Government

• APIs for efficiency: The FCC’s Geographic Information Officer, Michael Byrne, argued that APIs should play a key role in boosting government efficiency in the face of shrinking IT budgets. (Fed Scoop)
• Classify all of the documents: The United States government created more than 92 million classified documents in FY 2011, up from 76.5 million in 2010. Critics argue that over-classification is rampant, and that many of those documents should be accessible to the public. (Washington Times)

Campaign Finance

• One Billion Dollars! Republican super PACs and even more shadowy related nonprofit groups are planning to spend upwards of $1 billion on the presidential and congressional elections this fall. The uber wealthy Koch brothers are now expected to account for $400 million of that total. (Politico)
• Big donors hug the center line? Despite a flood of high profile figures contributing big bucks to conservative candidates, new research suggests that, over time, the wealthiest donors tend to support more moderate candidates. (LA Times)

Lobbying

• Lobbying with friends: Zynga, the social game-developer behind the wildly popular app Words With Friends, is dipping a toe into the Washington lobbying pool according to recent disclosures. Bay Bridge Strategies is lobbying for the company on privacy, internet, and online gambling issues. (The Hill)
• LightSquared down, but not out of lobbyists: LightSquared, the wireless startup that recently filed for bankruptcy and laid off almost half its workforce, is holding on to its large network of lobbyists. (The Hill)

International

• Budget transparency in the Philippines: The Philippine government launched a budget transparency website that includes budget documents and records of state expenditures. (Global Voices)
• Twitter expands government focus across the pond: Twitter hired a director of public policy for Europe. Sinead McSweeney, who previously worked for Irish police agencies and Irish two attorney generals, will be based out of Twitter’s office in Dublin. (Tech President)

• Cisco to Release Findings of Global Broadband Survey. National Press Club. 10:00 am. 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045.
• Building Integrity, Defining Fraud. IFES. Wed. 2:00-3:30 pm. International Foundation for Electoral Systems, 1850 K Street NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC.