Jun 30, 2013

Reports of NSA snooping on Europe go well beyond previous revelations of electronic spying


Berlin accuses Washington of cold war tactics over snooping


'...Transatlantic relations plunged at the weekend as Berlin, Brussels and Paris all demanded that Washington account promptly and fully for new disclosures on the scale of the US National Security Agency's spying on its European allies....'


Reference: www.guardian.co.uk
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Jun 27, 2013

FERS Retirement Eligibility Information


FERS Retirement Eligibility Information


'...An immediate retirement benefit is one that starts within 30 days from the date you stop working. If you meet one of the following sets of age and service requirements, you are entitled to an immediate retirement benefit:...'


Reference: www.opm.gov
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Jun 16, 2013

Federal employee health and fitness programs


Federal workers get health and fitness programs


'...retired Army colonel and former Anne Arundel County councilman working as a civilian on the garrison staff at Fort Meade, is one of thousands of federal workers who participate in health and fitness programs ...'


Reference: www.stripes.com
Tags: Federal employee health and fitness programs

Jun 13, 2013

DC area feds can take 'unscheduled leave' or telework day due to potential severe weather


Federal workers can take unscheduled leave or telework day, OPM says


'...Federal agencies will be open on Thursday as the region braces for potential severe weather, but employees may take unscheduled leave or work from home, the Office of Personnel Management said early Thursday....'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Jun 5, 2013

2014: Federal Employees may see tiny pay raise in Jan.


White House again calls for federal employee raise


'...Administration urges the Congress to provide the proposed 1.0 percent pay increase for Federal civilian employees. As the President stated in his [fiscal year] 2014 Budget...'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Jun 2, 2013

Lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Justice


Female prison workers filing class action against DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons


'..."The overall outcome is to seek change. They need to change policy. They need to hold these inmates accountable," Rojas said. Many of the women said they've worked at other prisons and jails in Florida, and this kind of behavior was never tolerated....'


Reference: www.wftv.com
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May 19, 2013

Benghazi federal workers remembered


In Benghazi and beyond, federal workers who died on the job are remembered


'...Let’s take a break from the raging discord that has dominated Washington lately by remembering federal employees who died abroad in service to their country. With so much attention focused on what the government has done wrong, we’ll end the week with words about government workers who died trying to do right. ...'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Apr 15, 2013

Bill would undermine the 'Stock Act'


U.S. House Clears Bill Obscuring Federal Workers’ Assets


'...Federal employee groups had lobbied for the change, saying that easy access to personal financial information could lead to harassment or make the workers more vulnerable to identity theft. Critics faulted the measure for undermining a law, called the Stock Act, aimed at preventing profits from trading securities based on inside information. ...'


Reference: www.bloomberg.com
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Mar 22, 2013

Food safety and inspection workers avoid 11 days of furlough


Meat industry rescues federal workers


'...Over 9,000 federal food inspectors won’t face furloughs after top companies from the meat and poultry industries spoke out in support of them....'


Reference: wtvr.com
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Mar 4, 2013

Let the furloughs begin!


Alternatives to sequester could hit federal employees in other ways


'...Political leaders met Friday but failed, at least for now, to find a path away from budget cuts that threaten more than 1 million employees with up to 22 unpaid days off, for most starting as early as April....'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Mar 2, 2013

Federal employees began receiving furlough notices on Friday


Federal Furlough Notices Go Out As Sequestration Takes Effect


'...More than 1 million federal employees face the possibility of unpaid time off due to the across-the-board spending cuts. While some notices are going out on Friday, the furloughs will not actually take effect until April...'


Reference: www.huffingtonpost.com
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Feb 26, 2013

Likely that sequester will begin


Ben Bernanke: Find sequester alternative


'...Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned lawmakers Tuesday that allowing automatic budget cuts to go into effect this week could place a “significant” burden on the economy...'


Reference: www.politico.com
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Feb 18, 2013

TSA officers get training on Homeland Security strategies to counter terrorism


TSA officers go to college to learn to counterterrorism


'...The TSA officers either have completed or are enrolled in a college-level program that focuses on Homeland Security strategies to counter terrorism. ...'


Reference: sun-sentinel.com
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Feb 11, 2013

2014 Federal Employee Pay Raise Update


Obama to propose 1 percent pay hike for federal employees


'...At the same time, the House plans to vote soon on legislation that would extend the current freeze on basic pay rates through the end of calendar 2013....'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Jan 26, 2013

Federal Hiring Update: Students and Recent Graduates


Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates


'...These programs, collectively the Pathways Programs, are streamlined developmental programs tailored to promote employment opportunities for students and recent graduates in the Federal workforce....'


Reference: www.opm.gov
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Jan 24, 2013

Workers comp fraud


Lakeland Woman Pleads Gulty to Theft of Federal Employee Compensation Funds


'...claimed she was not employed, reported no income and lied about her physical health to maintain eligibility for her benefits....'


Reference: www.theledger.com
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Jan 13, 2013

Social Security employee arrested for looking at child porn on work computer


Federal employee arrested at Seattle office, accused of looking at child porn on work computer


'...Social Security employee was arrested Wednesday at his Seattle office and accused of looking at child pornography on his computer at work....'


Reference: www.thenewstribune.com
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Jan 12, 2013

Focusing on rewards for the federal workforce is important


MSPB: Room for Improvement in Rewarding Federal Employees


'...The MSPB notes in its report that focusing on rewards for the federal workforce is important because compared to private sector employees, federal employees tend to see weak relationships between their performance and the rewards they receive, a trend reflected in OPM’s 2010 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey....'


Reference: www.fedsmith.com
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Jan 5, 2013

FBI investigated "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace


FBI releases files on late "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace


'...detailing their scrutiny of a 1970 trip Wallace took to Cuba. There is also an investigation of a threatening letter sent to Wallace in 1977 by a World War II veteran titled "Communist Control of the Press." ...'


Reference: www.cbsnews.com
Tags: Mike Wallace, FBI,

Jan 3, 2013

GOP politicians no fan of federal workers and the working class


Federal workers targeted by cost-cutting politicians


'...Aside from federal workers losing $103 billion in compensation reductions since 2011, as well as a 27-month pay freeze, it should be noted that the Federal Salary Council, using Bureau of Labor Statistics, determined that “federal employees are paid, on the average, about 35 percent less than comparable private-sector workers. This is an increase over the 26 percent difference in 2011.”...'


Reference: www.app.com
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Jan 2, 2013

House votes to freeze federal worker pay


House votes to freeze congressional, federal worker pay


'...But first lawmakers voted on a plan to freeze the salaries of lawmakers and federal employees. Despite Democratic objections, the bill passed 287 to 129, with 55 Democrats voting with Republicans to approve the measure....'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Dec 28, 2012

Pay raise for federal workers in 2013?


Obama Orders Pay Raise For Congress, Federal Workers, Joe Biden


'...As of March 27, 2013, federal employees will see a half-percent to one percent pay increase, marking the end of a pay freeze that has been in place since late 2010. Congress hasn't seen a pay raise since 2009....'


Reference: www.huffingtonpost.com
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Dec 27, 2012

Ex-TSA Agent spills the beans


Ex-TSA Agent Dishes on Image Screening Rooms


'...Ever wonder what happens in the airport back room where your body image is being screened by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents?...'


Reference: abcnews.go.com
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Dec 23, 2012

Items found by TSA this week


TSA Week in Review: Speargun, Grenades, and Guns Among Things Discovered at TSA Checkpoints This Week


'...We continue to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays. I know they are cool novelty items, but it is best not to take them on a plane. ...'


Reference: tsa.gov
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Dec 19, 2012

Change to 'chained CPI"' will harm Federal Workers


AFGE: Chained CPI Deal Harmful for Federal Workers, Middle Class


'..."This move marks a shameful abandonment of his campaign promises to protect the middle class and the needy from tax increases or harmful benefit cuts," Cox said. "The currently used measures of inflation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPI-U and the CPI-W, already understate inflation for the elderly. This change will cause a large hit to federal pensions, Social Security benefits, Veterans' benefits, and federal benefits to poor children and the disabled. It also will raise taxes substantially on the poor and middle class, while leaving the rich untouched." PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1xhPP) ...'


Reference: www.prnewswire.com
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Dec 18, 2012

Federal prisoners escape


2 inmates escape from federal prison in Chicago


'...Authorities say two men being held on bank robbery charges have escaped from a downtown Chicago federal prison....'


Reference: www.seattlepi.com
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Dec 17, 2012

DHS Worst Large Place to Work of Federal Agencies


Homeland Security Named Worst Big Place to Work of Federal Agencies


'...Workers at the Department of Homeland Security are the least satisfied at work of employees at all the large federal agencies, according to a new government survey. DHS...'


Reference: www.usnews.com
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Dec 14, 2012

CIA operative is a star... secretly


CIA's most famous operative is a secret star


'...Perhaps inevitably, questions are mounting about the CIA employee, her personality and her contacts with the filmmakers. And she can't properly defend herself because she's not allowed to talk to the press....'


Reference: www.cnn.com
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Dec 13, 2012

Would sequestration offer buyouts?


Federal worker Q&A guide to the fiscal cliff: Ten answers on jobs, cuts and more


'...It is common for agencies to offer one or both when forced to downsize, with one motivation being to avoid RIFs or at least lessen the need for them. Buyouts are payments to encourage employees to retire or quit; the typical pre-tax amount is $25,000 but in some cases it has been less....'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Dec 11, 2012

OPM says Jan. 2013 to see wave of federal employee retirements


Federal retirement claims fall last month but OPM predicts swell in January


'...Overall, federal employees filed 6,584 retirement claims last month; OPM predicted receiving 7,000. It's the fourth time this year the number of claims OPM received fell below expectations. ...'


Reference: www.federalnewsradio.com
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Nov 5, 2012

TSA moving forward with next gen imaging


TSA Shuffles Deployment of Whole Body Imagers at US Airports


'...TSA is moving forward in an effort to develop a "next generation" of advanced imaging technology (AIT)....'


Reference: www.hstoday.us
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Nov 1, 2012

Did the APWU sign one of the worst negotiated contracts in the history of labor?


How the Postal Service foundered: Parceling out the responsibility


'...Fred Rolando, the union’s president, has offered negotiating positions that would abandon FEHB, thereby undermining an insurance exchange that actually works well. The APWU signed one of the worst negotiated contracts in the history of labor, giving back years of gains and benefits while endorsing the false narrative being peddled by Donahoe. ...'


Reference: www.savethepostoffice.com
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Oct 26, 2012

Shrinking federal buyouts: An offer easily refused


$hrinking buyouts: An offer you can't refuse?


'... Federal buyouts come in many flavors. If you work for most federal agencies there is the take-it- or-leave it, one-size-fits-all $25,000 buyout. You agree to ...'


Reference: www.federalnewsradio.com
Tags: Buyouts

Oct 23, 2012

Federal Agency switching to iPhone


U.S. Federal Agency Switching 17,600 Employees From BlackBerry to iPhone: Report


'...Reuters is reporting that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agency is ending its contract with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIMM), as it intends to purchase $2.1 million worth of iPhones for its 17,600 employees. According to ICE...'


Reference: wallstreetpit.com
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Sep 26, 2012

Federal workforce to take hit in recovering economy


A Recovering Economy Won't Include Federal Workers


'...in Detroit, the federal government is expected to cut 4,000 jobs by 2022, with state and local adding fewer than 100 jobs. In Oklahoma City, federal cuts, at just over 3,000 jobs, will also negate a majority of the nearly 4,800 jobs that will be added at the state and local levels....'


Reference: www.usnews.com
Tags: Federal Employment, Federal Jobs, Federal Job Outlook,

Sep 24, 2012

Some understand the need for a strong federal workforce


As congressional ally retires, federal employee advocates cite progress, challenges


'...A leading advocate in Congress for federal workers, Sen. Daniel Akaka says he's pleased by progress on some of his priorities: Legislation to allow employees to work from home, reforms in hiring and the security clearance process, improvements in matching veterans and people with disabilities to jobs....'


Reference: baltimoresun.com
Tags: Sen. Daniel Akaka

Sep 17, 2012

Federal employee pay raises? The bigger worry may be health care


Forget the Pay Freeze: Start Worrying About Health Care Costs


'... Buried in the news over the extended federal pay freeze, the impending fiscal cliff and the umpteenth continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown is this fact: Many military retirees will be paying a little more for their health care as of Oct. 1. Day 1 of fiscal 2013 means that some TRICARE Prime beneficiaries now will have to pay $...'


Reference: www.govexec.com
Tags: Federal pay raise 2013, Health care costs,

Sep 14, 2012

Body of US Ambassador to Libya Returned


Bodies of 4 Americans killed in Libya returned to the U.S.


'...The bodies of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi were returned to the United States on Friday...'


Reference: www.washingtonpost.com
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Sep 7, 2012

CFC kicks off for 2012 (September 1st to December 15th)


2012 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)


'...CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with more than 200 CFC campaigns throughout the country and internationally to help to raise millions of dollars each year. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season (September 1st to December 15th) support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world. The Director of OPM has designated responsibility for day-to-day management of the CFC to its CFC Operations office. ...'


Reference: www.opm.gov/cfc/
Tags: CFC 2012

Sep 5, 2012

EPA's Margo Oge, director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality stepping down


Key EPA auto regulator Margo Oge stepping down


'...Margo Oge, director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, told staff Tuesday she will be leaving the agency at the end of the month after more than 30 years....'


Reference: www.detroitnews.com
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