The Washington Post took further note today of the potentially severe implications for the press of the controversial prosecution of two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
“The Bush administration said that journalists can be prosecuted under current espionage laws for receiving and publishing classified information but that such a step ‘would raise legitimate and serious issues and would not be undertaken lightly,’ according to a court filing made public this week,” the Post reported.
See “Press Can Be Prosecuted for Having Secret Files, U.S. Says,” by Walter Pincus, Washington Post, February 22.
Datasets and variables that do not align with Administration priorities, or might reflect poorly on Administration policy impacts, seem to be especially in the cross-hairs.
One month of a government shutdown is in the books, but how many more months will (or can) it go? Congress is paralyzed, but there are a few spasms of activity around healthcare and the prospects of a continuing resolution to punt this fight out until January or later.
At a period where the federal government is undergoing significant changes in how it hires, buys, collects and organizes data, and delivers, deeper exploration of trust in these facets as worthwhile.
Moving postsecondary education data collection to the states is the best way to ensure that the U.S. Department of Education can meet its legislative mandates in an era of constrained federal resources.