National News

• Many members of Congress decided it was best to cancel their fundraising events during the first week of the government shutdown. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is apparently not one of those members. He reportedly attended a fundraiser in Massachusetts on Friday before making it back to DC. (POLITICO)
• Lawyers and Lobbyists are questioning decision’s by several key regulatory agencies to take their websites completely offline during the government shutdown, closing access to regulations, filings, and other documents. The FCC, FTC, and others have gone completely offline. (The Hill)
• Tobacco companies have a new, lucrative, and growing way to keep people hooked on their wares and they are fighting hard to keep it free of government regulation. E-cigarettes are growing fast and may overtake real cigarettes in market share within the next decade. (Washington Post)
• Cory Booker has faced some roadblocks in, what many initially thought would be an easy, trip to the Senate. Some bad press and a lackluster campaign have allowed Booker’s Republican rival to close a once insurmountable gap, but Booker has been able to rely on friends in shiny places, specifically Tinsletown, to keep his well funded campaign rolling. (Roll Call)

International News

• Politician’s have repeatedly hit on campaign themes around ending corruption, but often candidate’s fail to follow through once they are elected to office. This post highlights a few prime examples as well as ways that citizen’s can hold their politician’s accountable. (Transparency International)
• The European Commission and Parliament are digging into potential changes to lobbying regulation in the European Union. A two year old transparency register has been criticized by activists for being voluntary and failing to capture information about lobbyists that operate in the dark. (EurActiv)

State and Local News

• The new Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti is taking some baby steps towards pulling the City of Angels into the 21st century. Notably, the city recently launched an open data pilot project. The project uses ESRI’s ArcGIS platform, but includes a survey that allows people to request other types of data be made open. (E Pluribis Unum)

Bills in Congress

• H.R. 3228. FISA Court Reform Act of 2013.

Events

• Big Data Keynote Speaker Series: A conversation with Michael Leiter, former director of NCTC. Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. Mon. 10/7. 6:30 pm. George Washington University, Dworetzsky Auditorium, Funger Hall 103, 2201 G Street NW Washington, DC.
• Smart Cities: Big data, civic hackers, and the quest for a New Utopia. New American Foundation. Tues. 10/8. 6:00 – 7:30 pm. 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036.
• Does Anticorruption Work? Latvia’s Experience. George Mason University School of Public Policy. Fri. 10/11. 12:00 – 1:30 pm. GMU, Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, Founders Hall, Room 113, 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201.

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