Wednesday, February 25, 2015

FBI: 3 New York Men Arrested For Attempting To Join ISIS

Article Title: FBI: 3 Brooklyn Men Arrested For Attempting To Join ISIS

Snippet of Article: "...allegedly attempting to travel abroad to join the terror group ISIS, with one man agreeing to kill President Barack Obama ..."

Source: newyork.cbslocal.com FBI

Monday, February 23, 2015

Stingray: Feds use device that acts as if it were a cell phone tower to track phones


Article Title: Stingray: Feds use device that acts as if it were a cell phone tower to track phones

Youtube Video on Stingray
Snippet of Article: "...Details are emerging about a tracking system used by the Feds called the Stingray. This device acts as if it was a cell phone tower, and intercepts your phone's signals using pings. The Stingray determines the strength of your cell phone signal through sonar technology. ..."
Source: Youtube


Stingray, IMSI-catcher,

Friday, February 20, 2015

Number of TSP Millionaires is growing with huge market gains


Article Title: A Growing Number of Wealthy Federal Employees

TSP Millionaires
Snippet of Article: "...Kim Weaver, Director, Office of External Affairs for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has provided FedSmith with the latest data on the TSP. The number of millionaires in the Thrift Savings Plan is now up to 4,167. - See more at: http://www.fedsmith.com/2015/02/18/the-growing-number-of-wealthy-federal-employees/#sthash.nFvxuLec.dpuf ..."
Source: www.fedsmith.com TSP Millionaires

Monday, February 2, 2015

Will new PMG correct the failing path of outgoing PMG?

Article Title: New postmaster general started as letter carrier in Lancaster

Snippet of Article: "...Previously she was vice president of Eastern Area Operations, overseeing a region that included Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, and parts of New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Indiana...."

Source: www.pennlive.com

Monday, January 26, 2015

With a ‘Golden Parachute’ in Hand, Donahoe Opposes Retirement for Young Workers

Article Title: With a ‘Golden Parachute’ in Hand, Donahoe Opposes Retirement for Young Workers

Snippet of Article: "...When Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe retires at the end of the week, he’ll get a retirement package of more than $4 million. Not bad for a “civil servant.” But in his controversial farewell address to reporters at the National Press Club on Jan. 6, Donahoe made clear that he doesn’t think the union’s newest members deserve any postal retirement at all. “In today’s world, does it really make sense to offer the promise of a government pension to a 22-year-old who is just entering the workforce?” he asked. And apparently Donahoe’s views have nothing to do with the Postal Service’s manufactured “financial crisis.” He opposes government pensions on principle and wants to impose his view to the entire federal government. ..."

Source: www.apwu.org

Man claims responsibility for drone crash at White House

Article Title: Man claims responsibility for drone crash at White House

Snippet of Article: "...Many small quadcopters are essentially sophisticated toys that can also be used for..."

Source: The Drone Report

OPM website glitch: Allowed users access to other retirees' personal information

Article Title: Retiree info exposed in OPM website glitch: Allowed users access to other retirees' personal information

Snippet of Article: "...glitch in the system allowed retirees logging in to the portal Monday morning to gain access to the personal accounts of other users..."

Source: federalretiree.blogspot.com

Friday, January 23, 2015

Is a 3.8% Federal Employee pay raise really a possibility or just a political show?

Article Title: Hoyer joins bill to give federal employees pay increase

Snippet of Article: "...U.S. Rep Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) has cosponsored federal legislation that would provide a pay hike of 3.8 percent to all federal employees in 2016 ..."

Source: www.somdnews.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Full Text Of President Barack Obama’s 2015 State Of The Union Address

Article Title: Full Text Of President Barack Obama’s 2015 State Of The Union Address

Snippet of Article: "...First – middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change. That means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement – and my budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year...."

Source: sacramento.cbslocal.com

Monday, January 19, 2015

DOT to implement NAFTA trucking provision

Article Title: DOT to implement NAFTA trucking provision

Snippet of Article: "...The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced it will permanently open the U.S. border to Mexican long-haul motor carriers, allowing trucking companies to operate beyond the commercial zones on the U.S.-Mexico border..."

Source: www.porknetwork.com

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Postal Service cuts ill-considered, threatens the very integrity and concept of Universal Service

Article Title: Postal Service cuts ill-considered

By Postal Regulatory Commissioner Ruth Y. Goldway

Snippet of Article: "...This latest round of operational cuts, however, threatens the very integrity and concept of Universal Service -- the Postal Service’s primary obligation under the law. ..."

Source: thehill.com

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Smoke fills L'Enfant Plaza Station, 1 Dead, 2 Critically Injured, Dozens Sickened

Article Title: 1 dead, 2 in critical condition after smoke fills L'Enfant Plaza Metro

Snippet of Article: "...stuck on Metro for 20 minutes as smoke built up in car. People were screaming and passing out, according to the passenger. As a precaution, DC Fire Mass Causality Units were deployed to the Metro station. The majority of injuries are smoke inhalatio..."

Source: www.wusa9.com

Monday, January 12, 2015

CENTCOM Twitter Account Hacked By Individuals Claiming To Be Part Of ISIS

Article Title: CENTCOM Twitter Account Hacked By Individuals Claiming To Be Part Of ISIS

Snippet of Article: "...The hacking took place as President Barack Obama gave a speech urging Congress to pass new measures to protect Americans from hackers...."

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Authority to Redeposit Refunds under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

Article Title: Authority to Redeposit Refunds under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

Snippet of Article: "...Section 1904 of the NDAA now provides the authority for FERS employees who took a refund of their FERS deductions to make a redeposit of the amount refunded, plus interest. FERS employees who took a re fund of CSRS deductions covering CSRS service that is credited under FERS rules may also make a redeposit fo r that service to re - establish full retirement credit for that service. The FERS redeposit for refunded CSRS service will be based on the a ppropriate percentage of the employee’s basic pay that is required for credit under FERS as noted in the table below, plus interest. Interest for a FERS redeposit begins to accrue from the date the employee received the refund of the retirement deductions. ..."

Source: www.opm.gov

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

U.S. government is discussing a range of options in response to the Sony hacking

Article Title: North Korea Websites Restored Following Outage

Snippet of Article: "...Just days ago, President Barack Obama warned the U.S. would retaliate for what Washington says is North Korea's hacking of Sony Pictures. A State Department spokeswoman, when asked about the situation, declined comment. However, she did say the U.S. government is discussing a range of options in response to the Sony hacking, some of which, she said, will be "seen" and some that "may not be seen." ..."

Source: www.voanews.com

Monday, December 22, 2014

Federal workers get Dec. 26 off but not postal workers

Article Title: Business as usual for USPS on Dec 26

Snippet of Article: "...President Obama's Executive Order only applies to "executive branch departments and agencies of the Federal Government." The Postal Service will treat December 26, 2014 as a normal business day. See the December 9, 2014 memorandum to Local Presidents (pdf)..."

Source: www.npmhu.org

Friday, December 19, 2014

Cyber Breach at KeyPoint may potentially expose Federal Employees personal data

Article Title: Personal information on 50,000 federal employees exposed; hackers breach contractor system

Snippet of Article: "...A company that conducts background checks for the federal government - including investigations on Alabama workers - has been breached, potentially exposing personal data of tens of thousands of federal employees...."

Source: www.al.com

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Federal workforce now has a cybersecurity job code listed in its description

Article Title: Cybersecurity codes now attached to jobs governmentwide

Snippet of Article: "...Every position in the federal workforce now has a cybersecurity job code listed in its description for more effective tracking of the lagging cyber workforce, even if the job isn’t cybersecurity-related. ..."

Source: fedscoop.com cybersecurity job code

Friday, December 12, 2014

Spending Bill protects banks again, does nothing to save Postal Service mail processing network, permits extremely large political donations

Article Title: Congress Deal to Avoid Shutdown Includes Victory for Banks

Snippet of Article: "...The measure would allow a tenfold increase in donations that individuals can give national political parties each year, to $324,000 from $32,400, according to a statement by Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21. The non-partisan group advocates for changes to campaign finance laws. ..."

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Obama's decision to replace Goldway as PRC Chair raises a couple of important questions

Article Title: Prez throws PRC Chair under the bus, WaPo misses the bus completely

Snippet of Article: "...Obama's decision to replace Goldway raises a couple of important questions. Why did Obama replace a Democratic chairman with a Republican? And why has the president not taken care to give the PRC a Democratic majority? The PRC normally has five commissioners, so Obama could have easily made sure three of them were Democrats. Instead, he has made appointments giving the Republicans the majority. ..."

Source: www.savethepostoffice.com Destruction of US Postal Service Mail Processing Network

Executive Order: ...Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Friday, December 26, 2014

Article Title: Merry Christmas to Federal Employees: Extra Paid Holiday Announced for Dec. 26

Snippet of Article: "...President Obama signed an executive order late this week that reads: “All executive branch departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Friday, December 26, 2014, the day after Christmas Day….”..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Federal employees will pay an average of 3.8 percent more for their health insurance plans in 2015

Article Title: More than 25,000 federal workers to lose their health plans next year

Snippet of Article: "...OPM announced last month that federal employees will pay an average of 3.8 percent more for their health insurance plans in 2015, marking the fourth straight year of increases in that range...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Monday, November 24, 2014

Cyber Warfare: Regin spyware stealing data from ISPs, energy companies, airlines and research-and-development labs

Article Title: Security firms uncover 'sophisticated' Regin spyware

Snippet of Article: "...With a "degree of technical competence rarely seen", Regin had probably taken years to develop, Symantec said. ..."

Source: www.bbc.com Regin, Cyber Warfare,

Friday, November 21, 2014

Detekt app scans devices for government surveillance software

Article Title: Is Big Brother Watching? Amnesty's New App Scans For Spyware

Snippet of Article: "...Worried that the government is spying on your computer activity? A new anti-spyware tool from Amnesty International released Wednesday scans devices for government surveillance software...."

Source: Android and iPhone Apps and News Detekt app

Executive Actions on Immigration: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Article Title: Executive Actions on Immigration: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Snippet of Article: "...On November 20, 2014, the President announced a series of executive actions to crack down on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pass a criminal background check and pay taxes in order to temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation. These initiatives include:...Preliminary estimates show that roughly 4.9 million individuals may be eligible for the initiatives announced by the President. However, there is no way to predict with certainty how many individuals will apply. USCIS will decide applications on a case-by-case basis and encourages as many people as possible to consider these new initiatives."

Source: www.uscis.gov Executive Actions on Immigration

The man who called the last stock crash is already blaming the Fed for the next

Article Title: The man who called the last stock crash is already blaming the Fed for the next

Snippet of Article: "...This time around, Peter Schiff, the chief executive officer of Euro Pacific Capital who memorably predicted the collapse of the housing market in 2008 and the global financial crisis of 2010, is speaking out against the Federal Reserve, which, he claims, has inflated the prices of stocks and bonds with its ultraloose, unconventional monetary policies...."

Source: www.marketwatch.com Federal Reserve

Friday, November 14, 2014

Postmaster General to Step Down

Article Title: Postmaster General Donahoe to retire in February

Snippet of Article: "...Patrick R. Donahoe will retire Feb. 1 after 39 years with the Postal Service. Megan J. Brennan..."

Source: www.usatoday.com Postmaster General Donahoe,

Monday, November 10, 2014

Half a Million Post Office Employees' Data Could Be Compromised

Article Title: Half a Million Post Office Employees' Data Could Be Compromised

Snippet of Article: "...Customers who contacted the postal service customer care center with an inquiry via telephone or e-mail between Jan. 1, 2014, and Aug. 16, 2014 are also at risk. The intrusion compromised names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and other information for those customers who may have provided this information, according to the statement. ..."

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Time off to vote for federal employees

Article Title: Do federal employees get time off work to vote on Election Day?

Snippet of Article: "...Here are the guidelines that the government’s Chief Human Capital Officers Council laid out for excused voting absences prior to the 2012 election..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Excused Absence for Voting

Sunday, November 2, 2014

From where did the idea of destroying the U.S. Postal Service evolve? ...and how was it set in motion?

Article Title: War on Democracy (Op Ed)

Snippet of Article: "In the 1980 presidential campaign David Koch announced his candidacy as the Vice President on the Libertarian ticket. It was during this campaign he announced the agenda of the Libertarians:..."We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages governmental surveillance of private correspondence. Pending abolition, we call for an end to the monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of postal service." Result: Congress forced them into debt by mandating they pay into their pension plan 75 years ahead - $5.5 Billion annually. ..."

Source: www.opednews.com

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Destruction of the Two-Party System: U.S. midterm elections are identifying America's anger at current politicians, as well as the Democrat and Republican parties

With both the Democrat and the Republican parties committing suicide by sucking in corporate dollars and not representing the desires of the American people, especially America's blue-collar workers, the tide is beginning to change. Blue-Collar workers are disgusted with political gridlock, incumbents, and the only actions being destructive agendas that continue to protect the ultra-wealthy and corporations. The current destruction of America's infrastructure will ultimately throw the country into chaos. For example, politicians are permitting and coercing the dismantling of the U.S. Postal Service, the raping of Social Security, the downsizing of the military, the continued rise in benefit costs to Federal Employees, as well as the public in general, and the stagnation and even reduction in pay of the working-class. Voters are about to give politicians a small taste of their anger and disgust at these agendas, as well as the anger at the stealing of individual rights. So whether you agree or not, get out and vote!

Article Title: US midterm elections: the 10 key races to watch

Snippet of Article: "...Haven’t been following the US midterm elections closely? Here’s a roundup of the most notable – and notorious – races..."

Source: www.theguardian.com
2014 Midterm Elections

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Auditor warns of mail delays

Article Title: Auditor warns of mail delays in Tucson

Snippet of Article: "...A memorandum from the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General stated that Postal Service management did not include the “details necessary to evaluate the service standard impacts for all classes of mail and the public did not have an opportunity to review the impacts and provide comments prior to the studies being approved” in most of the 95 feasibility studies that determined which facilities would be consolidated...."

Source: tucson.com

TSP 'C' Fund Investors Take Note: S&P 500 posts biggest weekly gain of 2014

Article Title: S&P 500 posts biggest weekly gain of 2014

Snippet of Article: "...The S&P 500 SPX, +0.71% finished up 13.76 points, or 0.7%, at 1,964.58. The benchmark rose 4.1% for the week, its biggest weekly percent gain since January 2013...."
Source: www.marketwatch.com Of interest to TSP 'C' Fund holders

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Breach the Canadian Parliment and You Have a Problem, the White House, Not So Much


Article Title: Canada Shooting Hero Identified as Sgt. at Arms Kevin Vickers

Sgt. at Arms Kevin Vickers
Snippet of Article: "...Sgt. at Arms Kevin Vickers is being hailed a hero today for shooting the gunman who ambushed the Parliament building in Ottawa...."
Source: abcnews.go.com
Sgt. at Arms Kevin Vickers

Friday, October 17, 2014

CDC to update Hospital Ebola Protection Protocol

Article Title: CDC to Issue New Ebola Protection Protocol for Hospitals

Snippet of Article: "...The new guidelines are being prepared for release as President Barack Obama today named former White House official Ron Klain to coordinate the U.S. response to Ebola amid rising public concern about his administration’s response. Klain, 53, a former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, received the assignment a day after the CDC was sharply criticized..."

Source: www.bloomberg.com Ebola, First U.S. Ebola incident, CDC, Hospital Ebola Protection Protocol,

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Ridiculous! Why have we not banned ALL flights from Ebola stricken continents and states?

Article Title: Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Flight Restrictions From Ebola Stricken Countries

Snippet of Article: "...The Obama administration is still refusing to issue travel restrictions from Ebola stricken countries in West Africa to the United States, arguing that isolating those regions could make the problem worse. But a new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows the vast majority of Americans from both sides of the political aisle want entry restrictions put into place. ..."

Source: townhall.com Ebola

Friday, October 10, 2014

Trouble Ahead: Auditors call foul, but Postmaster General moves forward with closure/consolidation plans anyway

Article Title: Report: Postal Service leaves areas in the dark on changes to 95 facilities

Snippet of Article: "...Auditors said the lack of information and public disclosure could degrade USPS services and harm the agency’s brand, in addition to causing carriers to work later into the evening — one postal worker was fatally shot last year while finishing his route at night...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Federal employees to see another large rate increase for health coverage

Article Title: Federal workers to see another rate increase for health coverage

Snippet of Article: "...In the most popular plan, the Blue Cross-Blue Shield standard option, which covers about 40 percent of FEHBP enrollees, biweekly premiums will increase by $3.21 for self-only coverage and $8.33 for family coverage, up 3.7 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Monday, October 6, 2014

Federal Employee Retirement Info Center Blog from OPM

Article Title: Federal Employee Retirement Info Center Blog from OPM

Snippet of Article: "...Welcome to the Retirement Info Center. We want to share information about retirement benefits for new, prospective, and current Federal employees, as well as Federal retirees and their survivors and benefits officers. Here you will find the most up-to-date information on changes, events, and other issues that may affect your Federal retirement benefits...."

Source: www.opm.gov

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

CDC Says It's 'Not Necessary' to Release Ebola Patient's Flight Information

Article Title: CDC Says It's 'Not Necessary' to Release Ebola Patient's Flight Information

Snippet of Article: "... "The ill person did not exhibit symptoms of Ebola during the flights from West Africa and CDC does not recommend that people on the same commercial airline flights undergo monitoring, as Ebola is only contagious if the person is experiencing active symptoms," the agency said in a statement Tuesday. The man left Liberia on Sept. 19 and arrived in Texas on Sept. 20, CDC Director Tom Frieden said. ..."

Source: abcnews.go.com