In December 2013, the NYPD ordered its 77 precinct commanders to route reporters’ requests for crime reports through the agency’s press office, rather than release these documents directly. So where’s the order itself?

A Massachusetts law permitting municipalities to obtain information about gas leaks in their jurisdiction — including the location and severity of such leaks — has been utilized by only one town since it went into effect: Boston.

A report released this morning by the Justice Department’s inspector general highlighted “significant challenges” facing the FBI’s drone program. In particular, the report pointed to the skeleton crew of just two pilots authorized to fly FBI drones, both of whom are based out of the same office.

In 2005, the average fire in Lawrence, Massachusetts caused $8,835 in property damage - just slightly above the state average of $7,706. Only 3 years later, that number jumped to $18,936. What happened?

Public Advocate De Blasio blasted private prisons for their lack of transparency. Now what will Mayor De Blasio do about the one operating across the street from JFK?

Wrapping up Sunshine Week, a young journalist reflects on the joys and frustrations of her burgeoning “document state of mind.”

As these Amtrak complaints show, government cover-ups aren’t always a matter of life and death. Unless you ordered the tuna salad. Then you should seek immediate medical attention.

Massachusetts entered its long thaw just in time for the 10th annual Sunshine Week, when the the national focus turns to the public’s access to its government. Amid the open dialogue about just how that whole “democracy for the people” thing is working so out far, at least one thing is perfectly clear: things could be better in the Bay State.

“Neither rain, nor sleet, nor confirm nor deny” - FOIA’s most infamous non-response is popping up in agencies you wouldn’t - and shouldn’t - expect.

For three weeks in 2003, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement evaluated the Predator drone as a tool for monitoring the border. Twelve years later, even as a scathing inspector general loudly questions the millions spent on border drones, records officials at ICE can’t puzzle out the news value in releasing reports from this early study.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed this week that it has completed internal reviews of the May 2013 shooting of Ibragim Todashev, an associate of alleged Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The Justice Department has released final reports that cleared the agent involved from prosecution, but precious few documents have emerged from the inquiries themselves.

The NFL this season provided plenty of fodder for big conversations about lots of things that weren’t football. But just because the league’s legendary halftime show wasn’t the most scandalous thing in professional football this year doesn’t mean that it didn’t still scandalize.

The FBI has released the file of Fred Phelps, notorious leader of the Westboro Baptist Church. The file reveals some information not previously publicized, including Phelps application for a government position in the late sixties, and the Bureau’s extensive investigation into the parody site “Godhatesgoths.com.”

After originally claiming to have no emails between his office and the Boston 2024 Organizing Committee, Mayor Marty Walsh staff have located an “attachment was left off of the City’s original response.”

Having recently received of a copy of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office body cam manual, we decided to take a close look at the policies of wine country, and see what they might bode for the future of law enforcement nationwide.

Last July, MuckRock user Curtis Raye requested all aviation consumer complaints in the categories of “customer service” and “discrimination” made to the Department of Transportation in March and April of 2014. Just last week, the response came back in the form of 166 case histories - and while some serious incidents are mentioned, the overwhelming majority are decidedly not-so-serious.

While the agency doesn’t appear to be under an NDA, the USMS has withheld a wide range of basic information under an exemption meant to protect law enforcement techniques. However, much of the redacted data is already available online via a federal accounting website.

Remember the service kangaroo that was kicked out of a McDonald’s and the national coverage that followed? We’ve uncovered the police call logs that show how it all went down.