National News

• Dark money isn’t just for conservative groups, according to new documents filed with the IRS. The left-leaning nonprofit League of Conservation Voters spent $36 million in 2012, with $15 million going towards political activities. (Public Integrity)
• The press isn’t particularly happy with the White House over their level of access to to the President and the let it be known at a contentious briefing last week. The White House Correspondents Association is upset that the White House has broken with tradition by keeping press out of some events, while releasing official photos and videos. (POLITICO)
• President Obama is heading to the West Coast to drum up some money for the DNC, but he might be in for a tough trip as donors vent their frustrations with the bungled Affordable Care Act roll-out. Despite the potential for anger, Obama is still expected to rake in plenty of money for the party. (Washington Post)

International News

• The Ukrainian Government has suspended preparations for signing an EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, a move that upset many of its citizens. Protests have sprung up around the country and are being tracked in an interactive map. (Global Voices)
• Developing countries lose between $20 and $40 billion every year to graft, according to a new report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The high levels of corruption are considered the greatest obstacle to economic and social development in these nations. (The FCPA Blog)

State and Local News

• Despite lots of talk about transparency and open government, the authors of this piece see it as mostly rhetoric so far, with minimal real world results in states around the US. Meanwhile, elected officials and high ranking bureaucrats are walling themselves off from the press.   (Governing)
• Tech companies are supporting open data legislation under consideration in San Francisco that would push forward a number of initiatives. (San Francisco Examiner)

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