In honor of Halloween, our blog this week discusses declassified records from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that document the agency’s research into the paranormal, including parapsychology related to remote viewing (using extrasensory perception – ESP – to learn about an unseen target) and psychokinesis (the ability to influence a physical item without physical interaction) . The spy agency, along with the Defense Department, was driven by claims made by the Soviet Union that it had exploited the power of psychokinesis, prompting research into the paranormal, effectively starting a “psychic arms race.”

The long-established practice of county recorder offices recording the filing and release of federal tax liens on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may be in danger in California, as 22 counties in the state have told the IRS they will stop recording federal liens due to a fee dispute with the agency.  The dispute has culminated with some counties refusing to file additional IRS lien-related public records until the fees are paid by the IRS.  In our new blog, we discuss the ramifications of this fee dispute for researchers and offer advice on how to proceed until it is resolved.

The days of researchers spending hours and hours hovered over a photocopier, while not completely gone, are nonetheless on the decline.  In some cases, researchers can obtain the records they’re searching for without ever leaving their desk as many localities now provide records digitally.  When researchers are forced to go in-field to obtain records, smart phones offer several options – such as cameras and scanning applications – that enable researchers to capture records without needing to obtain photocopies.  In this blog, we provide links to several of the most popular scanning applications available for Apple or Android phones, as well as a useful tool that enables users to extract text from PDF files and images.  

In Greece, the case of Eleni Antoniadou - who at age 31 has been celebrated for her contributions to science, even serving as the inspiration for the first Greek Barbie doll - illustrates the importance of verifying credentials when assessing the trustworthiness of experts, spokespeople or potential partners. When the Greek Education Minister presented Antoniadou with an award for her achievements, it prompted a closer look at her credentials to determine how it was possible for someone relatively young to have accomplished so much. Our new blog discusses how Greek Hoaxes, an organization dedicated to uncovering fake news, conducted a close examination Antoniadou’s claims and concluded that she exaggerated numerous aspects of her biography.

The media that we consume on a daily basis has undergone a rapid transformation in the past two decades, as podcasting has flourished as a means of entertainment and videos of speeches, TED talks and symposiums are more widely available than ever before on YouTube. One of the easiest ways for researchers to analyze audio or video is to utilize a transcription service, which turns the spoken audio into text. In our blog this week, we discuss the free transcription service Otter, which has become an increasingly popular tool for journalists and researchers.

Ric Ocasek, the longtime frontman for The Cars who passed away this week, has been credited with pushing the boundaries of musical creativity, helping to shape the cutting edge New Wave sound his band would become known for and in the process crafting an enigmatic rockstar aesthetic that would remain throughout his life.  As the New Yorker noted, Ocasek “both channelled powerful emotion and seemed to float above it, as mysteriously as the ever-present sunglasses that obscured the look in his eyes.”  It turned out that Ocasek mystery extended to more than just his looks – there were two different ages published in obituaries remembering the singer: some sources indicated he was 75 years old, while others reported he was only 70.  In this blog, we discuss how Ocasek’s age discrepancy came about and the sources that the New York Times used to determine his true age.

Even under the best of circumstances, obtaining records from federal agencies through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests can be challenging, however the federal government has become even less responsive to FOIA requests under the Trump administration. In this environment of FOIA becoming increasingly difficult, it is helpful to remember the basics of FOIA requests and use these guidelines to map out a strategy.  In this blog, we discuss some of the foundational aspects of obtaining records via FOIA, which when utilized properly can increase the chances of getting a response to your request.

Google has become the de facto portal to the internet, however many people visit the site on a daily basis without utilizing its full functionality.   In this blog, we discuss several Google tricks that can help researchers locate specific records or archived material. Most of these options are available through the Google Advanced search function, which allows users to easily tailor searches to specific parameters.

As we get into the 2020 election, Ballot Designation Worksheets are important resources for researchers to keep in mind.  In this blog, we discuss how these worksheets are handled in California, including the information available on these worksheets and where to find them, as well as the process and timeline for filing.

The Archive of Political E-mails is emerging as an invaluable tool for opposition researchers by bringing transparency to political fundraising emails through their searchable archive of over 17,000 political fundraising e-mails (as of August 2019). The database allows users to search e-mail solicitations sent to supporters by political candidates, PACs and other political advocacy organizations.by several different indexes, including political party, country, locality or public office.  In addition, the site hosts a Stats & Leaderboards page which shows the top senders, e-mail providers (i.e., MailChimp), and other metrics, such as the number of times a particular swear word was used.