Friday morning federal headlines - Aug. 24, 2012
Friday - 8/24/2012, 8:51am 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.
- Transportation Department Chief Information Officer Nitin Pradhan is stepping
down at the end of this month. A DoT press release said Pradhan will advise technology companies
looking to do business with the federal government. He joined DoT three years ago,
arriving from a post in Fairfax County Schools. Deputy CIO Tim Schmidt becomes
acting CIO. The Transportation Department has an annual IT budget of about $3
billion. (Federal News Radio)
- A gaggle of smart software programmers arrived in Washington to start
temporary assignments with the federal government. The 18 Presidential Innovation
Fellows were selected by a panel of federal executives. They were introduced
yesterday by Chief Technology Officer Todd Park. Seven hundred programmers applied
for the program. One project the fellows will work on attempts to make it easier
for new technology companies to connect with agencies. Another aims to spread
adoption of so-called blue button technology for electronic health records. The
Fellows will spend six months working on their projects. (Federal News Radio)
- The White House has issued guidance for agencies thinking of letting employees
use their own smartphones and tablets for work. The practice is known as bring-your-own-device or BYOD. A new online
toolkit developed by the Office of Management and Budget gives tips and pointers
for BYOD policies. But it says no agency is under obligation to have BYOD. The
guidance describes two agencies with experience in implementing BYOD. They are
Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission. The toolkit is part of the White House digital government
strategy. (Federal News Radio)
- Regulators have approved the Postal Service's plan to cut hours at thousands
of post offices nationwide. The Postal Regulator Commission said it was OK, even
though it might be harder on customers. Under the plan, some post office retail
windows would be open to the public for just two hours a day. The plan would
impact 13,000 post offices nationwide. The Postal Service said it needed to pare
down labor costs to match the reduced demand for services. (Federal News Radio)
- The Justice and Interior departments are stepping up efforts to
prosecute sex crimes in Indian Country. They hosted tribal and federal law
enforcement officers at a training seminar this week. Officials hope it will help
address high rates of sexual assault on tribal lands. The three-day event focused
on investigation and prosecuting cases. Justice officials said the federal
government and tribal organizations needed to coordinate their response to the
high rates of violence. (Justice Department)
- One General Services Administration official fired after the scandal surrounding a lavish conference has found a new job in the private sector. Bob Peck, former commissioner of the Public Buildings Service, has joined the architectural firm Gensler. Architect Magazine reports, Peck will head up the company's Washington, D.C.-based regional workplace consulting group. Gensler, based in San Francisco, describes itself as a global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm. It has designed large sports stadiums and airports. Peck will head up Gensler's Washington, D.C.-based regional workplace consulting group. He'll help clients in the southeast United States improve their real estate efficiency. (Federal News Radio)
