State Department News 
Top News
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- Proposed commission would give teeth to cost-saving ideas but some lawmakers skeptical
- Feds outside the Beltway react to furloughs
- Contracting executives guilty of 8(a) program fraud
- EPA CIO Jackson returning to private sector
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- 29-year-old NASA engineer going where no one has gone before
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
- NOAA meteorologist helps save lives one storm at a time
- ICE Director John Morton stepping down
- NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
- House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
- NIH tops list of best companies for baby boomers
- Latest postal reform proposal OKs 5-day delivery
- IRS official contradicts claims about reviews
- House presses VA for more details after cyber attacks
- DoD maintains BRAC fight, despite opposition
Defiant Clinton takes on lawmakers on Libya attack
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered fiery rejoinders Wednesday to Republican critics of the Obama administration's handling of the deadly attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi, facing off with lawmakers who included potential 2016 presidential rivals.
Obama officially signs Cabinet nominations
Minutes after his inauguration speech Monday, President Barack Obama signed documents officially submitting top administration nominations to the Senate.
New era of social media pushes agencies toward data, away from platforms
GSA, State and the Air Force are starting to see the benefits of using social media data to improve services and not focusing so much on how it's delivered. Challenges and contests are examples of this information-centric approach. But the dependence on and acceptance of social media platforms is growing across nearly every agency.
Obama Cabinet shuffle taking shape
The composition of President Barack Obama's second term Cabinet became clearer Wednesday, with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis resigning and three other members of the president's team deciding to stay on amid concerns about diversity in Obama's inner circle.
Clinton 'thrilled' to be back at work
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she is "thrilled to be back" at work after a month-long absence due to illness, a concussion and a blood clot near her brain. But she says she is looking forward to leaving the job as America's top diplomat and taking a break for at least "a little while."
In case involving Gallup, man to plead guilty
A former Federal Emergency Management Agency employee intends to plead guilty in a criminal case alleging that he helped secure federal funds for The Gallup Organization while he was negotiating to go to work for the polling firm, his lawyer said Thursday.
How to improve federal security
Karen Evans, partner at KE&T Partners LLC, and Julie Anderson, chief operating officer and managing director for the Civitas Group discuss what you can do to reduce the risk of cyber attacks at your agency.
January 1, 2013
Federal Drive Interviews -- Dec. 21, 2012
NORAD fills us in on how it's tracking Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. David Berteau of the Center for Strategic and International studies reviews the State Department's rough week. Ed Hardy of Brighthand.com talks about a good move by the maker of BlackBerry. Dr. Jacques Gansler of the University of Maryland discusses the acquisition challenges the government will be facing in the coming years.
Lawmakers, State officials tangle over Libya raid
The State Department on Thursday acknowledged major weaknesses in security and errors in judgment exposed in a scathing independent report on the deadly Sept. 11 assault on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya. Two top State officials appealed to Congress to fully fund requests to ensure diplomats and embassies are safe.
On foreign policy, Kerry is Obama's good soldier
Democratic Sen. John Kerry stands tall as President Barack Obama's good soldier.
Kerry, Hagel front-runners to lead State, Defense
Democratic Sen. John Kerry, who unsuccessfully sought the presidency in 2004 and has pined for the job of top diplomat, vaulted to the head of President Barack Obama's short list of secretary of state candidates after U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice suddenly withdrew from consideration to avoid a contentious confirmation fight with emboldened Republicans.
Embattled Rice bows out; Kerry new front-runner
Susan Rice, the embattled U.N. ambassador, abruptly withdrew from consideration to be the next secretary of state on Thursday after a bitter, weekslong standoff with Republican senators who declared they would fight to defeat her nomination.
State Department seeks advice on new name for blog
The State Department is redesigning its official blog and wants help in choosing a successor for the oft-maligned name DipNote.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Dec. 6, 2012
Kathleen Frisbee talks about mobile efforts at the Veterans Health Administration. Richard Buangan of the State Department talks about an agency Twitter account that tweets off-message. Ticora Jones discusses new development labs built with seed money from USAID.
Partisan split over UN Ambassador Rice widens
Republicans continue to argue that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice is unfit to be secretary of state. Democrats say the criticism is unfair.
Obama defense pick could come sooner than expected
President Barack Obama could name his next defense secretary in December, far sooner than expected and perhaps in a high-powered package announcement with his choice for secretary of state.
Prosecutors: Agent was aggressor in fatal shooting
A State Department special agent charged with murder in the shooting of a man at a fast-food restaurant in Waikiki last year spent the night bar-hopping and drinking before going to the restaurant, prosecutors said.
Obama may get chance to end Benghazi PR disaster
The White House could finally have its chance to close the books on its Benghazi public relations disaster, as key Republicans signal they might not stand in the way of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to become the next secretary of state.
Fire breaks out at State Dept., 3 seriously hurt
Three maintenance workers were seriously injured Saturday, when a fire broke out in the seventh floor duct work of the State Department's headquarters in Washington. A spokeswoman said one victim suffered life-threatening injuries, while two others received non-life threatening injuries.
House Republicans: Rice unfit to head State Dept.
A group of 97 House Republicans sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Monday, saying that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice misled the nation about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya, making her unfit to be a candidate to succeed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
