From this morning's Earlybird:

• "A recent leak that an ethics panel is investigating seven defense appropriators is expected to shut down Members' fundraising prospects from the industry, which is typically a reliable source of campaign cash for their re-election campaigns," Roll Call (subscription) reports.

• "Two former high-level managers at IBM and Microsoft are playing key roles in the Obama administration's patent reform efforts, leading critics to question whether their involvement constitutes a breach of the administration's ethics policy," Politico reports.

• "House lawmakers this week will attempt to alter legislation creating a new federal insurance office after lobbying interests clashed over its proposed powers," The Hill reports. "The insurance industry is divided over whether the new office under the Treasury Department should negotiate international insurance agreements on prudential matters."