Wednesday Afternoon Federal Newscast

The Department of Veterans Affairs has canceled a $75 million, five-year research contract with a Texas medical center studying illnesses suffered by veterans o...

The Department of Veterans Affairs has canceled a $75 million, five-year research contract with a Texas medical center studying illnesses suffered by veterans of the first Gulf War. The VA says research on the illnesses, however, remains a priority. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka, a Democrat from Hawaii, has been pushing to the end the sole-source contract with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Boeing Co. is seeking permits to expand its South Carolina plant, one of several being considered for an assembly line for its new 787 wide-body jetliners. Boeing spokesman Russ Young says the company is notifying state and local officials about applying for permits at the North Charleston plant, but noted there will be no decision on where to locate a second line until the end of the year. Boeing has been evaluating potential sites for a second assembly line for the 787, a next-generation aircraft built for fuel efficiency.

A sixth person who worked at the State Department has pleaded guilty to sneaking a peek at celebrity passport files. Former State Department employee Karal Busch admitted today that, out of curiosity, she illegally looked at more than 64 passport applications submitted by famous Americans. State Department employees are only supposed to access them for official government reasons. An investigation began in March 2008 after officials discovered unauthorized access of the files for then-presidential candidates Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to avoid certain vials of insulin made by Novo Nordisk that were stolen earlier this year and may not be safe for use. The agency said today that the vials may not have been stored properly and could be dangerous to consumers. The FDA has received three reports of patients who suffered unsafe blood sugar levels after using the products. The FDA issued an alert in June that three lots of Novo Nordisk’s Levemir insulin were stolen in North Carolina. Regulators say only about 2 percent of the 129,000 vials have been returned.

More News Links

GOP Senator Asks Obama To Drop Labor Dept. Pick (Washington Post)

GSA says ‘No’ to more Networx extensions (FCW)

DHS official: Agencies must make high-risk cyber threats top priority (NextGov)

FDA plans electronic medical device reports (FCW)

Intell agency eyes geospatial data upgrade (FCW)

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