Mike O'Connell Reports 
Top News
- IRS to pay $70M in bonuses, Grassley says
- Senators push Tangherlini for assurances GSA is improving
- As VA works to eliminate one backlog, one more might emerge
- BRAC-like commission proposed to hunt down government cost savings
- Senators seek cost cuts for F-35 fighter jet
- Fed pens new furlough song
- Web guru Dorris brings new life to government websites
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- NSA leak case gives vendors reason to reevaluate personnel
- 8 contract executives guilty of 8(a) contracting fraud
- Whistleblower suit leads to $12M false claims settlement by SAIC
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
Mike O'Connell is a web editor and general assignment reporter for Federal News Radio.
Web guru Dorris brings new life to government websites
Martha Dorris played a key role in a slew of Web platforms that are helping citizens to better connect with government services. For that work, she has been named a finalist for the 2013 Service to America Medals.
NOAA meteorologist helps save lives one storm at a time
For his three decades of work in developing severe weather forecasting models, the Partnership for Public Service has named Mark DeMaria a finalist for a Service to America Medal.
29-year-old NASA engineer going where no one has gone before
The Partnership for Public Service recognized Manan Vyas, 29, for his work in aeronautical research by naming him a Call to Service Medal finalist.
GSA IG report blasts FAS managers for altering contracts
A new GSA inspector general report criticizes Federal Acquisition Service managers for altering contracts at the request of contractors and against the wishes of FAS staff and the IG himself.
GAO's Orice Williams Brown -- 'When she speaks, people listen'
The Partnership for Public Service named Orice Williams Brown, the managing director of GAO's Financial Markets and Community Investment, a finalist for a 2013 Service to America Medal.
Tons of cocaine entering U.S. due to sequestration cuts, rear admiral says
Coast Guard Rear Adm. Charles Michel, director of the Joint Interagency Task Force South told the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp that cuts from sequestration are limiting the resources available to stop large amounts of cocaine from entering the country.
What can Katherine Archuleta do for feds?
President Barack Obama recently nominated the manager of his re-election campaign to head up the Office of Personnel Management. But who is Katherine Archuleta and what can feds expect from the woman chosen to manage the federal workforce? Archuleta's former boss at the Transportation Department tells Federal News Radio what he thinks she'll bring to the table.
DoD furlough decision driven by readiness concerns
Roughly 680,000 DoD civilians will be forced to take one day off per week without pay between July 8 and the end of the fiscal year as a result of the automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration. Jessica Wright, acting undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, told In Depth with Francis Rose the decision wasn't an easy one.
HUD reorg plan violates furlough agreement, union says
The American Federal of Government Employees says the Housing and Urban Development Department's plan to reorganize to save costs runs counter to an agreement it has with the union over employee furloughs.
Obama to nominate Tangherlini as GSA administrator
President Barack Obama will nominate Dan Tangherlini, the acting administrator of the General Services Administration, to officially fill that position. Tangherlini stepped into that post amid the April 2012 conference spending scandal at the agency.
DoD to pursue commercial alternative to VA's VistA
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has decided to turn to the commercial marketplace for an integrated electronic health records solution rather than adopting VA' Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture. He cited market research that showed turning to the competitive process would generate reduced cost and technical risk for DoD.
ODNI's Liberty Crossing complex closed today
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence's Liberty Crossing complex in McLean, Va., is closed today due to a water main break. Emergency and essential employees are expected to report to work.
2013 Service to America Medal finalists announced
The Partnership for Public Service named 31 individuals and teams as finalists for the 2013 Service to America Medals. The annual awards recognize outstanding work in public service.
All TSP funds continue positive trend in April
All Thrift Savings Plan funds continued to perform well in April. While only two funds reported higher return rates for the month compared to March, all funds posted positive returns.
Howard leaving HHS for new job at FDA
Sally Howard is stepping down as the chief of staff at Health and Human Services to become the deputy commissioner for policy at the Food and Drug Administration.
Federal response to Boston bombings 'swift and substantial,' expert says
Bob Blitzer, former chief of the FBI's domestic Terrorism and Counterterrorism Planning Section, told the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp a substantial joint terrorism task force will draw on federal resources to investigate Monday's bombings in Boston.
NOAA plans for 4 furlough days, begins talking to unions
Employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be furloughed four days starting in July, acting Administrator Kathryn Sullivan wrote in an email to staff Monday.
Photo Gallery: John Berry calls it a wrap at OPM
Federal News Radio assembled a gallery of photos from stories we've reported on and images provided by the Office of Personnel Management highlighting the John Berry's tenure as the agency's director.
Recovery Board opens next frontier in financial accountability
Pundits may question whether Congress should have approved $804 billion in stimulus money via the Recovery Act of 2009. But many in government have come to realize that the independent agency charged with overseeing how that money was spent -- the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board -- has a lot to teach financial managers about ensuring transparency and rooting out waste in government spending.
Timeline: The Evolution of Financial Management in the Federal Government
Building on the foundation of the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950, Congress has increased the oversight and transparency of government spending over the years.
