NEWS:

• U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declined to say whether there would be a review of the Department of Justice procedures on searching journalists’ records. DOJ has been under scrutiny after the AP revealed the Department had seized more than two months of phone records. (NPR)
• The White House is pushing for a media shield bill that would protect reporters from certain penalties for not revealing confidential sources, among other things. (New York Times)
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said the Senate is working to confirm a commissioner for the IRS, which has lacked a confirmed head since November. (Roll Call)
• The acting commissioner of the IRS resigned on Wednesday at the request of President Obama, several days after an audit revealed the IRS targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny. (Washington Post)
• IRS employees gave nearly twice as much to President Obama in his run for office than they did to Republican challenger Mitt Romney, according to FEC filings. (Public Integrity)
• President Obama and Vice President Biden released their financial disclosure forms this week. Disclosure reports for other White House staff are expected to be online within a month. (Washington Post)
• More than 20 tech companies are preparing to give presentations at DATA Demonstration Day on Capitol Hill to highlight how the proposed Digital Accountability and Transparency Act could help save the government money and detect fraud. (FedScoop)
• A Mobile Code Catalog from the General Services Administration is aiming to make it easier for federal agencies to share data on any kind of device. (FedScoop)
• Institutionalizing open data policies is likely to be a primary focus in the second year of implementation of the Obama administration’s Digital Government Strategy. (FCW)
• The General Services Administration is looking to roll out a tool aimed at helping government workers understand federal IT contracts. (FCW)

BILLS:

• None.

TODAY:

• Government Contracting in an Era of Sequestration. National Press Club. 10 a.m. Bloomberg Room, 529 14th St, NW, Washington, DC, 20045.
• NEC/SGE w/Sarah Bloom Raskin, Federal Reserve Board of Governors. National Economists Club. 12 – 1:30 p.m. Chinatown Garden, 618 H St. NW, Washington, DC.
• Philanthropic Freedom: If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Improve It. Hudson Institute. 12 – 1:30 p.m. 1015 15th St NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC, 20005.
• U.S. Government Funding for Media Assistance: Trends and Strategies. Center for International Media Assistance. 2 – 3:30 p.m. National Endowment for Democracy. 1025 F St. NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20004.

TOMORROW:

• None.

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