Tuesday federal headlines – September 23, 2014

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal News Radio each day. It is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com reade...

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive and In Depth radio shows each day. Our headlines are updated twice per day — once in the morning and once in the afternoon — with the latest news affecting federal employees and contractors.

  • TechAmerica dismissed the head of its public sector practice, Mike Hettinger. It’s bringing on Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners, and Bill Greenwalt of the American Enterprise Institute as consultants. TechAmerica originally brought on Hettinger to help with the association’s rebound after its four main executives left nine months ago. (Federal News Radio)
  • U.S. forces aided by five Arab countries launched airstrikes last night against Islamic State targets in Syria. It was the first salvo in an expanded military campaign promised by the Obama administration. The Islamic State has found a safe haven in civil-war-torn Syria. The strikes used a mix of fighters and bombers plus Tomahawk cruise missiles. Joining the United States were Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Some of the airstrikes hit Raqqa, in northeastern Syria. The Islamic State has turned the city into its capital. (Associated Press)
  • The Senate left Washington without confirming many of President Barack Obama’s executive branch nominees. They include Carolyn Colvin, the President’s choice to lead the Social Security Administration. A few nominees have generated controversy. Others simply couldn’t compete for lawmakers’ attention so close to the November elections. The lack of action leaves agencies with acting officials and more uncertainty. Public management expert Don Kettl predicts many nominees will drop their bids if they aren’t confirmed by the end of the year. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Postal Service is adding 9,000 union jobs to its ranks. The news comes after an independent arbitration ruling earlier this month. USPS will add or convert jobs previously held by part-time, non-union employees to bargaining unit positions. At least a third of the jobs will be filled by full-time, career employees. Post offices across the country will fill the positions, especially those that cut their hours as part of USPS’ POST Plan. The plan forced post offices with less traffic to cut their hours to two, four or six hours per day. (American Postal Workers Union)
  • White hat hackers at the Health and Human Services Department found critical weaknesses in HealthCare.gov. But when they tried to exploit the holes, the system’s defenses blocked them. That’s the main finding from an HHS inspector general audit. It’ll be published today, but heavily redacted. The mixed security review is similar to conclusions published last week by the Government Accountability Office. It found HHS had made a lot of progress in cybersecurity over the past year, but still has work to do. (Associated Press)
  • The Secret Service quickly implements changes to its security measures. The Wall Street Journal reports, the changes include increased foot patrols, additional surveillance resources and more training for officers standing on the front lines. Some guards could be seen openly holding weapons while others were escorting dogs. The move comes after Army veteran Omar Gonzalez scaled the White House fence and made it through the front doors on Friday. Now, he faces charges of entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon. (Wall Street Journal)
  • The Securities and Exchange Commission paid a whistleblower its biggest award yet. The unnamed whistleblower received $30 million for providing information that led to enforcement action in a fraud case. It was the agency’s 14th award since 2011 and the fourth award to a whistleblower living in a foreign country. Previously, the largest award was $14 million in October 2013. (Associated Press)
  • Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he’s considering a system of regional directors. Their job would be to improve coordination when multiple agencies must respond to a situation. Johnson said the department needs a clearer chain of command, similar to the Defense Department. Speaking to the Homeland Security and Defense Business Council, Johnson said better coordination would use people and equipment more efficiently. Johnson has been pushing for a more streamlined department under what he’s been calling a unity of effort initiative. (Federal News Radio)

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