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.
When a hurricane hits, it’s all hands on deck – that goes for federal data, too. Pulling back from our investments in timely, accurate, and accessible public data will only make us less prepared and put us all at greater risk.
This is bigger than a singular elimination of race and ethnicity questions. It could accelerate the second wave of widespread reductions to demographic data, leaving public health officials with even less information to deliver better health outcomes for all Americans.
Soft law was never meant to be a permanent solution. Treating it as one, and letting the sandcastle stand in for the skyscraper indefinitely, is how we end up with a decade of voluntary commitments and no enforceable accountability to show for it.
FAS has partnered with ICLEI USA to launch the CRI Local Advisory Council.