The Daily MuckThe FBI formally apologized to two newspapers for wrongfully obtaining reporters’ phone records. The bureau said it reviewed records from the New York Times and Washington Post Indonesia bureaus while conducting a 2004 terrorism investigation. (NYT)
Former Anthrax suspect Steven Hatfill was formally cleared of all suspicion in the 2001 letter attacks, the Department of Justice announced. Hatfill recently settled a lawsuit with the DOJ for about $5 million. (MSNBC)
A disgraced Minnesota transportation official was dismissed from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where she was hired shortly after facing criticism for her role in a bridge collapse last year. The DHS said it has imposed stricter rules on background checks for employees, including Google searches. (startribune.com)
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, who may run for governor in 2010, denied any political motivation behind his prosecution of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Cox charged Kilpatrick with two new felony charges last week accusing the mayor of shoving a sheriff’s deputy. (NYT)
Questions remain about the fairness and openness of the U.S. military’s war crimes tribunal process. The Pentagon plans to try as many as 80 cases under the system tested out in the case of Osama Bin Laden’s driver last week. (NYT)
The Department of Transportation has denied a congressional request for documents related to its rulemaking process for automobile fuel economy standards. The agency cited “confidentially interests of the Executive Branch.” (DOT Letter .pdf)