NEWS ROUNDUP:

• President Obama had a mixed record on transparency and accountability issues during his first four years, according to a number of experts and watchdogs. The President set a high bar in the dawning days of his administration that he did not always reach. (ProPublica)
• Haiti recently held the first hackathon ever created by and for Haitians. The event drew students,  an international team of technologists, and a members of a women’s group that works with survivors of gender-based violence. (Tech President)
• A government study on the Political Intelligence industry that was authorized by the STOCK Act is due out by April 4th. Some fear that the report might lead to legislation regulating the industry. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has already expressed interest in introducing a bill. (The Hill)
• The Project on Government Oversight outlines the revolving door between the SEC and industry in a new report that looks at disclosure statements filed between 2001 and 2010. During that time more than 400 former SEC employees filed nearly 2,000 statements indicating their intent to contact the SEC. (Government Executive, POGO)
• A recent report by the National Academy of Public Administration urges the GPO to “reboot” for the digital age. According to the report, the GPO needs to focus on matters critical to digital publishing including formats, metadata, authentication, cataloging, public access, and more. (Fierce Government)
• A new draft of data protection legislation being considered in Europe includes language taken directly from American and European corporations. The language was discovered by a LobbyPlag, a watchdog project that looks for connections between legislative language and proposals pushed by interest groups. (ArsTechnica)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

• H.R. 455. The High School Data Transparency Act of 2013.

HAPPENING TODAY 2/12: 

• Bribes without borders: The challenge of corruption in the international context. AU WCL.  9:00 am – 5:00 pm. 4801 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Room 603, Washington, DC 20016.
• Global freedom and human rights distinguished speaker series: Vint Cerf. George Washington Law.  3:00 – 4:30 pm. 2000 H Street NW, Faculty Conference Center, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20052.
• U.S. direct assistance in Afghanistan: Ensuring transparency and accountability. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 10:00 am. 2154 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.

HAPPENING TOMORROW 2/13: 

• Organizational Meeting. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. 10:00 am. 305 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510.
• Social media and the Arab Spring: Revolution, censorship, and freedom. Heritage Foundation. 12:00-1:00 pm. 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, DC 20002.

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