Wednesday, May 22, 2013

U.S. Department of the Treasury temporarily stopping investment into Civil Service Retirement

Article Title: Treasury will temporarily stop investing in retirement to free up money for federal debt, Lew Says

Snippet of Article: "...Stopping investment into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund will free up about another $79 billion...."

Source: www.fiercegovernment.com

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Postal Shooting: Killer believed his mail was being diverted to his estranged wife

Article Title: Complaint outlines alleged plot to kill letter carrier

Snippet of Article: "...With a rifle, extra ammunition and lighter fluid, he hid in a treeline like a sniper to wait for the letter carrier to make her delivery. As she pulled away in her Jeep Cherokee, he shot ..."

Source: www.news.ruralinfo.net

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Postal carrier found in burned vehicle, shot

Article Title: Inspectors continue search for suspect in postal carrier slaying

Snippet of Article: "...Postal inspectors said he is the lead suspect in the investigation into the slaying of 52-year-old Marie Youngblood. She was a U.S. Postal carrier who had been on her rural delivery route in her personal car on Friday in San Jacinto County. Youngblood worked out of the Coldspring branch...."

Source: www.khou.com

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Federal workers keep our country running

Article Title: Federal workers keep the country running

Snippet of Article: "...Our borders are secure because of Homeland Security. Our airways are safe because of the TSA. Planes take off in an orderly fashion because of air-traffic controllers. Farmers have the latest technology to produce our food through the USDA. Health and Human Services makes sure we get the healthcare we need. The FBI protects us from criminals. The Secret Service protects..."

Source: www.miamiherald.com

Monday, May 13, 2013

Is your federal pension accurate?

Article Title: Pension accuracy slips as OPM picks up pace

Snippet of Article: "...The accuracy of the Office of Personnel Management’s calculation of new federal pensions has slipped as it has worked to speed up its retirement processes, the agency’s inspector general is set to testify Thursday...."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Postal carrier speaks of delivery in crime-infested areas

Article Title: The postman doesn't always ring twice: tales from a ghetto postal worker

Snippet of Article: "...There were blocks I worked on that I dreaded because you’d see dudes smoking weed, prostitution. There could be weapons involved, gangs. Sterling Place, all the way from Utica Avenue to Buffalo Avenue in Crown Heights — bad, bad, bad. It’s the gauntlet. Two of the worst blocks in Brooklyn for a letter carrier — no question...."

Source: www.nypost.com

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Postal Union Food Drive: 21st annual NALC National Food Drive is Saturday, May 11

Article Title: 21st annual NALC National Food Drive is Saturday, May 11

Snippet of Article: "...The 21st annual drive is Saturday, May 11, and more than 1,400 NALC branches in just about every city, state and territory will have letter carriers, family members and thousands of volunteers out and about to help collect, sort and distribute the cans, boxes and jars of non-perishable food items left in bags next to customers’ mailboxes...."

Source: www.nalc.org

Monday, May 6, 2013

Postal Workers fear for safety in crime-infested area

Article Title: Postal workers too scared to deliver mail in crime-ridden Brownsville, Brooklyn

Snippet of Article: "...“The neighborhood is bad,” the worker said outside the Brownsville Station Post Office on Bristol Street. “I wouldn’t want to go into those buildings.”..."

Source: www.nypost.com

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Personal Advocates for Civilians Returning from Combat Zones are much needed

Article Title: OPM to Agencies: Create Personal Advocates for Civilians Returning from Combat Zones

Snippet of Article: "...The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act called for the establishment of a Post-Combat Case Coordinator at each agency. The coordinator should help civilians who “incur injury, disability or illness while in a war-risk hazard assignment,” according to OPM’s memo. ..."

Source: www.govexec.com

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Charges dropped against ricin mailing suspect Paul Kevin Curtis

Article Title: 2nd Miss. Man Investigated in Ricin Case

Snippet of Article: "...Everett Dutschke, whose Tupelo, Miss., home was searched Tuesday by dozens of officials, some in hazmat suits, had feuded with Paul Kevin Curtis, a 45-year-old celebrity impersonator who had maintained his innocence since his arrest...."

Source: time.com

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Special federal bomb squad has mobilized to Boston Marathon site

Article Title: Investigators meticulously combing Boston Marathon crime scene

Snippet of Article: "...every bomb technician from every civilian agency has graduated from the same Hazardous Devices School, run jointly by the Army and the FBI at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. “When we go on the scene, we’re working side by side with people who went to the same school,”..."

Source: www.kansas.com

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Expanded online background investigations can cause issues

Article Title: Security checks keep some federal workers from pay

Snippet of Article: "...Newly enhanced security checks have put some federal workers in limbo, unable to work or receive paychecks while they wait to be cleared...."

Source: hamptonroads.com e-QIP

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

USPS loses money in spite of growing customer base

Article Title: Postal Service loses money despite customer growth

Snippet of Article: "...The service isn't losing money on delivery, but adding addresses while losing volume is an issue, she says...."

Source: www.courierpress.com

Saturday, April 6, 2013

“discretionary monetary awards” should not be issued while sequestration is in place, unless...

Article Title: OMB clamps down on federal employee awards

Snippet of Article: "...The White House on Thursday ordered limits on the payment of monetary awards and incentives to federal workers..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com “discretionary monetary awards”

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Fort Knox shooting: 'a personal incident and not a random act of violence.'

Article Title: Search on for person who shot, killed 1 outside Fort Knox building

Snippet of Article: "...killed an Army civilian employee in a parking lot outside a Fort Knox building -- in a shooting that they said stemmed from a personal dispute..."

Source: www.cnn.com Fort Knox shooting

Monday, April 1, 2013

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.): cybersecurity bill won't allow the National Security Agency to spy on American citizens

Article Title: CISPA Author Rogers: NSA Is Not 'Monitoring the Internet'

Snippet of Article: "...Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), author of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act cybersecurity bill, said Thursday that the bill's "information sharing" aspect does not seek to share citizens' information with the government...."

Source: www.usnews.com

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Furloughs: an unequal playing field

Article Title: Painful Furloughs Divide Federal Workers

Snippet of Article: "... not every government worker will feel the pain equally, according to The Washington Post, and some employees won't feel it at all, depending on how the various departments of government implement the automatic cuts that began on March 1...."

Source: www.newsmax.com

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Pentagon has delayed sending furlough notices

Article Title: Pentagon to delay furlough notices by two weeks

Snippet of Article: "...The Pentagon has delayed sending furlough notices to its civilian employees for two weeks while it studies legislation that would give it more flexibility in spending its budget for the rest of the year, according to a memo released Thursday...."

Source: www.usatoday.com furlough notices

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Federal and state agencies investigate 'beached' boat

Article Title: State and federal agencies respond to boat beached at Long Beach

Snippet of Article: "...The multiple agency effort is focused on coordinating any actions that might be necessary to protect public health, safety and the environment, and on working with the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle to find out if the boat came from Japan and to locate its owner...."

Source: kbkw.com

Monday, March 25, 2013

Marine claims he was 'humiliated' by TSA

Article Title: TSA accused of 'humiliating' Marine in wheelchair

Snippet of Article: "...The controversy took hold after witnesses traveling with Cpl. Toran Gaal, an wounded Marine, contacted Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., to say TSA agents forced Gaal to remove his prosthetic legs and try to walk at the checkpoint. ..."

Source: www.usatoday.com

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Our elected officials have failed us to help the wealthy

Article Title: Obama formally orders 'deeply destructive' sequestration cuts, blames Congress

Snippet of Article: "...congressional Republicans failed to reach a deal to avert automatic reductions that could dampen economic growth and curb military readiness...."

Source: www.chicagotribune.com

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Federal worker furlough pay calculator

Article Title: Furlough pay calculator released for federal workers

Snippet of Article: "...Federal workers now have a convenient way to calculate their loss in pay if planned furloughs of about 800,000 Defense Department civilians take effect...."

Source: www.stripes.com

Monday, February 18, 2013

Federal workers could start facing furloughs

Article Title: Sequester no joke for federal workers; furloughs could start in April

Snippet of Article: "...Federal workers could start facing furloughs as early as April, according to federal agencies..."

Source: www.businessrecord.com Furloughs

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Possibility of furloughs closer to becoming reality

Article Title: White House warns of ‘hundreds of thousands’ furloughs

Snippet of Article: "...Federal agencies will begin implementing cuts amounting to 13 percent for defense programs and 9 percent for non-defense programs on March 1, unless Congress acts to prevent them...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Federal Employee Furloughs

Monday, February 11, 2013

2014 Federal Employee Pay Raise

Article Title: Obama to propose 1 percent pay hike for federal employees

Snippet of Article: "...President Obama will propose a 1 percent pay raise for federal civilian employees in the administration’s fiscal 2014 budget proposal..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com 2014 Federal Employee Pay Raise

Thursday, February 7, 2013

USPS looking at possibility of more buyout incentives

Article Title: USPS employees to see less overtime, more buyouts under 5-day delivery plan

Snippet of Article: "..."We think by eliminating overtime and by looking at some of the flexibilities we have with the part-time workforce, and potentially working with the unions on some buyouts, we'll easily hit that." ..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com buyouts

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Government "streamlining" their way out of business

Article Title: OPM plans to shake up charity program raise concerns about reduced donations

Snippet of Article: "...a move to electronic-only donations would seem to put CFC at risk of losing a majority of its donors. The proposal worries executives of some charitable organizations, even as they welcome other sections of the plan...."

Source: washingtonpost.com

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Federal offices in DC to open at noon on Monday

Article Title: DC federal offices to open at noon on Monday

Snippet of Article: "...Federal offices in Washington, D.C. will open at 12 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, due to inclement weather expected in the region. The Office of Personnel Management is asking federal employees to stay off the roads until 10 a.m. ..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Federal Employee: Is a furlough in your future?

Article Title: Bracing for furloughs: DoD, others begin detailed sequester planning

Snippet of Article: "...Federal agencies are girding for mass furloughs and other cutbacks as across-the-board budget reductions loom in barely a month. “Hundreds of thousands” of employees face unpaid..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Federal Employee questions on budgetary threats

Article Title: 10 questions and answers on budgetary threats to federal employees

Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees are facing a triple threat of their own: from the government hitting its debt ..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

2013 Federal Pay Raise Vote Delayed

Article Title: House Vote to Block Federal Workers' Pay Raise Postponed

Snippet of Article: "...The measure, sponsored by Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., would prevent a 0.5 percent pay raise set in April for federal employees, which is estimated to cost about $11 million a year. No new date for floor action on the vote has been set – but it would not occur until next month at the earliest. ..."

Source: www.nationaljournal.com

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Additional Postal closures announced - speeding up the demise of a once great institution

Article Title: USPS Announces Additional Closings/Consolidations

Snippet of Article: "... An additional eighteen, (18), facilities are now on the chopping block for calendar year 2013. The list of facilities is also attached. It is anticipated that these facilities will be impacted mid-year, (although the Postal Service has not announced an exact time frame yet)...."

Source: www.npmhu.org

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Defense prepping for layoffs, furloughs and hiring freezes

Article Title: Military services to freeze hiring, lay off temps, prep for furloughs

Snippet of Article: "...The Defense Department is freezing civilian hiring, laying off temporary workers, considering furloughs for hundreds of thousands of civilian employees, and cutting back on contracts to prepare for the likelihood of severe budget reductions this year...."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Congress again holds America hostage to protect the wealthy

Article Title: Fiscal issues put federal workers in crosshairs — again

Snippet of Article: "...If Congress doesn’t raise the nation’s debt ceiling, which limits the amount Sam can borrow to pay his bills, Obama made it clear that federal employees will be among those who suffer...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Sunday, January 13, 2013

More definitive roadmap to become senior level managers

Article Title: OPM better defines leadership development roadmap

Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees aspiring to become senior level managers now have a more definitive roadmap to follow. The Office of Personnel Management just released the Federal Supervisory Training Framework. ..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Letter Carriers (NALC) settle contract arbitration

Article Title: Arbitration board issues award: Sets terms of the 2011-2016 National Agreement; ‘NALC achieves its major goals,’ Rolando says

Snippet of Article: "...The three-person board of arbitrators has issued a final and binding award that sets the terms of a four-and-a-half-year collective-bargaining agreement between the National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service, NALC President Fredric Rolando announced on Jan. 11...."

Source: www.nalc.org NALC, Letter Carriers, National Contract Award, 2013 COLA, NALC COLA,

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Treausury employees get more time in planned relocation

Article Title: 450 Treasury employees get reprieve on planned relocation

Snippet of Article: "...The employees initially had until January 2015 to relocate as part of an effort to consolidate the Treasury Department’s Financial Management Service with the Bureau of Public Debt. The new timeline gives the employees until the end of 2019...."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

You just took a big pay cut, no matter how they want you to look at it

Article Title: Obama Already Getting Flak for the Payroll Tax Hike

Snippet of Article: "...Obama described the bill as “preventing a middle-class tax hike” that could have hurt families and sent the country back into a recession; that is true, but it allowed another middle-class tax hike that could have the same effect. He also said that middle-class families “will not see their income taxes go up.” That is false, unless one goes along with the idea — and most of Washington does — that payroll taxes, which are on income and levied by the federal government, are not federal income taxes...."

Source: www.nationalreview.com

2013 Federal employee pay raise shoved over fiscal cliff

Article Title: House votes to freeze congressional, federal worker pay

Snippet of Article: "...The fiscal cliff deal, passed with 89 votes in the Senate, includes language that would block a 0.5 percent cost of living pay increase for lawmakers, reversing parts of an executive order Obama issued last week – because Congress had yet to set the federal government’s pay scale for 2013...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com 2013 Federal employee pay raise