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Michael Morisy

@morisy

civic transparency for a better tomorrow. founder, MuckRock. also caretaker of DocumentCloud, FOIA Machine, and many other internet friends.

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Latest posts by Michael Morisy @morisy

It'll be inevitable. Paramount/WB is going to be carrying $80b in debt after this merger, $60b from the buyout alone.

Assume they're getting 7% interest rates (which they're not, the debt is rated junk), that's $4b in debt payments every year just for the merger.

05.03.2026 14:30 πŸ‘ 78 πŸ” 29 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 0
Library of Congress Innovator in Residence graphic

Library of Congress Innovator in Residence graphic

Calling all technologists, artists and other creative visionaries:

The Library of Congress has opened the call for the next Innovator in Residence!

Apply by 2pm ET April 10

newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

03.03.2026 19:28 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 26 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Kairos Fellowship - Gamer Organizer Who Are WeKairos is working for liberation at the intersection of technology, racial justice, and democracy. We believe we can both bring organizing into the 21st century while transforming technology

kairos is hiring a β€œgaming organizer” kairosfellowship.recruitee.com/o/gamer-orga...

03.03.2026 15:03 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples’ Movements An internal DHS document obtained by 404 Media shows for the first time CBP used location data sourced from the online advertising industry to track phone locations. ICE has bought access to similar t...

SCOOP: An internal DHS document obtained by 404 Media shows for the first time CBP used location data sourced from the online advertising industry to track phone locations.

This surveillance can happen through all sorts of apps, such as video games, news apps, weather trackers, and dating apps.

03.03.2026 14:16 πŸ‘ 2140 πŸ” 1419 πŸ’¬ 59 πŸ“Œ 164

It seems the President is caught in a time loop, replenishing supplies before they were used and now using them after they’ve been given away.

03.03.2026 14:19 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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She’d Never Changed Her Gender Marker. Kansas Invalidated Her License Anyway. β€” Assigned A trans Kansas resident recently changed her name but not her gender marker on her license, fearing what Kansas may do if she did. The Kansas DMV still flagged her ID.

This story, from @natezuke.bsky.social, is absolutely wild. A trans woman who never changed her gender marker was issued a letter invalidating her license. At the DMV they cut up her license, which had an "M" marker.

www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...

03.03.2026 12:05 πŸ‘ 3591 πŸ” 1639 πŸ’¬ 72 πŸ“Œ 267
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Documenting U.S. planning for the Iran strike will be harder than documenting the lead-up to the Iraq War thanks to this admin's animosity to record-keeping.

Still, docs released through FOIA re Iraq provide offer a road map of what to ask for.

The best examples are from @nsarchive.bsky.social.

02.03.2026 16:34 πŸ‘ 21 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
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Video: 'You're not free to leave.' US Border Patrol agent puts bystander in handcuffs. After arresting a local man on Stock Island, a US Border Patrol agent stopped a bystander who’d been recording the incident and demanded his ID without first offering a reason.

Blatant retaliatory detention in Key West for filming a Border Patrol agent gwenfilosa.substack.com/p/video-your...

02.03.2026 16:12 πŸ‘ 29 πŸ” 16 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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Local News Infrastructure Division β€” 2026 Next Challenge for Media & Journalism The Cornerstone Award for Local News Infrastructure will be presented to a technology startup building digital tools to address the critical needs of journalists and local news organizations​.

We need more excellent news and transparency tools. If you're building them, and your project is less than a decade old, here's a great opportunity. Unrelated, but I'd also love to connect with you! thenextchallenge.com/infrastructure

28.02.2026 19:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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MuckRock joins press freedom coalition urging court to block FTC’s use of probes to silence critics MuckRock has joined an amicus brief led by The Intercept’s Press Freedom Defense Fund urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to prevent the Federal Trade Commission from conducting a re...

MuckRock joins press freedom coalition urging court to block FTC’s use of probes to silence critics www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

27.02.2026 16:25 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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MuckRock MuckRock is a collaborative news site that gives you the tools to hold the government accountable.

MuckRock is hiring! We’re looking for an operations manager to join our transparency team. Fully remote! Full healthcare! And most importantly you get the exclusive blue staff hoodie www.muckrock.com/jobs/operati...

27.02.2026 03:37 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

You heard @daralind.bsky.social right; the government is saying that they may end up pausing work permits for asylum seekers for 173 years. That is not a typo. Read her piece!

/to be fair, that is also the far end of an estimate that is very unlikely to result in that length of time. But still!

27.02.2026 13:38 πŸ‘ 124 πŸ” 55 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 2
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MuckRock MuckRock is a collaborative news site that gives you the tools to hold the government accountable.

MuckRock is hiring! We’re looking for an operations manager to join our transparency team. Fully remote! Full healthcare! And most importantly you get the exclusive blue staff hoodie www.muckrock.com/jobs/operati...

27.02.2026 03:37 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

As the announcement notes, start filing today to get your shot at being the 2027 winner.

26.02.2026 14:52 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Awards - Brechner Center for Freedom of Information The Brechner Center sponsors an annual $3,000 cash award recognizing excellence in reporting about freedom of information, access to government-held information or the First Amendment.

Congrats to @jasonleopold.bsky.social for being the 2026 @brechnerfoi.bsky.social Freedom of Information Award! brechner.org/about/awards...

26.02.2026 14:52 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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ICE’s Warehouse Purchases Herald New Model for Immigration Detention - American Immigration Council ICE is purchasing commercial warehouses and retrofitting them into a national network of immigration detention centers.

NEW from me for @immcouncil.org’s blog: ICE is buying up warehouses around the country. I summarize ICE’s β€œDetention Reengineering Initiative,” laying out what we know about the Trump admin’s main plan to use the $45 billion they have for detention.
www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/ice-buy...

25.02.2026 14:08 πŸ‘ 741 πŸ” 407 πŸ’¬ 47 πŸ“Œ 46
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Scoop: Australian company Appen is hiring gig workers to unknowingly train AI for US spy planes.

In some cases, workers are providing data to a military carrying out air strikes in their home countries.

with the UK's Bureau of Investigative Journalism

www.crikey.com.au/20...

23.02.2026 22:52 πŸ‘ 89 πŸ” 49 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 4

@muckrock.com co-organizes an event on immigration & transparency: lawyers, rights groups, reporters, & even FOIA officers talking about what information matters, how to get it, and what we can all learn from each other. If this sounds up your alley, I’d love to hear from you, esp. with talk ideas.

20.02.2026 18:53 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Investigative Simulations Lab

Today we’re proud to introduce Investigative Simulations Lab, an organization that designs and delivers simulation games that show journalists and researchers how to follow the money and uncover wrongdoing. Imagine an escape room or whodunit for investigators that is engaging, realistic and fun.

18.02.2026 05:08 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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After leaving WHO, Trump officials propose more expensive replacement to duplicate it HHS proposes spending $2 billion a year to re-create systems the U.S. accessed through the WHO at a fraction of the cost, according to officials briefed on the matter.

🚨 WaPo scoop: You've heard of Trump's "board of peace."

Now HHS wants to build its own World Health Organization that will cost exponentially more than the U.S.'s contribution to the WHO.

-- with the incredible @lenasun.bsky.social

19.02.2026 16:15 πŸ‘ 489 πŸ” 235 πŸ’¬ 51 πŸ“Œ 50

Last year's survey of council FOI officers - 30% of responders said they had experienced AI requests, this time, 70%.

19.02.2026 14:45 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A cluster of signs stating the importance of FOI

A cluster of signs stating the importance of FOI

Reception desk all set up, with mySociety staff behind it

Reception desk all set up, with mySociety staff behind it

We’re all ready for #FOIFest! Stay tuned for conference photos and highlights ✨

19.02.2026 08:52 πŸ‘ 27 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 5
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Indiana's balloon budget cements its status as elite More like 'floating champs.'

You: Would like to know how much the national champion-winning Indiana Hoosiers spent on balloons.

I: Would like you to become a paid subscriber to FOIAball.

www.foiaball.com/p/indiana-oh...

18.02.2026 19:37 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
me and my RCFP lawyers outside the courthouse this morning

me and my RCFP lawyers outside the courthouse this morning

BREAKING β€” WE WON! DC Superior Court Judge Darlene Soltys ordered the DC Metropolitan Police to produce ALL body cam footage of the March 2025 DOGE raid on the US Institute of Peace within 14 days.

Thanks to my @rcfp.org lawyers for their tireless work.

Details on thehandbasket.co later today!

18.02.2026 15:40 πŸ‘ 15613 πŸ” 2807 πŸ’¬ 237 πŸ“Œ 102
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FOI Fest 2026 FOI Fest 2026 will be held at Birkbeck University of London and online. You need to register here in order to attend. FOI Fest 2026 is being co-organised by the FOI Network, with...

We've now published the final agenda at www.mysociety.org/transparency.... A really good line-up of speakers now includes investigative journalist @jennacorderoy.bsky.social, @rosewhiff.bsky.social of Transparency International, our Climate Scorecards partners @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social...

17.02.2026 12:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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How to register to vote and check your registration status For the 2026 primary elections, NPR has collected deadlines and information on how to register to vote β€” online, in person or by mail β€” in every U.S. state and territory.

For the 2026 primary elections, NPR has collected deadlines and information on how to register to vote β€” online, in person or by mail β€” in every U.S. state and territory. n.pr/4ayRPUJ

16.02.2026 11:02 πŸ‘ 950 πŸ” 690 πŸ’¬ 19 πŸ“Œ 63
DOGE Track An automatically-generated and frequently updated site for presenting data on DOGE’s rampage across government, designed to work on large screens and mobile phones.

More than a year after its formation, I continue to track DOGE's activities and try to shed light on their staffing based on what limited information I can find.

dogetrack.info

13.02.2026 01:50 πŸ‘ 121 πŸ” 32 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

This is a first: I’m trying to get federal contracts from a county in California and they’re claiming they need the federal govts permission to fulfill my records request. They lawyer cited The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. Article VI, Clause 2 and Comity doctrine. Huh?

12.02.2026 18:57 πŸ‘ 43 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 5

Today is @muckrock.com's Sweet 16. What a journey so far: Helping millions of people learn about public records, exposing (sometimes literally!) buried government secrets, and discovering all the ways unexpected ways transparency matters in people's every day lives. Thank you!

11.02.2026 14:59 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0