Wednesday morning federal headlines - Aug. 22, 2012
Wednesday - 8/22/2012, 9:38am EDT
The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal
Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The
Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the
stories you hear on the air.
- A federal appeals court has struck down a critical protection for large numbers of
federal workers. It concerns people holding non-critical but sensitive positions.
The court said if they're demoted or fired, they're not entitled to have a review
by the Merit Systems Protection Board. One judge dissented on the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit. That judge said the ruling effectively nullifies
the 1978 civil service law which established the MSPB. (Federal News Radio)
- The Office of Management and Budget looked at all the 2013 spending bills
stuck in Congress. Acting Budget Director Jeff Zients said if they all pass, the
White House will have to do a little sequestering of its own. That's because
the bills add up to more spending than allowed by last year's Budget Control Act.
The law allows OMB to cut enacted budgets if they're too fat. That's an
alternative to the more famous, 10-year sequester which happens if there is no
Congressional deal. (Federal News Radio)
- Agriculture Department
managers who shut down a slaughterhouse are checking to see if its inspectors were
doing their duty. The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service received a graphic video
of sick cattle being slaughtered at Central Valley Meat Company in Hartford,
California. It ordered the company to cease operations. Regulations prohibit sick
or injured animals from being used for human food. The inspectors are not seen on
the video, prompting the USDA to look into their whereabouts. (Federal News
Radio)
- President Obama told Congress he is going to order a small pay increase for federal employees. But the raise
won't take place until next spring at the earliest. And it will be a modest raise,
averaging 0.5 percent. In a letter, the president says federal employees have
already sacrificed under a two-year pay freeze. But Congressional leadership has
promised a six-month continuing resolution instead of a new 2013 budget. So the
president would extend the freeze until after the CR, or April 2013. In response,
the American Federation of Government Employees has urged a freeze on health care
premiums. (Federal News Radio)
- The State Department has cancelled plans to buy Amazon Kindles and
distribute them to embassies worldwide. The agency said it plans to do more market
research and re-examine its requirements. It had announced the $16.5 million
contract in June. At the time, the department said only the Kindle would do. It
would not consider Apple's iPad because it had a shorter battery life and
additional features. The State Department said those presented too many security
risks. It wanted to use the e-readers in English-language classes and other
activities for six million young people overseas. (FedBizOpps)
- The head of the Peace Corps is stepping down. Aaron Williams is quitting after
three years at the top of the agency. In a letter to President Obama, Williams
cites personal and family considerations. The Peace Corps said he ushered in
stronger safety and security measures, including hiring a victim advocate to
support volunteers in the field. But Williams' tenure was marked by a sexual
assault scandal and claims that the agency fostered a culture of blaming the
victim. Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will serve as the acting director
after Williams leaves next month. (Peace Corps)
- Wildland firefighters are paving a path for other part-time feds to get health
insurance. The government agreed last month to cover firefighters. In a new fact sheet, the Office of Personnel
Management said agencies can request the same benefits for temporary employees
performing related services. That could include forestry technicians, dispatchers
and others who are helping fight fires out West. OPM said agencies should make a
request based on what the employee does rather than on their job description. It
said agencies also need to consider the size and scope of the disaster and the
number of temps it needs to respond. (CHCOC.gov)
- A board that will help implement a nationwide broadband network has gotten off the ground. The Commerce Department has announced the 12 members of the First Responder Network Authority. Dubbed First Net, it includes experts in public safety, technology and finance. They will help guide a $7 billion effort to build the type of network that emergency personnel needed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Former Vodaphone chairman Sam Ginn will lead the board. Commerce named Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and former Defense Department Chief Information Officer Teri Takai as members. (Commerce Department)
