Latest news with #LouisBrandeis
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: CNN makes its debut
Today is Sunday, June 1, the 152nd day of 2025. There are 213 days left in the year. Today in history: On June 1, 1980, Cable News Network, the first 24-hour television news channel, made its debut. Also on this date: In 1813, the mortally wounded commander of the USS Chesapeake, Capt. James Lawrence, gave the order, 'Don't give up the ship,' during a losing battle with the British frigate HMS Shannon during the War of 1812. In 1916, the Senate voted 47-22 to confirm Louis Brandeis as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, the first Jewish American to serve on the nation's highest bench. In 1943, a civilian flight from Portugal to England was shot down by German bombers during World War II, killing all 17 people aboard, including actor Leslie Howard. In 1957, Don Bowden, a student at the University of California at Berkeley, became the first American to break the four-minute mile during a meet in Stockton, California, with a time of 3:58.7. In 1962, former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was executed after being found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his actions during World War II. In 1990, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed an agreement to stop producing and reduce existing stockpiles of chemical weapons held by the two Cold War superpowers. In 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shot and killed nine members of the Nepalese royal family, including his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, before mortally wounding himself. In 2008, a fire at Universal Studios Hollywood destroyed 3 acres of the studio's property, including a vault that held as many as 175,000 irreplaceable master audio recordings from hundreds of musicians including Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Elton John and Nirvana. In 2009, General Motors filed for Chapter 11 reorganization, becoming the largest U.S. industrial company to enter bankruptcy protection. In 2020, police violently broke up a protest by thousands of people in Lafayette Park across from the White House, using chemical agents, clubs and punches to send protesters fleeing; the protesters had gathered following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis a week earlier. Later that day, President Donald Trump, after declaring himself 'the president of law and order' and threatening to deploy the U.S. military in a speech, walked across the empty park to be photographed holding a Bible in front of St. John's Church, which had been damaged a night earlier. Today's Birthdays: Singer Pat Boone is 91. Actor Morgan Freeman is 88. Actor Brian Cox is 79. Actor Jonathan Pryce is 78. Rock musician Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones) is 78. Country singer-songwriter Ronnie Dunn is 72. Actor Lisa Hartman Black is 69. Actor Teri Polo is 56. Model-TV personality Heidi Klum is 52. Singer Alanis Morissette is 51. Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile is 44. Actor-comedian Amy Schumer is 44. Tennis Hall of Famer Justine Henin is 43. Comedian Nikki Glaser is 41. Actor Zazie Beetz is 34. Actor Tom Holland is 29. Actor Willow Shields is 25.
IOL News
06-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Government intervention crucial for a sustainable steel industry in South Africa
The government intervention to allow a deferral of the wind down of the AMSA Longs Business provides an opportunity for the fundamental structural issues facing the steel industry to be addressed, and to place it on a sustainable path by removing the market distortions that have been created. Image: Supplied By Tami Didiza Louis Brandeis famously coined the phrase, 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant'. Given the repeated willful misrepresentations peddled by the steel mini mill companies of the Electric Steel Producers Association (ESPA), it is in the public interest not only to set the record straight regarding their unfounded claims, but to reveal the inconvenient truth behind their operations. Before doing so, it may be useful to provide some context regarding the steelindustry. A sustainable steel industry in South Africa will be able to contribute to economic growth and job creation, support infrastructure development and contribute to the country's decarbonisation goals, while at the same time creating an opportunity for the development and export of greener steel. Unfortunately, the sustainability of the steel industry has been threatened due to national constraints such as high energy and logistics costs as well as the creation of a playing field that is not level, due to preferences such as a scrap export tax, scrap price preference system and preferential funding provided to the mini mill sector, all to the detriment of the rest of the steel industry. In light of the recent decision by ArcelorMittal South Africa regarding the closure of its Longs Business, the government has recognised the need for intervention and to work towards creating a level playing field to ensure a vibrant and competitive steel industry. It is therefore unfortunate that the recipients of these significant unfair advantages over a prolonged period should now express concerns about a 'distorted market' when funding has been made available to ArcelorMittal South Africa. The entire existence of the steel mini mills sector has come about at great cost to the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the South African taxpayer. Some R14 billion of IDC money has been poured into the founding, operations and ongoing support for ESPA members. Additionally, a number of these companies have been unable tooperate successfully and could have closed had the current dtic policies of scrap intervention though the Price Preference System, Scrap Export Tax and an export ban not saved them over the last five years. Despite government support and protective policies, a number of ESPA member companies have still gone into financial distress. In addition to the significant IDC funding these mini mills receive a scrap steel subsidy of some R5-6bn per year –all of which is effectively funded by the producers (manufacturers, fabricators, etc) and collectors of scrap. Steel mills on the coast that operate in a Special Economic Zone benefit from an additional 10% discount in addition to a 30% PPS discount. They also benefit from investment incentives such as paying no corporate tax for 10 years, along with SARS/PAYE subsidy benefits. Critically, they are also the beneficiaries of lower electricity charges and import duties on steel products in the order of at least 10%. With respect to ESPA claims of job creation, regrettably the opposite is true, an estimated 50 000 scrap collectors have lost their jobs and income merely to fund a small number of mini mills. There is no scrap shortage in South Africa. The scrap reservoir of South Africa is abundant as the historical generation of steel has always been higher than the consumption of metal. However, scrap prices have been pushed to below the cost of salvaging obsolete scrap - resulting in lower scrap supply. Scrap is often found inland dumps in remote areas as it has been made economically unviable to collect and transport it to an ESPA mini mill. Were the ESPA mini mills to offer international scrap prices of R7 000 per ton, they would find abundant scrap available. This would increase jobs and boost the competitiveness of South African manufacturing industry. Unlike publicly listed steel producers who share their operations, financials, labour, and sustainability practices through public records and annual integrated reports, ESPA companies operate without publishing their results or opening their operations to public review. In addition to financial and operating aspects of ESPA mini mills that merit further examination, some questions have emerged about potential anti-competitive conduct that may warrant attention from relevant authorities. Greater transparency in the protected mini mill steel sector could potentially benefit the entire South African steel industry value chain, as well as consumers and taxpayers. It should be noted that mini mills are largely utilising scrap that can be used to support the country's decarbonisation efforts to produce largely low value products. In essence, the mini mills are induction furnaces with simple and basic technology in scrap melting that produces lower value-added products such as rebar and a limited range of commercial quality sections, which cannot be used for critical engineering applications. The limited product range is often exported as billets – in effect, this uses valuable electricity to make a product that is exported and beneficiated outside of the country, instead of maximising local beneficiation. The government intervention to allow a deferral of the wind down of the AMSA Longs Business provides an opportunity for the fundamental structural issues facing the steel industry to be addressed, and to place it on a sustainable path by removing the market distortions that have been created. Tami Didiza ArcelorMittal South Africa Group Manager for Stakeholder Management and Communications Image: Supplied Tami Didiza is ArcelorMittal South Africa's group manager for stakeholder management and communications. BUSINESS REPORT
Miami Herald
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
The sun is setting on government transparency in Florida
Florida, the 'Sunshine State,' once known as a beacon of government transparency, is growing ever darker, and the clouds are spreading throughout the United States. From March 16-22, 2025, the nation celebrates the 20th anniversary of national Sunshine Week, which originated in Florida, historically home to the most transparent and accountable governments in the country. Times have changed. At the University of Florida Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, my colleagues and I have researched and taught about the freedom of information since 1977. We monitor the state of open, accountable government, and our research findings do not bode well for democracy — in Florida and throughout the U.S. But first, let's look back to sunnier days. Sun rises Florida enacted its first version of a public records law in 1909, the sixth state to do so. The movement was led by Nebraska in 1866 and Montana in 1895. Florida's law was repealed in the 1950s and then returned in 1967 as the Sunshine Law. 'Sunshine' was equated with the state's nickname but also the concept of government transparency — lighting the dark recesses of secrecy. The Sunshine Law also played on a famous quote by former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis that 'Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.' Something unique happened in Florida then. Transparency took hold. Journalists such as Pete Weitzel at the Miami Herald pushed hard for governments to operate more transparently, building momentum through the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. They and other media groups helped launch, with $11,000, the Florida Freedom of Information Clearinghouse in 1977 at the University of Florida. The journalism college assigned a professor and grad student to monitor public record denials, open meeting closures and court cases, and to alert newspaper editors to secrecy legislation. This effort created a culture of transparency, including among elected leaders. Journalists successfully pushed for a constitutional amendment in the early 1990s, which required transparency across the state and required a two-thirds vote from the state Legislature to adopt exemptions to the law. The nonprofit Florida First Amendment Foundation was launched in 1985 to promote government transparency and hired its first paid employee, Barbara Petersen, in 1995, to monitor secrecy legislation, train public employees and aid people trying to get information. The organization banded with the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors to create Sunshine Sunday each March to promote the right to know. This event went national in 2005 as Sunshine Week. All these factors led Florida to become known as the most transparent state in the nation. Increasing clouds Fast forward to 2025, and we see an entirely different climate in Florida. The decline of newspapers has meant fewer reporters pushing for records, fewer editors advocating for transparency, and fewer owners suing government agencies. Copy charges related to getting public records create barriers for average citizens. Research shows that providing fee waivers would increase accessibility without significant costs. Through the years, legislators became emboldened to pass more exemptions to the Florida Sunshine Law — more than 1,100 and growing. Some of those exemptions were focused on protecting personal privacy — for example, in reaction to journalists requesting the autopsy file of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt after his 2001 death. Fear of terrorists following 9/11 led to a flurry of exemptions, such as hiding records about crop dusters to prevent al-Qaida from hijacking planes to spread anthrax. Companies profiting from public records sparked another backlash. For example, some companies acquired public mugshots, posted them online and allowed people to have them removed for a price. Some attorneys gamed the fee-shifting provision, submitting public record requests that would be difficult to fulfill, suing immediately and then settling with agencies for thousands of dollars. Elected leaders turned against transparency, Petersen, who now directs the Florida Center for Government Accountability, told me recently. One of the prominent examples she points to is Gov. Ron DeSantis' refusal to disclose his travel expense records. I hear it every week — calls from journalists and others stymied by state and local government agencies. They often cite high copy fees for public records, claims of exemptions and outright ghosting by agencies. One reporter encountered Miami city commissioners sworn in at a private ceremony. Another challenged Tallahassee police refusing to provide information about an officer-involved shooting. A college journalism student was told she had to pay $1,665 for records about Florida dams that could fail and ended up pleading with the government to 'free the dam records.' Not just Florida Florida is reflective of a national trend — a secrecy creep spreading throughout the country, culminating in transparency deserts in cities big and small. The U.S. is losing its reputation as a leader in open, accountable government. Its federal Freedom of Information Act, often known as FOIA, ranks 78th in strength out of 140 nations, and continuously drops as new countries adopt better laws. An information commissioner from Africa told me a few months ago that he and his colleagues laugh at the United States' weak FOIA law, referring to it as a 'toothless poodle.' On average, according to our research, if you asked for a public record in America 10 years ago, you would get it about half the time. Even the U.S. Department of Justice's own statistics show a similar decline in full release of records, and the average response time has nearly doubled over the same period, from 21 to 40 days. What happens when compliance reaches 0%? Aside from the ramifications on democracy itself, every American will feel the pain in their pocketbooks and everyday lives. Studies show that public record laws lead to cleaner drinking water, safer restaurants, better-informed school choice, less corruption, saved tax dollars and a lower chance of sex offenders reoffending. According to Stanford economist James Hamilton, for every dollar spent on public-records journalism, society benefits $287 in saved lives and more efficient government. Some transparency advocates have raised the alarm on actions taken by the new Trump administration, such as the removal of agency websites, the firing of FOIA staff and the dismantling of the Open Government Federal Advisory Committee. It is likely these efforts will escalate the secrecy creep and allow it to trickle down to the state and local levels. It is important to note, though, that declining transparency is a long-term trend that transcends any one president or political party. The federal government reached its absolute low in full compliance with FOIA last year, under the Biden administration. It's easy to point fingers at one politician, but perhaps wiser to look at the entire system, which many scholars say is broken and should be reimagined. Nonprofit groups have filled some of the gap, and independent online news sites are growing and enforcing public record laws. But will it be enough? Ultimately, it is up to the citizenry. If the people don't cherish and demand transparent government, then the politicians certainly won't, whether in Florida or the rest of the country. David Cuillier is director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida. This article was first published in The Conversation.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The sun is setting on government transparency in Florida – and secrecy creep is affecting the rest of the US, too
Florida, the 'Sunshine State,' once known as a beacon of government transparency, is growing ever darker, and the clouds are spreading throughout the United States. From March 16-22, 2025, the nation celebrates the 20th anniversary of national Sunshine Week, which originated in Florida, historically home to the most transparent and accountable governments in the country. Times have changed. At the University of Florida Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, my colleagues and I have researched and taught about the freedom of information since 1977. We monitor the state of open, accountable government, and our research findings do not bode well for democracy – in Florida and throughout the U.S. But first, let's look back to sunnier days. Florida enacted its first version of a public records law in 1909, the sixth state to do so. The movement was led by Nebraska in 1866 and Montana in 1895. Florida's law was repealed in the 1950s and then returned in 1967 as the Sunshine Law. 'Sunshine' was equated with the state's nickname but also the concept of government transparency – lighting the dark recesses of secrecy. The Sunshine Law also played on a famous quote by former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis that 'Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.' Something unique happened in Florida then. Transparency took hold. Journalists such as Pete Weitzel at the Miami Herald pushed hard for governments to operate more transparently, building momentum through the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. They and other media groups helped launch, with US$11,000, the Florida Freedom of Information Clearinghouse in 1977 at the University of Florida. The journalism college assigned a professor and grad student to monitor public record denials, open meeting closures and court cases, and to alert newspaper editors to secrecy legislation. This effort created a culture of transparency, including among elected leaders. Journalists successfully pushed for a constitutional amendment in the early 1990s, which required transparency across the state and required a two-thirds vote from the state Legislature to adopt exemptions to the law. Several provisions of Florida public records law stood out: • Attorney fee-shifting is mandatory. If a citizen is denied government information, sues and prevails, the agency is required to pay the person's attorney fees. Our research indicates that this is one of the most important elements in public record laws to encourage compliance. • The definition of a public record is broad, even applying to documents created by a private person or contractor acting on behalf of the government. Applying the law to private actors is unique in the U.S., and even in the world. • Governing bodies face strict requirements to deliberate in public. Just two officials communicating with each other constitutes an official meeting and must be announced ahead of time, allowing for public attendance. Most states require a quorum, or majority, of the governing body to be considered an official meeting. The nonprofit Florida First Amendment Foundation was launched in 1985 to promote government transparency and hired its first paid employee, Barbara Petersen, in 1995, to monitor secrecy legislation, train public employees and aid people trying to get information. The organization banded with the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors to create Sunshine Sunday each March to promote the right to know. This event went national in 2005 as Sunshine Week. All these factors led Florida to become known as the most transparent state in the nation. Fast forward to 2025, and we see an entirely different climate in Florida. The decline of newspapers has meant fewer reporters pushing for records, fewer editors advocating for transparency, and fewer owners suing government agencies. Copy charges related to getting public records create barriers for average citizens. Research shows that providing fee waivers would increase accessibility without significant costs. Through the years, legislators became emboldened to pass more exemptions to the Florida Sunshine Law – more than 1,100 and growing. Some of those exemptions were focused on protecting personal privacy – for example, in reaction to journalists requesting the autopsy file of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt after his 2001 death. Fear of terrorists following 9/11 led to a flurry of exemptions, such as hiding records about crop dusters to prevent al-Qaida from hijacking planes to spread anthrax. Companies profiting from public records sparked another backlash. For example, some companies acquired public mugshots, posted them online and allowed people to have them removed for a price. Some attorneys gamed the fee-shifting provision, submitting public record requests that would be difficult to fulfill, sued immediately and then settled with agencies for thousands of dollars. Elected leaders turned against transparency, Petersen, who now directs the Florida Center for Government Accountability, told me recently. One of the prominent examples she points to is Gov. Ron DeSantis' refusal to disclose his travel expense records. I hear it every week – calls from journalists and others stymied by state and local government agencies. They often cite high copy fees for public records, claims of exemptions and outright ghosting by agencies. One reporter encountered Miami city commissioners sworn in at a private ceremony. Another challenged Tallahassee police refusing to provide information about an officer-involved shooting. A college journalism student was told she had to pay $1,665 for records about Florida dams that could fail and ended up pleading with the government to 'free the dam records.' One of my studies from 2019 indicated that, on average, if you requested a public record in Florida, you would receive it about 39% of the time. That placed the state 31st in the nation, the bottom half. More recent data from the nonprofit MuckRock reports Florida's percentage declining – as of February 2025, to 35%. Bobby Block, current director of the Florida First Amendment Foundation, wrote in February that 'There was a time when Florida set the gold standard for open government. … Those days are over.' Florida is reflective of a national trend – a secrecy creep spreading throughout the country, culminating in transparency deserts in cities big and small. The United States is losing its reputation as a leader in open, accountable government. Its federal Freedom of Information Act, often known as FOIA, ranks 78th in strength out of 140 nations, and continuously drops as new countries adopt better laws. An information commissioner from Africa told me a few months ago that he and his colleagues laugh at the United States' weak FOIA law, referring to it as a 'toothless poodle.' On average, according to our research, if you asked for a public record in America 10 years ago, you would get it about half the time. Now, it's down to about a third of the time, and just 12% at the federal level. Even the U.S. Department of Justice's own statistics show a similar decline in full release of records, and the average response time has nearly doubled over the same period, from 21 to 40 days. What happens when compliance reaches 0%? Aside from the ramifications on democracy itself, every American will feel the pain in their pocketbooks and everyday lives. Studies show that public record laws lead to cleaner drinking water, safer restaurants, better-informed school choice, less corruption, saved tax dollars and a lower chance of sex offenders reoffending. According to Stanford economist James Hamilton, for every dollar spent on public-records journalism, society benefits $287 in saved lives and more efficient government. Some transparency advocates have raised the alarm on actions taken by the new Trump administration, such as the removal of agency websites, the firing of FOIA staff and the dismantling of the Open Government Federal Advisory Committee. It is likely these efforts will escalate the secrecy creep and allow it to trickle down to the state and local levels. It is important to note, though, that declining transparency is a long-term trend that transcends any one president or political party. The federal government reached its absolute low in full compliance with FOIA last year, under the Biden administration. It's easy to point fingers at one politician, but perhaps wiser to look at the entire system, which many scholars say is broken and should be reimagined. German sociologist Max Weber posited that secrecy is the natural tendency for bureaucracy if left unchecked. For decades, news companies, particularly in Florida, pushed back against that secrecy through public pressure and litigation. With that opposing force weakened, if not disappearing, what or who will replace it? Nonprofit groups have filled some of the gap, and independent online news sites are growing and enforcing public record laws. But will it be enough? Ultimately, it is up to the citizenry. If the people don't cherish and demand transparent government, then the politicians certainly won't, whether in Florida or the rest of the country. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: David Cuillier, University of Florida Read more: Ann Arbor's sustainable energy utility aims to build the electric power grid of the future − alongside the old one Plants that evolved in Florida over millennia now face extinction and lack protection How early voting on campuses can boost election turnout – not only for students but for residents, too David Cuillier is affiliated with the nonprofit National Freedom of Information Coalition and is a member of the National Archives and Records Administration Freedom of Information Act Advisory Committee.
