look in a central database of electronic file names at FBI headquarters in Washington.' Any search will therefore 'miss any internal or cross-references to people who are not the subject of an investigation, any records stored at other FBI offices around the country, and any records created before 1970."

Cook County, IL is now requiring homeowners to provide a thumb print before their house is sold

MEDIA

Politico - The Washington Post has plans to fold its daily business section into the A section, according to sources at the paper. . . From Monday through Saturday, business coverage will now run in an expanded A section that includes National and International News, Economic & Business section, a Washington Business page, the Fed page, and Editorial and Op-Ed pages. In addition, the Post will cease running full stock listings on Tuesday through Saturday, with comprehensive listings on the website. . . "In Style, we are shifting some comics online, where readership of such features already is high. One of our two crossword puzzles will end because the syndicate that provides it three days a week has decided to discontinue it, along with the weekly chess and poker columns. In addition, we are adjusting the television listings we offer to reflect prime-time programming."

ECO CLIPS

ABC News - At least nine car companies worldwide say that by 2013 they will offer plug-in vehicles that use electric motors as their primary means of propulsion, according to Plug-in America, an activist group. Some will be all-electric drive vehicles. Most will be plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that use small gasoline engines as a backup. GM and Chrysler both say they will sell a plug-in car in 2010. Ford will sell a battery-powered commercial van next year, a small battery-powered EV car the year after, and a PHEV competitor to GM's Volt by 2012.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

The reported 3% HIV/AIDS rate in the nation's capital is not only close to San Francisco's 4% at the height of its epidemic in 1992 but, says a local health official, "Our rates are higher than West Africa. They're on par with Uganda and some parts of Kenya."

FIELD NOTES

Can My Boss Do That? is a website with lots of information on workers' rights under various conditions such as firings, layoffs, and safety.