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.

Wednesday morning federal headlines - March 6, 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, one senator is wondering why, in these tough budget times, the Agriculture Department is hosting wine tastings.

Comment

CIO Council harnessing growing list of 'world class' IT programs

The CIO Council will add 25 more examples of IT project management excellence to its best practice database. DHS CIO Richard Spires said at the Excellence.gov awards Tuesday the goal of all of these success stories is to share what worked and leave a broader legacy across all of Federal IT.

1

Joint Chiefs welcome House fiscal 2013 budget proposal

The lower chamber's bill would significantly soften the blow against DoD and potentially eliminate current plans such as civilian furloughs because of the automatic budget cuts. The remainder of the government would remain under both sequestration and a full-year continuing resolution.

4

TSA to allow small knives, bats, clubs on planes

Airline passengers will be able to carry small knives, souvenir baseball bats, golf clubs and other sports equipment onto planes beginning next month under a policy change announced Tuesday by the head of the Transportation Security Administration.

Comment

Military leaders welcome House GOP budget bill

Military leaders say House GOP budget bill will ease some of the pain of defense cuts

Comment

As sequestration cuts loom, unimplemented IG recommendations could save billions

Over the past few years, unimplemented agency inspector general recommendations that could potentially save the government billions of dollars have piled up. Now, with $85 billion in automatic budget cuts kicking in, lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are telling agencies there's no excuse for them to further delay implementing the cost-saving measures and best practices identified by their IGs.

2

Upsurge in February retirements causes backlog to balloon

The number of federal employees filing retirement claims last month spiked to more than 20,000 -- nearly four times what the Office of Personnel Management projected, according to new OPM data released Tuesday.

5

Energy nominee favors all-of the-above approach

Obama energy choice backs natural gas as 'bridge fuel' to reach clean energy

Comment

Federal Drive Interviews -- March 5, 2013

Dianne Miller of Northrop Grumman talks about the CyberPatriot competition. Procurement Attorney Joe Petrillo tells contractors to have some patience when it comes to sequestration and furloughs. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service has some tips for feds facing furloughs. Ned Holland talks about the HHS Innovates People's Choice Awards.

Comment

Tuesday morning federal headlines - March 5, 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, signs of a major potential overhaul are appearing for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Comment

House budget plan includes fed pay freeze extension

House Republicans unveiled a stopgap government funding measure Monday. The measure would extend the federal pay freeze and leave in place automatic sequestration cuts but would award the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments their detailed 2013 budgets while other agencies would be frozen at 2012 levels -- and then bear the across-the-board cuts. The current continuing resolution expires March 27.

37

Pentagon to furlough teachers, cut commissary time

Pentagon to cut commissary time, furlough teachers, but retain school accreditation

1

Republicans unveil government funding measure

Republicans unveil government funding bill that would boost military readiness, protect FBI

Comment

Obama nominates next heads of EPA, Energy

President Barack Obama signaled his willingness to tackle climate change with his pick of Gina McCarthy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, one of three major appointments he announced Monday.

Comment

Lawmakers applaud VA on same-sex burial request

Sixteen Democratic senators are calling on the Veterans Affairs Department to keep granting waivers so that same-sex spouses can be buried in national cemeteries.

Comment

Boeing ready to move on 787 fix, if FAA approves

Boeing said Monday that it is set to move quickly to get its 787s back in the air if it gets federal approval for a fix for the batteries that have grounded the planes.

Comment

New OMB report lacks details on sequestration cuts

A report released by the White House to detail automatic budget cuts details reductions only down to the budget account level -- not to the more granular program, project and activity level and varies in the level of detail describing cuts to specific agency budgets.

Comment

Obama nominates Wal-Mart's Burwell as budget chief

Obama nominates Wal-Mart's Sylvia Burwell as next budget chief in midst of fiscal battles

Comment

Federal Drive Interviews -- March 4, 2013

Bloomberg Government analyst Rob Levinson says that just because sequestration is here, there's no reason to panic. Robert Richardson of Tech Target's Security Media Group reports back from the RSA Conference. Marcia Pelberg of the IRS shares her philosophy of good leadership.

Comment

McCain, Graham warn on CIA nominee vote

McCain, Graham say they want answers from Obama administration, oppose CIA chief until then

Comment