All articles tagged with #public accountability
Following a deadly fire that killed at least 159 people in Hong Kong, authorities have suppressed calls for accountability, warning residents against protests and attempting to control public grief, reflecting China's influence and a move to stifle civic engagement in the city.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing scrutiny over the whereabouts and handling of a $19,000 lectern that her office purchased. Questions about the cost and purchase process have led to an audit and allegations of illegal alteration of public records. Sanders has dismissed the issue as a "manufactured controversy" and blamed the media, but the purchase has drawn attention and could impact her national standing among next-generation Republican leaders. The audit is ongoing, and the optics of an expensive lectern for a governor preaching fiscal responsibility are challenging. The purchase has also raised broader questions about record handling and transparency in Sanders' administration.
The public inquiry into Covid is in a row with the government over how much information should be disclosed, with victims' groups accusing the government of a cover-up. The inquiry wants to see unredacted WhatsApp messages between Boris Johnson and 40 people, including senior government figures, but the government claims some of the material is "unambiguously irrelevant". Meanwhile, Johnson is looking for new lawyers for the inquiry after his previous lawyers found evidence of further breaches of pandemic restrictions. The battle for reputations, accountability, and truth over Covid is just beginning.