REPRESENTATIVE NEWS STORIES OF MAJOR PUBLIC INTEREST CITING
DOCUMENTS FROM THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT IN THE FOIA’S 35TH ANNIVERSARY
YEAR
Compiled by the National Security Archive, George Washington University
from online databases including Lexis-Nexis and Dow Jones Interactive.
Posted 4 July 2001.
1. “Recycled uranium spread wider than thought,” USA Today, 25
June 2001. Contamination with plutonium may have reached more than
100 federal plants, private factories and colleges.
2. “NASA mistakes, optimism cost taxpayers billions,” Florida Today,
15 June 2001. Document shows projected $4.3 billion cost overrun
on international space station.
3. “Night flights are numerous at High Point, N.C.-area airport,” High
Point (N.C.) Enterprise, 13 June 2001. Citizens’ group cites
FAA documents to oppose night expansion.
4. “Hundreds of defects reported along Zephyr’s track,” Associated
Press, 10 June 2001. In 5 years prior to fatal Amtrak derailment
March 17, 1500 defects found on Iowa tracks alone.
5. “Suffolk guards stumble on promotion exams; failing grades
for 69 percent,” Boston Globe, 5 June 2001. In comparison,
three-quarters of Essex County guards passed tests.
6. “Mishandling of informant hurt cases, DEA concedes; Crime: Because
the system missed warnings of operative’s misdeeds, many charges have been
dismissed or weakened,” Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2001. DEA
and prosecutors ignored warnings for 12 years, 280 cases.
7. “FAA: Controllers caused near-collision – The agency is making changes
to its air-traffic control facilities at the international airport,” Minneapolis-St.
Paul Star-Tribune, 1 June 2001. Federal Aviation Administration
document shows two planes within 100 feet on March 12.
8. “Officials long debated risks of anti-drug patrol in Peru,” New
York Times, 22 May 2001. President Clinton decided to share intelligence
with Peru despite warnings from legal adviser.
9. “Ritalin prescribed unevenly in U.S.,” Cleveland Plain Dealer,
6 May 2001. DEA data shows dramatic variations by county in prescription
rates for drug taken by 3 million children.
10. “Energy contract used to repair D.C. schools; No-bid agreement pays
utility millions,” Washington Post, 23 April 2001. Washington
Gas did $10 million of non-energy repairs.
11. “U.S. faced diplomatic dilemma with China over spy plane in 1970,”
Associated
Press, 4 April 2001. Shootdown 30 years ago offers dramatic parallels
to recent Hainan Island crisis.
12. “For VIP’s brother, fish are biting at a tiny lake; State supplies
big trout to region where department chief grew up,” San Francisco Chronicle,
2 April 2001. A 30-inch fish story.
13. “USEC privatization blasted,” Washington Post, 2 April 2001.
Judge issues withering critique of U.S. Energy Corporation stock offering,
citing bias, self-interest and self-dealing.
14. “CIA boasts of ability to manipulate news in Bay of Pigs document,”
Associated
Press, 24 March 2001. 1961 CIA document claims agency can plant
stories directly on wire services.
15. “Store chicken filled with ‘defects,” Chicago Sun-Times,
2 March 2001. Agriculture Department documents show almost 40 percent
of processed chickens with sores and bruises.
