Thursday Afternoon Newsstand

Recent headlines have made it clear: things have not been so good for agencies switching from the expiring FTS 2001 contract to Networx before time runs out. GSA’s Director Network Services Programs, Karl Krumbholz, tells FederalNewsRadio the General Services Administration has come up with an answer, and that is to extend the deadline. He says the GSA has already decided to implement a continuity of service extension, so that takes the agency out to 2012. Overall, he says, with the extension, that will give them four and a half years to complete the transition.

The Army says four soldiers died after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed on Colorado’s second-highest mountain. The Army’s Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., initially said two were killed, one was injured and one was missing. The missing man was found later. It wasn’t clear when he and the soldier who was reported injured had died. All the men were from Fort Campbell, Ky. Their names haven’t been released, and the cause of the crash hasn’t been released. The helicopter was on a training mission 85 miles southwest of Denver.

The Health and Human Services Headquarters was evacuated for a short while this morning. Nobody was hurt, but D.C. Fire Department Spokesman Pete Peringer says there was a small explosion in the penthouse transformer, which caused the air conditioning system to malfunction. It happened around 9:45 this morning. 300 people were evacuated. Nobody was hurt. There was no fire, and people were allowed to return to their desks around 10:30 a.m.

Mexican drug cartels have spread to “our own backyards.” That’s according to Attorney General Eric Holder as he announced a dozen new indictments aimed at capturing suspected kingpins so they can stand trial in U.S. Courts. First, they’ll have to be caught. The accused cartel leaders indicted today are wanted in Mexico, and some have been sought by Mexican and U.S. law enforcement for many years.

Other Stories We’re Following

Senior Executive Service Needs Overhaul, Outside Study Finds (Washington Post)

GSA, OIRA heads await confirmation (Federal Times)

MSPB says vet’s case against federal internship program has legal merit (GovExec)

Strong management will be critical to health care reform (GovExec)

Personal health records rule cracks down on vendors (FCW)

SBA and Commerce will expand outreach to small and minority-owned firms (GovExec)

A SWAT team for enterprise app woes (FCW)

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