The Daily Muck

As a result of a freedom of information act request filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a federal judge has told the Bush administration that it must release records of lobbying contracts with telecommunications companies. The ruling suggests that the government is moving too slowly, especially given the fact that Congress is scheduled to debate telecom immunity soon. (San Francisco Chronicle)

The Interior Department Inspector General completed a second investigation into DOI official Julie MacDonald for “interfering” in areas where she had no expertise and participating in decisions where she had a conflict of interest. An environmental group plans to file multiple lawsuits over some 50 decisions by MacDonald. (McClatchy)

Over the next few months FEMA will close all of the trailer camps for victims of the 2005 hurricanes. A FEMA spokesman said that the formaldehyde issue did play a role in the decision. A lawyer with Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington agreed that “it’s probably a good idea to get people out of trailers…, but not at the expense of making them homeless.” (New York Times)

Twelve states are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to compel the agency to reverse course and restore all of the chemical reporting requirements that were once included in its Toxics Release Inventory program. The EPA had recently ruled that companies that released fewer than 5,000 pounds of toxic chemicals (the old rule used a benchmark of 500) could file less detailed forms that make it harder for communities to track toxic waste. (New York Times)

Citizens Against Government Waste has unveiled its new database that documents all of the 2,243 earmarks in the Labor Health and Human Services appropriations bill. (Politico)

Karl Rove’s “missing” e-mails sent from a Republican National Committee account have already cost the RNC $250,000. The RNC has refused to say whether there has been any return on their investment. (Washington Post)

Only two of the 43 local intelligence-sharing “fusion centers” set up after 9/11 focus exclusively on preventing terrorism according to a Government Accountability Office report. Others focused on all crimes. Center directors said they need more guidance from Washington. (AP)

The same Saudi justice system that sentenced a victim of gang rape to physical beatings, is taking a more compassionate approach to the 1,500 prisoners it just released. Despite being suspected of belonging to a radical Islamic group, the prisoners were granted freedom for having completed a five-week therapeutic program of group counseling. (ABC’s Blotter)