Monday Morning Federal Newscast – July 19th

FBI shuts down Sentinel computer program, Contractors caught gaming the system avoid punishment, White House launches mobile IT dashboard

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Amy Morris 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.

  • The FBI has again paused work on the deployment of a multi-million dollar case-management system called Sentinel. Washingtonian.com is reporting that the bureau has extended a partial stop-work order that was first issued in March. Sentinel has been plagued with cost overruns — about $30 million dollars over budget.The new order prevents contractor Lockheed Martin from working on the what’s left of the project’s third phase for 90 days. The FBI says that will allow Lockheed to focus on deploying phase two by this fall.
  • Since the terror attacks of September 11th, top-secret intelligence gathering by the federal government has grown exponentially. The problem is, it has become so unwieldy and expensive that nobody knows the true cost or how many people are involved. The information is the result of a two-year-long investigative report compiled by the Washington Post. Reporters found what the paper calls a Top Secret America that is hidden from public view and largely lacking in oversight. The Post says there are now more than 1,200 government organizations and more than 1,900 private companies working on counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in some 10,000 locations across the U.S.
  • They know what they want to do. How they do it…? That’s another issue. The Department of Homeland Security’s bottom-up review was sent to Congress in early July. It was designed to realign the department’s programs and structure with mission priorities. But lawmakers going through the review say it is disappointingly short on details to help it succeed. Gov Exec reports that House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson says the review provides more context, but not the detail, for how DHS is going to achieve its mission.
  • Contractors that have been accused of fraud are still doing business with the federal government. Officials from five agencies say they have yet to suspend or debar any of the 10 companies singled out in a GAO report nearly eight months ago. The companies were accused of receiving $100 million dollars in set-aside and sole-source contracts for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Government Executive reports that officials from five agencies cited in the report say that investigations are underway, or that there’s not enough evidence to break ties with the contractors.
  • Now you can watch the government spend $80 billion dollars on IT using only your cell phone. The administration has launched a mobile version of its IT dashboard. On it, you’ll find colorful charts and graphs, much like what you see on the standard site from your computer. The mobile site is part of a revamp of the IT dashboard that federal CIO Vivek Kundra says makes it easier and faster to find information.

More news links

Airport Check-in: Customs to expand registered traveler program (USAToday)

IRS leases new Austin offices following fiery plane crash (Austin Market Examiner)

The U.S. Military Wants a Battlefield-Ready Flying Car (PopularMechanics)

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