New numbers are in.  Agencies’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records show that agencies have indeed made disclosure through FOIA a priority this past year.  According to the latest annual reports collected by the Justice Department, the use of FOIA exemptions by the fourteen cabinet departments decreased over the last year.  Agencies are sharing more and withholding less.

Agencies also report that they relied on exemptions 2 and 5—those most within their discretion—far less frequently over the past year, down 20 percent and 26 percent respectively.  And of all FOIA requests processed for the possible applicability of exemptions across all agencies to which FOIA applies, the government made partial or full disclosures about 93 percent of the time; in only some 7 percent of those cases did agencies withhold all requested documents.  What’s more, in about 56 percent of the cases, the agency made a full disclosure, up a full 6 percent over last year.  Agencies reduced their FOIA backlogs as well—the cabinet agencies by 10.9 percent and all agencies across the government by 10.2 percent.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has released an overview of the United States' reponse in support of our friends in Japan.

• For information on how you can help directly, USAID has pulled together options for donating to support the response effort.
• Any U.S Citizens in need of emergency assistance should send an e-mail to JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov with detailed information about their location and contact information, and monitor the U.S. Department of State website at travel.state.gov.

Many of you may remember us marking the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act this past July in a wonderful and moving event at the White House. On that day, we reflected on how far this historic law brought us in living up to our civil rights promises for all Americans – and how far we still have to go to make sure that every person in this country – regardless of their race, background, income and whether or not they have a disability – has equal access to all of the opportunities our great nation has to offer.

As the President put it better than anyone: “To move America forward.  That’s what we did with the ADA.  That is what we do today.  And that’s what we’re going to do tomorrow -- together.” And today marked another historic day in this effort as FEMA and the National Disability Rights Network came together, along with other leaders and advocates from across the disability community, to sign a memorandum of agreement – an agreement that solidifies a partnership in working together to make sure we are planning for and meeting the needs of people with disabilities before, during, and after disasters strike.

It sounds like common sense, but the unfortunate truth is that for years the needs of people with disabilities were more of an afterthought during disasters. Not enough was done to make sure that shelters planned for the access and functional needs of individuals who might require wheelchairs to be replaced or beds at a certain height if it was necessary to evacuate during a disaster. Residents who were blind or deaf, and those with intellectual disabilities didn’t have access to critical information about evacuation routes or other warnings. And in some cases, accessible transportation for people with disabilities just wasn’t factored into planning at all. This was largely due to a simple lack of coordination and upfront planning for the whole of community.

Editor's note: This was originally posted on the Department of Energy blog.

Yesterday, the Department of Energy announced that we’ve now finalized a loan for nearly $50 million to the Vehicle Production Group – or VPG. The project will support the development and manufacturing of a new wheelchair accessible, fuel-efficient car, the MV-1, that will run on compressed natural gas instead of gasoline, produce low emissions, and create 900 jobs across the country.

This new American car company focuses on helping those with mobility issues by developing vehicles that allow them to travel comfortably and safely. The MV-1 vehicle was designed from the ground-up for wheelchair accessibility. It will provide new opportunities and more independence for Americans who use wheelchairs, while also reducing carbon pollution and supporting America’s automotive industry. This project supports the Administration’s commitment to supporting innovation and American ingenuity while improving the quality of life for Americans who use wheelchairs.

Competing in the global economy will take cutting our deficits while investing in the areas critical to long-term economic growth and competitiveness. By out-educating, out-innovating, and out-building our competitors, we will enable our private sector to grow, create jobs, and thrive in the years ahead.

At the same time, we cannot win the future with a government built for the past. We live and do business in the information age, but the organization and operation of the Federal Government has not kept pace.  For too long,  taxpayer dollars have been wasted on ineffective and inefficient programs, and the Federal Government has not done all it can do to support the Nation’s companies, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

Already, the Administration has taken on this waste. The President’s budget consolidates and eliminates duplicative programs and proposes more than 200 terminations, reductions, and savings totaling approximately $30 billion in savings in 2012 alone. We cut contracting spending for the first time in 13 years; we’re saving billions of dollars by improving how the government buys and utilizes information technology; and we’ve proposed a plan to accelerate selling off excess federal real estate that would return $15 billion over the first three years.

Today, the President is taking two important steps to take these efforts to the next level.

First, in his State of the Union address, the President announced an initiative that we need to reorganize the Federal Government in order to give Americans a 21st century government that’s efficient and effective and will support American competitiveness. He asked me and Lisa Brown to lead that effort.

Today, the President issued a memorandum  directing us to conduct a review of the federal agencies and programs involved in Trade, Exports and Competitiveness, including analyzing their scope and effectiveness, areas of overlap and duplication, unmet needs, and possible cost savings.  The President has asked for recommendations for potential action to restructure and streamline government programs focused on trade and competitiveness within 90 days.

This morning the President wasted no time in offering his condolences and America's assistance to the people of Japan, issuing the following statement:

Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis. The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial. The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy. We will continue to closely monitor tsunamis around Japan and the Pacific going forward and we are asking all our citizens in the affected region to listen to their state and local officials as I have instructed FEMA to be ready to assist Hawaii and the rest of the US states and territories that could be affected.

President Barack Obama receives a briefing on the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami warnings across the Pacific in the Oval Office, March 11, 2011. Briefing the President, from left, are: Assistant to the President for Homeland Security John Brennan; National Security Staff Senior Director for Resilience Richard Reed; and National Security Staff Director Asian Affairs Daniel Russel. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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In addition, the White House just released the following outline of the President's briefings:

President Obama Receives Briefing on the Earthquake in Japan and the Tsunami Preparedness and Response Actions in the United States

WASHINGTON—President Obama received a briefing this morning at 9:30 a.m. in the Oval Office on the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami warnings across the Pacific from a number of senior US government officials including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate via phone, and in the Oval Office with Chief of Staff Bill Daley, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security John Brennan, National Security Advisory Tom Donilon, Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough, Senior Advisor David Plouffe, Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco, National Security Staff Senior Director for Resilience Richard Reed and National Security Staff Director Asian Affairs Daniel Russel.

The senior officials provided the President with an update on the evolving situation stemming from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan early this morning including the actions being taken to assist U.S. states and territories that could be affected by the tsunami, as the President directed earlier this morning – as well as the work being done to be prepared to assist the people of Japan.

The US government continues to monitor the situation closely throughout the Pacific region. To support potentially impacted areas in the United States, the federal government remains in close contact and coordination with state and local officials, and stands ready to support them. The government’s message to the public is simple: listen to the instructions of state and local officials. We urge everyone in the regions who could be impacted to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio and their local news to monitor for updates and directions provided by their local officials.

UPDATE: The President again spoke again on the situation during the opening of his press conference:

Good morning, everybody. Before I begin, I want to say a few words about the terrible earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan earlier today.
 
First and foremost, our thoughts and our prayers are with the people of Japan. This is a potentially catastrophic disaster and the images of destruction and flooding coming out of Japan are simply heartbreaking. Japan is, of course, one of our strongest and closest allies, and this morning I spoke with Prime Minister Kan. On behalf of the American people, I conveyed our deepest condolences, especially to the victims and their families, and I offered our Japanese friends whatever assistance is needed.
 
We currently have an aircraft carrier in Japan, and another is on its way. We also have a ship en route to the Marianas Islands to assist as needed. The Defense Department is working to account for all our military personnel in Japan. U.S. Embassy personnel in Tokyo have moved to an offsite location. And the State Department is working to account for and assist any and all American citizens who are in the country.
 
Tsunami warnings have been issued across the Pacific, and we’ve already seen initial waves from the tsunami come ashore on Guam and other U.S. territories, in Alaska and Hawaii, as well as on -- along the West Coast. Here in the United States, there hasn’t been any major damage so far. But we're taking this very seriously, and we are monitoring the situation very closely. FEMA is fully activated and is coordinating with state and local officials to support these regions as necessary. And let me just stress that if people are told to evacuate, do as you are told.
 
Today’s events remind us of just how fragile life can be. Our hearts go out to our friends in Japan and across the region and we’re going to stand with them as they recover and rebuild from this tragedy.

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, President Obama focused on education, visiting some innovative classrooms in Miami and Boston, and dropping in on a US History class in Arlington, Virginia with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Just last week, President Obama told the nation’s governors: “If your State can create a plan that covers as many people as affordably and comprehensively as the Affordable Care Act does – without increasing the deficit – you can implement that plan, and we’ll work with you to do it.  I’ve said before, I don’t believe that either party holds a monopoly on good ideas.  And I will go to bat for whatever works, no matter who or where it comes from.”

If States can reform their health care systems earlier and better to meet the needs of their citizens, then they should have the flexibility to do so. Consistent with the proposed bipartisan “Empowering States to Innovate Act,” sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden, Scott Brown, Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson, Joe Manchin, and Patrick Leahy, this Administration recognizes that each individual state is a powerful driving force behind their own health care.

Continuing a tradition that goes all the way back to 1962 when President Kennedy welcomed young people to the White House, President Obama greeted student delegates from the US Senate Youth Program in the East Room on Wednesday.

The President talked about the importance of leadership, and his belief in how young people can and do change the world for the better. He took a couple of questions from students who asked about the President’s experiences thus far, his vision for the country over the next several decades, and what he enjoys most about his job.

Check out footage of the event: