<![CDATA[Sunlight Foundation · Storify]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundationNodeJS RSS ModuleThu, 23 May 2013 02:03:00 GMT<![CDATA[#TCamp13: Wrapping Up the Best Year Yet]]>

Every year, hundreds of journalists, technologists, policy-makers, government officials, academics and curious citizens converge on Washington, D.C., to think about the present and future of open data and open government. Learn more at: http://www.transparencycamp.org

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Tue, May 07 2013 13:40:39

Are you ready?? vine.co/v/bQ5nK159Ph5 #TCamp13 · TransparencyCamp
Registration staff worked overtime, signing in more than 500 people from 25 countries and 33 states (yes, we're counting D.C.) over two days. That's a Sunlight record.
TransparencyCamp13-20130504-48.jpg · Stealing-Beauty Photography
The Digital Wall: This year, our schedule went totally virtual. Attendees submitted sessions online and they appeared on the Wall shortly thereafter. 
Behold: the #TCamp13 digital wall is open. Bring your ideas. instagram.com/p/Y5GGoshHi3/ · TransparencyCamp
MORNING PRESENTATIONS
Sunlight Foundation Executive Director Ellen Miller gave the keynote speech about Sunlight's broader work engaging the open government community. 

Sunlight also invited six speakers from a range of backgrounds to deliver "lightning talks" on topics covering international FOIA laws, open data in public schools and more. 
TransparencyCamp13-20130504-47.jpg · Stealing-Beauty Photography
SESSIONS
Crowdsourcing session notes via Etherpad created archives and allowed attendees to observe multiple panels at once.
THEMES OF TCAMP
Tracking the influence of money-and-politics; hacking open data around the world and in your home town; effective storytelling, journalism and visualizations; community building + more.
It's not just us outsiders --  government agencies are part of the opengov community, too.
TransparencyCamp13-20130504-129.jpg · Stealing-Beauty Photography
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/tcamp13http://storify.com/sunfoundation/tcamp13Tue, 07 May 2013 20:40:39 GMT<![CDATA[Sunshine Week Twitter FOIA chat ]]>

On March 15, Sunshine Review hosted a FOIAchat on Twitter with Sunlight Foundation's Editorial Director Bill Allison as guest to share tips on submitting a FOIA request and other FOIA resources. You can follow the conversation at #FOIAchat.

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Mon, Mar 18 2013 12:31:14

First, fill in my name and address. #FOIAchat http://pic.twitter.com/vNniOLmxZJ · Bill Allison
Next, choose the agency I'm FOIAing (Treasury)... #FOIAchat Hopefully @Sunfoundation will cover the $25 http://pic.twitter.com/baQKomW5sw · Bill Allison
Next, specify records I want... #FOIAchat Using the contract award #, company name, date of issue. http://pic.twitter.com/7R31LF43GT · Bill Allison
Last, put in my request for fee waiver and expedited processing #FOIAchat http://pic.twitter.com/emF7v9IIdn · Bill Allison
Last step...hit submit and your FOIA request is on its way! #FOIAchat http://pic.twitter.com/F7a7hFHHSO · Bill Allison
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/sunshine-week-twitter-foia-chathttp://storify.com/sunfoundation/sunshine-week-twitter-foia-chatMon, 18 Mar 2013 19:31:14 GMT<![CDATA[Speed data-ing from sea to shining sea]]>

Nearly 200 news, politics and data junkies, some hailing from as far away as Great Britain and Saudi Arabia, gathered on the campuses of Stanford University and Columbia University to figure out ways to harness data and technology to illuminate the ways money influences politics.

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Sun, Feb 03 2013 09:38:44

We started as the sun rose in New York City
Rise and shine if you're registered for #datafest. @SunFoundation is at Columbia U and so are the bagels! http://pic.twitter.com/eLyT5dMr · Kathy Kiely
@augustguang our first participant at today's #datafest at Columbia http://pic.twitter.com/AzoiEAix · Teresa Bouza
And went until long after it set in California.
At Stanford, participants heard from faculty experts and from representatives of the Sunlight Foundation, Maplight, Facebook, Google and the Sacramento Bee. Sunlight offers online training it its tools and other useful resources here:


Sunlight Academy
Sunlight Foundation's interactive portal for journalists, activists, researchers and students to explore our tools and develop skill sets...
Northwestern University's Joe Germuska offered a workshop on Census data:
Datafest Census Workshop · kathykiely
In New York, Kathy Kiely talked about why the Sunlight Foundation helped sponsor the event and why an ink-stained journalist like herself wanted to hang with the math geeks.
Remarks to Bicoastal DatafestRemarks to Bicoastal Datafest
Innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration is baked into the DNA of the Sunlight Foundation, where I run a Report- ing Group that bot...
And Lauren Pabst explained why the MacArthur Foundation generously supported the vision.
Big thank you to Lauren Pabst @macfound for supporting my vision for the Bi-coastal #datafest http://pic.twitter.com/Tdzf3TNL · Teresa Bouza
Lauren Pabst remarks to Bicoastal Datafest, Feb. 2, 2013Lauren Pabst remarks to Bicoastal Datafest, Feb. 2, 2013
I'd like to add my thanks to Kathy's to the visionaries behind this event and the generous hosts. At the MacArthur Foundation we're conce...
Pro Publica Editor Steve Engelberg delivered the New York keynote address, which you can watch here.
(Day 1) Bicoastal Datafest: Analyzing Money's Influence in Politics by Columbia Journalism(Day 1) Bicoastal Datafest: Analyzing Money's Influence in Politics by Columbia Journalism
Watch Columbia Journalism's (Day 1) Bicoastal Datafest: Analyzing Money's Influence in Politics on Livestream.com.
Afterwards, he schmoozed with some of the participants.
datafeststeve · kkiely55
Derek Willis of the New York Times made a pitch for the Open Elections project, which needs crowd-sourcing. 
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/data-from-sea-to-shining-seahttp://storify.com/sunfoundation/data-from-sea-to-shining-seaSun, 03 Feb 2013 17:38:44 GMT<![CDATA[Sunlight Foundation at Colorado CPAC]]>

Sunlight Foundation's Nancy Watzman tweets from the Conservative Political Action Conference in Denver.

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Thu, Oct 04 2012 13:46:45

Watzman reported Wednesday morning that "Romney has opened just over a dozen offices in Colorado, largely in urban areas,  while Obama's campaign has 57 scattered over a much larger swathe of the state."
Colorado has experienced two of the country's worst gun killings: the Columbine High School massacre in April 1999 and the "Batman" shootings that took place in a movie theater in Aurora last July. This is an ad featuring Stephen Barton, one of the survivors from last summer's tragedy.
When he first ran for president in 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama said that small town voters "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them" at a fundraiser in San Francisco. Four years later, Republicans, including Romney's running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, have been resurrecting that gaffe. 
Politicians in Colorado (Republicans and some Democrats) attract campaign contributions from gun rights organizations. Last July, Watzman reported that many of these politicians have benefited "from more than $3.8 million in political spending since 1989." 
Military presence is strong in Colorado: Buckley Air Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force, Fort Carson and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Despite the current GOP love fest in Denver, the Romney camp doesn't seem to be prioritizing the Centennial State. Watzman reported Wednesday morning that one indicator is the political ad spending in the state: "By far the largest was the Obama campaign, with $4.6 million for 5,732 spots. In contrast, the Romney campaign had spent $1.4 million for $1,596 spots."
On Wednesday evening, Nancy wondered, in a tweet, if Mitt Romney was going to make an appearance at CPAC. And he does!
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/colorado-cpac-tweetshttp://storify.com/sunfoundation/colorado-cpac-tweetsThu, 04 Oct 2012 20:46:45 GMT<![CDATA[Freshmen on Twitter]]>

The most interesting deleted tweets from congressional freshman on Politwoops.

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Fri, Aug 10 2012 07:38:44

Click on links to see the full tweet, image or story.
Blake Farenthold (r) - PolitwoopsBlake Farenthold (r) - Politwoops
@darrellissa pic sums it up quite nicely - Wonka on Obama PIC: http://t.co/fX2zuWK5 Screenshots of links in this tweet
Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, thought better of tweeting Wonka. This link was deleted after 3 hours.
"Mr. President, tell me more about your extensive #smallbiz background" - Wonka on Obama PIC: · PIC:
Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., deleted the tweet "Zombie theme park planned for #Detroit http://t.co/OVVU8ihZ #HellYeah" after only 11 seconds
Deleted tweet from Rep. Bill Huizenga - PolitwoopsDeleted tweet from Rep. Bill Huizenga - Politwoops
Sure, we all tweet things we don't mean to share, but now politicians have no way to hide them. Discover tweets that your politicians sha...
Here is the link to a story about the proposed Zombie theme park.
Zombie theme park planned for DetroitZombie theme park planned for Detroit
John Warzel, Buffalo Zombie Examiner Zombies are on their way up. From the Big Bang that was Night of the Living Dead to books like Pride...
Did you ever have your phone spontaneously call a friend or Tweet nonsense? Rep. Ben Quayle, R-Ariz., understands. His deleted tweets include "T" and "Wv"
Deleted tweet from Ben Quayle - PolitwoopsDeleted tweet from Ben Quayle - Politwoops
Sure, we all tweet things we don't mean to share, but now politicians have no way to hide them. Discover tweets that your politicians sha...
We probably can all agree with Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tenn., his deleted tweet simply mused about the regression of reality TV. 
Deleted tweet from Stephen Fincher - PolitwoopsDeleted tweet from Stephen Fincher - Politwoops
thebachelor is a lot like the Hunger Games.
Find the tweets you find interesting on Politwoops:
Politwoops - Deleted tweets from politiciansPolitwoops - Deleted tweets from politicians
Reminder, my staff will be out at the Red Bridge Branch of Midcontinent, 1-3pm, to assist you with your casework needs. http://t.co/skZ0xHpc
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/freshman-on-twitterhttp://storify.com/sunfoundation/freshman-on-twitterFri, 10 Aug 2012 14:38:44 GMT<![CDATA[Volunteer for TransparencyCamp 2012]]>

The success of this year's TCamp relies on folks like you pitching in your time and talents. Read more to learn about how to get involved and how some folks are already getting...creative...in showing their support.

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Thu, Apr 05 2012 19:05:45

Although you would think that after saying the word(s?) "TransparencyCamp" 7 zillion times a day I would get sick of the idea, TransparencyCamp remains my favorite annual event -- and not just because I'm involved in organizing it. All cheese aside, there is a special rush  to participating in both the Camp that most folks see -- the part that's filled with community building, best practice sharing, and rocking sessions -- and the TCamp behind-the-scenes -- fueled by the energy and time put in by the many volunteers and staff who run the show and make things go down without a hitch. With less than a month between now and Camp (April 28th - 29th!), it feels like a holiday is approaching.

Want to catch the TCamp spirit? This year, we're opening up to volunteers and have a limited slot of spots available to folks who want to help out with our best -- and biggest! -- TCamp yet. Whether you’re a videographer, photographer, tech savvy, policy passionate, or just able to lend a hand -- we need your help. You can find out more & sign up to get involved here: http://snlg.ht/TCamp12volunteer.

Of course, we're not the only ones getting excited. A new Twitter friend caught on to TransparencyCamp (and, in particular, its sister event, the Voter Information Project Hackathon, slated for the day after Camp) and got to thinking...
After some enthusiastic response,
TCamp's first communi-tee! But who will buy them?

Apparently, my parents. (It was a surprise for me, too.)
My parents...are crazy. · Lauren(elle)n
Yes, even in the wilds of Interstate 84, ways away from DC and the world of iPads, smartphones, and even cell service, people are counting down the days to TCamp. You don't have to buy these sweet #opengov tees to be one of them, but if you're half as excited as my Mom looks in this picture, you can celebrate in style by volunteering with us: http://snlg.ht/TCamp12volunteer. Volunteers get all the benefits of attending TCamp (breakfast! lunch! snacks! awesome mind melds! happy hour! community!) plus a compensated ticket all for the cost of a few hours of your time. Not bad.

Spots are limited. Sign up today!

Whether behind the scenes or out in the crowd, hope to see you at Camp this year!
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/volunteer-for-transparencycamp-2012http://storify.com/sunfoundation/volunteer-for-transparencycamp-2012Fri, 06 Apr 2012 02:05:45 GMT<![CDATA[#superPACvalentine]]>

How about a little wonky humor for your Valentine's Day? This morning presidential candidate and campaign finance crusader Buddy Roemer started tweeting super PAC valentines. Soon others were chiming in with their own zingers, though as you'll see Gov. Roemer continued to dominate the meme. Enjoy!

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Tue, Feb 14 2012 11:38:34

Note: That's a parody account, not actually Second Lady of the United States Biden.
Jack Gillum, a reporter for the Associated Press, had a similar idea last week with #campaignfinancevalentines.
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/superpacvalentinehttp://storify.com/sunfoundation/superpacvalentineTue, 14 Feb 2012 19:38:34 GMT<![CDATA[Citizens United and the Case for Comedy]]>

On Friday, May 13th, comedian Stephen Colbert went to the FEC to take the next step towards making an operational Super PAC. A sleuth of Sunlighters joined a crowd of nearly 300 people to ask that Colbert make the most of his parody and model good disclosure. (Roar!)

Storified by Sunlight Foundation · Thu, Oct 27 2011 01:43:46

Last Friday afternoon, Sunlighters stood in a swarm outside the Federal Election Commission while Stephen Colbert, the infamous comic pundit, filed paperwork for his very own political action committee, appropriately named Colbert Super PAC.


You could say we stood out.

Is that a Panda head? RT @daveweigel: Crowd waiting for Stephen Colbert outside FEC http://twitpic.com/4x5rts · samboykin

Yes, Sam. That is a panda head, and it's attached to a panda suit.

RT @elle_mccann: .@sunfoundation casual protest friday http://twitpic.com/4x4v91 #opengov · SunFoundation

Sure, we may have looked silly - given the whole "sleuth of protesting bears" thing - but the reason we joined Colbert outside the FEC was serious: Political action committees (PACs) wield an incredible amount of influence in elections, and Super PACS, thanks to the 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United, are empowered to wield an unlimited amount of that influence -- where "influence," of course, equals "money."


Standing inside the FEC after dropping off his papers, Colbert told Politico's Ken Vogel, "I believe that the Citizens United decision was the right one. There should be unlimited corporate money and I want some of it, I don't want to be the one chump who doesn't have any."

Colbert might be kidding, but as Vogel notes, the creation of Colbert Super PAC could have serious implications, not the least of which is simply drawing public attention to an issue that few Americans know about.

Though Sunlight's excited to see so many people chewing over Colbert's big move, we also see potential for a greater lesson: 

Panda Holding Sign · sunlightfoundation

Colbert doesn't have to just parody the state of campaign spending; he can serve as the model for good PAC behavior. 


It's been over a year since the Citizens United decision and though we're nearing on a major campaign season (hello, presidential 2012!), the FEC still hasn't adopted final rules that will track the unlimited flow money into campaigns. If Colbert Super PAC can overcome the legal hurdles to its operation, it will be in a unique position to continue to draw attention to the influence of money in politics. This should be especially important to a PAC made for the purpose of "edutainment."

Sunlights Chat with Crowd · sunlightfoundation

PACs aren't a sideline issue, especially this close to an election. While standing with Colbert's fans, chatting with folks about the importance of disclosure for campaign spending, word came that yet another PAC was born into the world:

Before the crowd, Colbert declared, "I believe in the American Dream," he said. "And that dream is simple: That anyone, no matter who they are, if they are determined, if they are willing to work hard enough, someday they can grow up to create a legal entity which can then receive unlimited campaign funds which can be used to influence elections."


Great, but we have a bigger dream: anyone, no matter who they are should be able to look up - in real time and online - where those unlimited campaign funds come from so that they can know who is trying to buy their vote on election day.

Colbert Kisses Money · sunlightfoundation

So far, Colbert seems to be on our side. On the second page of his media exemption request from the FEC (the current barrier to Colbert Super PAC's operation), Colbert notes that his PAC will report its "contributions, expenditures (including independent expenditures), receipts, and disbursements as required by the Commission rules." 


That's a good first step towards modeling the kind of disclosure we need from PACs. A great second step would be to publish all PAC donations onto the Colbert Super PAC's website and to do it as soon as the donations are received. (That's what we call "real time" disclosure.)


So, to Stephen we say, "Keep on bringing attention to money in politics!" But more importantly, if you're a fan of Colbert's, become a fan of Sunlight and join us in keeping our elections transparent.


(Wanna catch the full version of Colbert's speech outside the FEC? Check it below..and keep your eyes peeled for the panda!)

HUFFPOST: Stephen Colbert Speaks Outside FEC, 5/13/11 · bradjshannon
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]]>http://storify.com/sunfoundation/citizens-united-and-the-case-for-comedyhttp://storify.com/sunfoundation/citizens-united-and-the-case-for-comedyMon, 16 May 2011 19:31:25 GMT