NEWS:

• Elizabeth Warren penned a letter yesterday about US negotiations with Pacific nations to forge a new trade agreement, urging them to release details to citizens about what the parties are considering for “more robust public transparency”. (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)
• Though environmental groups don’t have an easy time pushing reform in Congress, a strategy that’s working for them is the so-called “sue and settle” method: they sue the like-minded EPA, which then settles by issuing regulations. While the tactic has been around for decades, critics see this as a sign of burgeoning executive power. (Government Executive)
• The personal finance reports of top federal officials were released to the public today. The majority of the Supreme Court Justices are millionaires, some with large stock holdings. (Public Integrity) The reports for the House are also available as of today. (Roll Call)
• In the continuing investigation of one DC firm’s political contributions, former employee Lee Calhoun was charged yesterday for helping his boss, Jeffrey Thompson, hide the extent of his campaign contributions. Records show that 13 employees of the firm each wrote checks for $2,300 on the same day in 2011 – following allegations linking Thompson to a $630,000 mayoral shadow campaign and bribery of DC council members. (Washington Post)
• San Francisco recently appointed Marc Touitou its new CIO. Touitou enters with an ambitious agenda, including instituting an IT project management office and racing NYC to be the first to provide citywide wifi. (Government Technology)

• Why Can’t DHS Better Communicate with the American People? House Homeland Security. 9:00 a.m. 311 Cannon HOB.