NEWS ROUNDUP:

• Special interests ranging from defense contractors to university professors and everything else in betweent lobbied against the sequester, which looks more and more likely to go into effect at the end of this week. (Roll Call)
• Georgian officials charged Tblisi mayor Gigi Ugulava with money laundering and misusing state funds. It is the latest in a string of charges levied against allies of President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Wall Street Journal)
• Nearly five months after passing legislation mandating it, San Francisco has not hired a chief data officer and isn’t showing signs that they are in any hurry to do so. (GovFresh)
• The Supreme Court decided to limit the number of campaign finance cases they will consider this year. Yesterday they declined to take up a chalenge to the ban on direct corporate contributions to candidates and parties. They are expected to rule on a challenge to individual donation limits in the coming term. (Roll Call)
• White House press secretary Jay Carney denied that access to President Obama was for sale following reports that he would hold quarterly meetings with major donors to Organizing for Action, the new nonprofit rising from the ashes of his reelection campaign.  (Politico)
• Al Jazeera continues to add lobbyists to its bench as it ramps up its US operations. The network added the Law Offices of George R. Salem, PLLC to a roster that already includes DLA Piper, Global Policy Initiatives, and TCK International.(Public Integrity)
• New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed campaign finance legislation that passed the New York City Council 47-1 recently. The legislation would have weakened disclosure rules related to internal labor and corporate political messaging. His veto can be overruled by a two-thirds majority. (Lobby Comply)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

•  None. 

HAPPENING TODAY 2/26: 

• Budget Hearing – Government Accountability Office. House Appropriations, Legislative Branch Subcommittee. 10:00 am. HT-2, the Capitol.
• Budget Hearing – Government Printing Office. House Appropriations, Legislative Branch Subcommittee. 11:00 am. HT-2, the Capitol.

HAPPENING TOMORROW 2/27

• Budget Hearing – Library of Congress. House Appropriation, Legislative Branch Subcommittee. 9:30 am. HT-2, the Capitol.
• Budget Hearing – Congressional Budget Office. House Appropriations, Legislative Branch Subcommittee.  10:15 am. HT-2, the Capitol.
• Fostering innovation to fight waste, fraud, and abuse in health care. House Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health. 12:00 pm. 2123 Rayburn.
• Swimming in the ocean of big data: National security in the age of unlimited information. Georgetown Law. 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. 120 F Street NW, Gewirz Student Center, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20001.
• Internet Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. Internet Infrastructure Coalition. 12:30 – 2:00 pm. Capitol Hill, East Capitol and First Street, Washington, DC 20510.

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