From this morning's Earlybird:

• "The Army has issued a recall of more than 34,000 advanced-combat helmets that failed ballistics tests, a move certain to attract scrutiny on Capitol Hill," The Hill reports. "But an added element of intrigue that may also catch lawmakers' attention is the firm that lobbied on behalf of the helmet's manufacturer: the PMA Group."

• "Silicon Valley executives who opposed President Obama's tax plans pleaded their case at a 2 1/2-hour dinner with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein at the Source, Washington's hottest new restaurant. They discussed strategy with Sen. Barbara Boxer, who arranged a special meeting with Obama's top economic adviser, Larry Summers, that lasted nearly an hour," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "And the executives made clear to all that Obama's hunt for revenue to finance his ambitious agenda, from green energy to health care, should leave them alone."

• "You can check off David Rehr from the unofficial K Street watch list of endangered GOP association heads," Roll Call (subscription) reports. "The Republican lobbyist, best known for his hard-charging approach, abruptly resigned his post Wednesday at the helm of the National Association of Broadcasters."