FOIAengine Update

Washington, DC   November 5, 2024

 New data added to FOIAengine

Over the past month our research team has been busy tracking down more FOIA logs and getting them into FOIAengine as quickly as possible. In recent days we have added the latest data from the Food and Drug Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Log in now to explore the data.

Data insights

Data experts John Jenkins and Randy Miller, who created FOIAengine, regularly dive deep into the data to break news and identify trends. Their recent work includes:

With cigarette makers battling for market dominance in a “smoke-free future,” legal and marketing battles are raging – and recent Freedom of Information Act requests may signal what’s coming next. Read more.

The federal government has tried to put to rest any concerns that radiation from cell phones and cell towers affects human health. But, as recent Freedom of Information Act requests demonstrate, the controversy isn’t going away. Read more

The Heritage Foundation’s controversial Project 2025 includes a database of potential hires for a second Trump administration. Much of the data has been accumulated by bombarding the government with FOIA requests. Read more.

Tips and tricks: FOIA the FOIA

Every FOIA request has a unique ID that can be quite revealing. In some cases, the text of a FOIA request may only include that number, meaning the requester is seeking a copy of someone else’s request. In that case, you can do a keyword search for that number to find the original request. And you can submit a request to the agency for a copy of all materials created for the original request. PoliScio Analytics can assist, and even submit the request on your behalf.

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