The Federal Drive
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
Monday - Friday, 6-10 a.m.
Hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp bring you the latest news affecting the federal community each weekday morning. Be up-to-date before you step in the office.
Fort Hood suspect still faces possible execution
The Army psychiatrist charged in the Fort Hood shooting rampage still faces the death penalty if convicted in the worst mass shooting on a U.S. military installation, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Wednesday morning federal headlines - Jan. 30, 2013
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. In today's news, the Labor Department is moving its email to the cloud and NASA Chief Information Officer Linda Cureton is retiring from government.
Navy details two rounds of budget cutbacks for 2013
Round one is already in effect and includes a civilian hiring freeze, cancellation of conferences, cutbacks on training, and a reduction in IT spending for the Navy. Round two would involve unpaid civilian furloughs, operational reductions for deployed ships, and cuts to tuition assistance for sailors.
White House petitions: Huge response, headache too
As the Obama administration kicks off its second term, it's upping the threshold for responding to Americans' petitions from 25,000 signatures to 100,000, a reminder that government by the people can sometimes have unintended consequences. In this case, a wildly popular transparency initiative has spawned a headache of the administration's own making.
Top Justice prosecutor Breuer quits
The head of the Justice Department's criminal division defended his record on a pair of the defining issues of his four-year tenure -- the absence of prosecutions against Wall Street executives and his conduct in the controversy over a botched arms-trafficking investigation in Arizona.
HR shuffle changes how agencies work with OPM
The Office of Personnel Management is revamping its human-resources policy shop to provide more innovative solutions to the White House's workforce priorities. The newly created Center for Strategic Workforce Planning will focus on fostering innovation in federal workforce policies and plotting future HR trends. In addition, OPM's human capital officers (HCOs), which previously acted as OPM ambassadors to individual agencies, will instead serve as "HR strategists" to staff the new center and work on pilot projects in priority areas.
DoD's plans to boost cyber workforce could hit hiring, training snags
The Defense Department plans to boost the ranks of cybersecurity professionals, increasing cyber staff at U.S. Cyber Command by more than five times to some 4,900 employees. But DoD's plan is daunting in more ways than one. The job qualifications and skills needed for the kinds of positions the Pentagon wants are rare and often require years of training and hands-on experience. And even if DoD looks outside the confines of the Pentagon to fill these roles, it's not entirely clear where the new cyber pros would come from.
Senate confirms Kerry nomination for State Dept.
The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed President Barack Obama's choice of five-term Sen. John Kerry to be secretary of state, with Republicans and Democrats praising him as the ideal successor to Hillary Rodham Clinton.
LaHood departure leaves another vacancy in Cabinet
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who lifted the profile of distracted driving as a national safety concern, is stepping down, presenting President Barack Obama with another Cabinet vacancy at the start of his second term.
Justice: Progress in Fast and Furious negotiations
The U.S. Justice Department reports progress in settlement talks over a lawsuit by a House committee to get records involving the bungled gun-tracking program known as Operation Fast and Furious.
Lawmaker looks outside VA to fill mental care gap
Veterans who have trouble getting timely mental health care from Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics should also have access to thousands of health care providers who care for military personnel and their families, says the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Tuesday morning federal headlines - Jan. 29, 2013
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. In today's news, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue is stepping down and the Veterans Affairs Department says it has improved the online benefits portal it runs with the Defense Department.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Jan. 29, 2013
Alan Paller of the SANS Institute talks about DoD's new initiative to hire 4,000 more people for its Cyber Command. Paul Terry of Blackboard, Inc., discusses how his company is helping GSA with its travel planning. Devon Hewitt, a partner at Protorae Law, weighs in on a recent contract award protest affecting people with disabilities. Capt. Paul Hammer of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, talks about the latest efforts at his center. Robin Lineberger of Deloitte LLP fills us in about the Professional Services Council's new commission that's focusing on efficient and innovative acquisition issues.
Obama says he'll sign $50.5B Sandy aid bill soon
President Barack Obama said he'll sign a $50.5 billion emergency relief measure for Superstorm Sandy victims as soon as it lands on his desk.
Did OPM flub Monday's delayed arrival announcement?
OPM announced federal offices would be open Monday on a "delayed arrival" schedule. It was the first time the agency has used the classification since it revamped its closure policies last year. But it didn't go off without a hitch - OPM updated the operating status language twice and some federal employees said they were confused by OPM's communication.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Jan. 28, 2013
Eric Green of NIH talks about his agency's search for a top data scientist. Dr. Elizabeth Stanley of Georgetown University discusses a new meditation program she helped develop for the Marine Corps. David Capozzi of the Access Board discusses new access standards for agencies. William Pretzer of the National Museum of African American History and Culture talks about trolling the inauguration for presidential memorabilia.
Monday morning federal headlines - Jan. 28, 2013
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. In today's news, China conducted a successful test flight of a new military transport plane and a senator is trying to get the Veterans Affairs Department to provide costly fertility treatments.
Sequestration effects becoming clear for DoD
DoD's operations and maintenance accounts will likely be hit first if sequestration goes into effect. Unlike its procurement and research and development activities, which can continue to function on funds obligated in prior years, O&M dollars generally get spent right away. In preparation for sequestration, the Pentagon has already let go of tens of thousands of temporary hires and is drawing up a contingency plan for one-day-a-week furloughs. Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter says the unpaid furloughs would begin in April and continue through the remainder of the fiscal year if sequestration is not avoided.
Delayed arrival in effect for federal employees
Due to expected inclement weather in the Washington, D.C., area Monday morning, the Office of Personnel Management announced a delayed arrival schedule for federal employees. According to OPM Director John Berry, federal employees are being asked to stay off the roads until 10 a.m. Their offices will be open for them when they arrive. Feds can also take unscheduled leave and unscheduled telework.
