Tuesday federal headlines – March 25, 2014

The 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 Newsc...

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.

  • Last year’s budget cuts took a big bite out of the IRS. At the end of fiscal 2013, the agency had about 87,000 employees, 6,000 fewer than in 2012. Those figures came out in the latest edition of the annual IRS Data book. More than half of the workforce reduction occurred in the taxpayer assistance ranks. Colleen Kelley is president of the National Treasury Employees Union. She says the staff cuts mean worsening customer service. The IRS estimates 40 percent of taxpayer phone calls will go unanswered this year. (Federal News Radio)
  • Former acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel has found a career in the private sector. He’s been named a director in the public sector practice of The Boston Consulting Group. Werfel left government in December, after seven months at the IRS. Before that, he worked for 15 years in a variety of financially related positions. Before the Obama administration tapped him to handle the IRS, Werfel was the controller in the Office of Management and Budget. He joined IRS as the agency became embroiled in a scandal over behavior of its tax exempt division. (Federal News Radio)
  • Three people have been promoted to senior executive positions in the Defense Department. Secretary Chuck Hagel names James Woolsey as the president of Defense Acquisition University. He had been a research staff member at the Institute for Defense Analysis in Alexandria. Thomas Brady becomes the director of the Department of Defense Education Activity. He comes from Alvarez and Marsal Global Professional Services in Washington. And Guy Beougher becomes executive director of operations and sustainment at the Defense Logistics Agency. He had been executive director of support-policy and strategic programs at the DLA. (Defense Department)
  • Two people have died after a shooting at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia late last night. A civilian shot a sailor before being killed by security aboard a guided missile destroyer. A base spokeswoman says the civilian was authorized to be on base but could not say whether he had permission to be on the ship, the USS Mahan. Naval Station Norfolk was put briefly on lockdown as a precaution. The restriction was lifted soon after. (Associated Press)
  • The past 12 months haven’t made the F-35 fighter plane any more affordable or reliable. That’s according to a new look at the program by the Government Accountability Office. GAO says the Defense Department will need to spend $12.6 billion a year on the program until 2037. Right now the plane is delayed because of software development and testing. Auditors found the software needed to fly the plane and give it warfighting capabilities are unlikely before the planned deployment next year. (Government Accountability Office)
  • New rules on hiring disabled workers and veterans kick in for federal contractors. The Labor Department says companies with new government awards should fill at least 7 percent of jobs with people with disabilities. There are no penalties for failing to meet the benchmarks. Officials say the rules encourage employers to tap into a large, diverse pool of qualified applicants. The construction-industry group, Associated Builders and Contractors, challenged the rule in court. The judge sided with the Labor Department, saying it was within the agency’s authority to issue the rules and require contractors to report their progress. (Department of Labor)
  • The White House will call for the National Security Agency to stop its collection of phone call meta-data. Instead, the Obama administration will propose Congress overhaul the electronic surveillance program. It would have phone companies retain the data for 18 months, giving the NSA access to it only with permission from the secret surveillance court. That proposal is expected this week, according to anonymous sources speaking to the New York Times. (Associated Press)
  • Nearly 250,000 letter carriers will get new handheld scanners, thanks to a new contract between the Postal Service and Honeywell. The agency will pay up to $250 million for the new mobile delivery devices. Post & Parcel reports, the new gadgets will track packages in real time. They will let carriers access and send data on Postal Service networks. They also work as phones, letting the agency replace outdated scanning equipment and mail carriers’ cell phones. About 75,000 city mail carriers will get the scanners this fall. Others will get them next year. They could help the agency compete for e-commerce against rivals Fed Ex and UPS. (Post & Parcel)

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