National News

• Uber, the 21st century taxi competitor, has focused considerable effort on influencing elected officials and regulators in the various cities where it operates. But, now it’s turning its lobbying efforts to the federal government for the first time by signing up with the tech lobbying firm Franklin Square Group.  (The Hill)
• When political candidates find themselves with extra cash at the end of a race they have some options. Many candidates who failed to reach their goal refund donations, give money to charity, or shift the funds to other candidates. (Roll Call)
• The DSCC outraised the RSCC in September and appears to have significantly more cash on hand. But, once the Democratic committee’s debt is taken into account the two are running neck and neck. (Roll Call)

International News

• Representatives of the Romanian prime minister spent last month meeting with various agencies and other public bodies to identify datasets that are eligible to be published as part of their OGP plan. (EPSIplatform)
• Armenia is also working through its OGP commitment. Civil Society groups in the country have been monitoring implementation of the Armenian National Action Plan and have decided that, while most of the commitments were “formally” met, their implementation has been shaky. (Armenia Now)
• Open corporate data for all! The OpenCorporates corporate network platform allows for visualization of corporate networks around the world, aiming to eventually be the best place to go for this information. (Tech President)

State and Local News

• A FOI battle is brewing between the legislature and executive in Cleveland, Ohio where the mayor is suing a member of the city council for emails and documents. (NFOIC)
• Hawaii’s public records act appears to open up a wide range of government information, but the law’s fee provisions often result in charges that are too high for citizens and public interest media organizations to afford. (Huffington Post)

Events Today

• Obama and the Press. New America. Thurs. 10/17. 2:00 – 3:30 pm. New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036.

Events Tomorrow

• Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Update and Feedback Call. Project on Government Oversight. Fri. 10/18. 12:00 – 1:30 pm. POGO, Conference Room, 1100 G Street NW, Suite 500, Washington DC.

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