NEWS ROUNDUP:

• John Bolton, who served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under President George W. Bush, is looking to lead two new political action committees aimed at “restoring national security issues to their proper place on the political agenda.” One of the groups will be a super PAC. (Public Integrity)
• Warning: there are only five days left to apply for round two of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program. (Tech President)
• Freshman Democrats are following an aggressive  fundraising campaign, reportedly aiming to get the entire class to raise 100% of their dues, normally between $125,000 and $300,000 to the campaign committees.  (Washington Times, The Hill)
• New York State’s new open data portal, open.ny.gov, launched on Monday. In addition to data from every state agency, the portal will tie in municipalities statewide. (Tech President)
• A new European open data portal combines geo-information from 45 countries and territories. EuroGlobalMap includes information on administrative boundaries, transit networks, water, elevation, and more.  (Future Gov)
• Since 2001 the FEC has specifically allowed candidates to pay family members with their campaign funds. If you guessed that the rule came from a request by disgraced former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., give yourself a pat on the back. (Roll Call)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

• None. 

HAPPENING TODAY 3/13:

• Sunshine Week! Events are taking place across the country all week long. 
• Addressing transparency in the Federal bureaucracy: Moving toward a more open government. House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs. Wed. 3/13. 10:00 am. 2154 Rayburn.
• OLC Memoranda: Does U.S. secret law threaten our democracy? CREW. Wed. 3/13. 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. George Washington Law, Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, 2000 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20052.
• DC Open Government Summit Panel. DC Open Government Coalition. Wed. 3/13. 6:00 – 8:00 pm. 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, National Press Club, Holeman Lounge, Washington, DC 20045.

HAPPENING TOMORROW 3/14:

• Secrecy and Security: The Future of Classification Reform. Brennan Center. Thurs. 3/14. 12:00 – 1:30 pm. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Root Room, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036.
• Governance and Democratic Reform in Georgia. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Thurs. 3/14. 2:00 – 3:45 pm. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036.  
• How to make the most of FOIA. National Press Club. Thurs. 3/14. 6:30 pm. 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Zenger Room, Washington, DC 20045.

Do you want to track transparency news? You can add our feed to your Google Reader, or view it on our Netvibes page. You can  follow the progress of relevant bills on our Scout page.  You can also get 2Day in #OpenGov sent directly to your reader!