WHITE HOUSE: Scientific research executive order on hold -- Friday, February 21, 2020 -- www.eenews.net

"The White House issued a notice Wednesday seeking comment on its effort to enhance public access to federally funded research. It's an old idea creating new controversy.

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier is pushing back against publishers that in December said the administration was quietly pursuing an executive order to require immediate free distribution of taxpayer funded research (Greenwire, Dec. 17, 2019).

Publishers feared the plan could upend their fee-based business model. But this week, Droegemeier formally assured them that his office is still seeking public input on the topic...."