Monday federal headlines – January 26, 2015

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.

• Federal agencies are open on time today, but non-emergency employees can take unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. A winter weather advisory is in effect for most of our area until 6 p.m. today. The Weather Service said there may be rain and snow, then all rain after 3 p.m. It’s predicting less than an inch of snow in the Washington region. Tonight is a different story. The rain and snow will become all snow after 9 p.m. It’s saying 1-3 inches of snow are possible before the storm peters out tomorrow. (Federal News Radio)
• House Democrats are holding a press conference today to reintroduce the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act. The bill would give federal employees six weeks of paid leave when they give birth or adopt a child. President Barack Obama called for the legislation in his State of the Union address last week. He already has issued an executive order to the same effect. Local sponsors of the bill include Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). (NFFE )
• The Army could not have prevented last April’s shooting at Fort Hood that left four soldiers, including the shooter, dead and a dozen more wounded. Following a months-long investigation, the Army concluded that there was nothing in shooter Ivan Lopez’ medical or personnel background that would have made someone suspect he was capable of such violence. Lopez had, however, just lost his mother and another family member. He had financial difficulties as well, and had just moved to Fort Hood. (AP)
• Auditors said the Defense Department needs to finalize plans to reduce its staff. Two years ago, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered a 20 percent cut to headquarters staff and budgets by 2019. But the Government Accountability Office found DoD doesn’t have a plan yet to make those cuts. Auditors said the Pentagon also doesn’t have an accurate count of its military and civilian staff and contractors. GAO recommended the department conduct a review of its personnel requirements and submit the findings to Congress. (GAO)
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received high marks from the American public, according to a Pew Research Center study. In a survey of 1,500 Americans, 70 percent had a favorable opinion of the CDC. NASA is a close second with 68 percent finding the agency favorable. And 65 percent have a favorable view of the Defense Department. But ratings are slipping for the Veterans Affairs Department — 52 percent view the agency favorably. That’s down 16 points from 2013. Only 45 percent surveyed have a favorable view of the IRS. (Pew Research Center)
• The White House wants to make outdoor lighting cheaper and more energy efficient. Outdoor lighting consumes enough energy to power 6 million homes in 2015. That adds up to $10 billion each year. The White House is looking for ideas through its Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lightning. It said technology can cut lighting bulls in half but using newer, more efficient technology. Some cities are already using LED light bulbs. That’s saving them as much as 70 percent in annual funds. (White House)
• The federal government approved a permit for a $2 billion transmission line. The SunZia project uses electricity generated by sun and wind in New Mexico and Arizona. The 515-mile line carries the energy from the two states through the western U.S. SunZia is one of seven pilot projects the Obama administration put on a fast track. The goal is to boost renewable energy development across the western U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the SunZia line is a win for the environment and the economy. The project still needs to finalize financing and get permits from the state. (Federal News Radio)
• The Defense Department decided not to send National Guard troops to West Africa. The 350 soldiers would have replaced forces in Senegal and Liberia on Ebola missions. About 2,300 military personnel are stationed in the two countries. Navy Adm. John Kirby said the Pentagon is confident it can meet the mission’s needs without activating the reserves. Most of the guard troops who were prepared to deploy are from Minnesota. The remaining are from Ohio, Texas and Iowa. (DoD)
• SpaceX has dropped its lawsuit against the Air Force over a satellite-launch program. The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, had accused the service of improperly awarding the contract to a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Musk contended the Air Force set up a bidding process that gave the joint venture, United Launch, an unfair advantage. In a joint statement, SpaceX and the Air Force said they reached an agreement that “improves the competitive landscape and achieves mission assurance for national security space launches.” Court records showed former U.S. Attorney Gen. John Ashcroft mediated the settlement talks. (SpaceX)
• It could become safer for government contractors, subcontractors and federal grantees to blow the whistle. The Office of Special Counsel wants those groups of people to seek its help if they believe they’ve been punished for reporting wrongdoing. In a proposed rule, the OSC pointed out that contract employees are often working alongside federal employees at agencies, doing similar work and are in a position to know if something is not on the up-and-up. Congress extended whistleblower protections to many government contractors in the 2013 National Defense and Authorization Act. (Federal News Radio)

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