From this morning's Earlybird:

• "A new technological marvel appears, and its proprietors -- at least initially -- pay little heed to Congress and the potential havoc that federal lawmakers can wreak," Roll Call (subscription) reports. "Witness Microsoft and Google, which were flourishing entities before finally wising up and staffing substantial D.C. outposts. Twitter seems to be following suit."

• "Financial services lawmakers and lobbyists will ramp up their efforts this week to shape legislation creating a consumer financial protection agency," The Hill reports.

• "Months after instituting tough new rules designed to limit the influence of lobbyists on the administration, the White House has a growing and thriving relationship with K Street, though not one that appears to violate promises that President Barack Obama made to curtail influence peddling," Roll Call (subscription) reports.

•"The nation's largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures and other records," the Washington Post reports.

•"Across the country, activist groups on each side of the health care debate stepped up their campaigning last week while members of Congress were home for the Fourth of July recess," the New York Times reports. "In Maine, home to Sens. [Olympia] Snowe and Susan Collins, moderate Republicans who could provide crucial support for the Democratic health care plan expected to emerge in the coming weeks, efforts to sway their votes -- and to sweep average citizens into the debate -- were intense."