Saturday, October 20, 2018

Apple CEO Tim Cook demands Bloomberg retract its report on Chinese chip hacking: 'There is no truth in their story'

Apple CEO Tim Cook demands Bloomberg retract its report on Chinese chip hacking: 'There is no truth in their story'

Snippet of Article: "... In an interview with BuzzFeed News published Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook called on Bloomberg to retract a contentious investigative report that found that Chinese spies used microchips to infiltrate several major US tech companies. Though Apple released a statement denying Bloomberg's findings soon after it published the investigation..."

Source: www.businessinsider.com

Apple, Cyber Warfare, Hacked, Hacked by China, Supermicro (Super Micro),

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

How Are Federal Employees Investing in the TSP?

How Are Federal Employees Investing in the TSP?

Snippet of Article: "...Data provided by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the agency that manages the Thrift Savings Plan, provide a glimpse into how federal employees are investing their retirement savings. The data are as of the end of August 2018..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), G Fund, C Fund,

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Congress tentatively agrees to pay increase for federal workers

Congress tentatively agrees to pay increase for federal workers

Snippet of Article: "...With key support from a North Georgia politician, Congress has tentatively agreed to a pay hike for the country's 2 million federal employees. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Georgia, came to the table on a..."

Source: www.timesfreepress.com

2019 Federal Employee Pay Increase, Pay Increase, 2019 Federal Employee Pay Raise,

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Apple, Amazon deny Chinese spy chips found in server hardware

Apple, Amazon deny Chinese spy chips found in server hardware

Snippet of Article: "...In a statement published Thursday, Apple denied the Bloomberg report, claiming malicious chips were never uncovered. "We are deeply disappointed that in their dealings with us, Bloomberg’s reporters have not been open to the possibility that they or their sources might be wrong or misinformed," read Apple's statement. Amazon called the report "erroneous" in a blog post published Thursday. "At no time, past or present, have we ever found any issues relating to modified hardware or malicious chips in Super Micro motherboards in any Elemental or Amazon systems," the company said..."

Source: www.usatoday.com

Amazon, Apple, Cyber Warfare, Hacked, Hacked by China, Supermicro (Super Micro),

How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies

How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies

Snippet of Article: "...U.S. investigators found: The chips had been inserted during the manufacturing process, two officials say, by operatives from a unit of the People’s Liberation Army. In Supermicro, China’s spies appear to have found a perfect conduit for what U.S. officials now describe as the most significant supply chain attack known to have been carried out against...Three senior insiders at Apple say that in the summer of 2015, it, too, found malicious chips on Supermicro motherboards. Apple severed ties with Supermicro the following year..."

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Federal Employees May Get a Pay Raise After All

Federal Employees May Get a Pay Raise After All

Snippet of Article: "...With rising wages outside of government, record unemployment, and sinking morale within the federal workforce, the president may be forced to reconsider his federal pay freeze..."

Source: clearancejobs.com

Locality Pay 2019, 2019 Federal Employee Pay Raise, 2019 Federal Worker Pay Freeze,

Monday, September 24, 2018

Ex-Federal Employee Says She Got Leaks From ‘Resistance Movement’ in Government

Ex-Federal Employee Says She Got Leaks From ‘Resistance Movement’ in Government

Snippet of Article: "...A former federal employee told an undercover reporter that there’s a “resistance movement” inside the federal establishment that’s trying to undermine the administration of President Donald Trump. To that end, Jessica Schubel says former colleagues were providing her with insider information, including confidential documents, which she acknowledges is probably illegal..."

Source: www.theepochtimes.com

Hatch Act Violations,

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Will Markets Crash After Trump Says, 'serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare' faced by America

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate

Snippet of Article: "...because of “national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare,” I view the increases that would otherwise take effect as inappropriate. Under current law, locality pay increases averaging 25.70 percent, costing $25 billion, would go into effect in January 2019, in addition to a 2.1 percent across-the-board increase for the base General Schedule. We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases..."

Source: www.whitehouse.gov

#TrumpSlump, State of U.S. Economy, Trumps Take on U.S. Economy, Federal Employee Pay,

Friday, August 31, 2018

Trump freezes federal worker pay, citing 'serious economic conditions'

Trump freezes federal worker pay, citing 'serious economic conditions'

Snippet of Article: "...freeze the pay of federal workers next year, saying the nation can't afford the 2.1% raises... in addition to specific increases in high-cost cities called 'locality pay'..."

Source: www.usatoday.com

Trump Legacy, 2019 Federal Employee Pay Raise, 2019 Federal Worker Pay Freeze, Locality Pay 2019,

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

The US Postal Service Released A Former CIA Officer’s Security Application To A Republican Group

The US Postal Service Released A Former CIA Officer’s Security Application To A Republican Group

Snippet of Article: "...The decision by USPS to release the unredacted document was unusual, FOIA and security clearance expert Bradley Moss, an attorney with Mark S. Zaid, P.C., told BuzzFeed News. The SF-86 form is an extensive and probing questionnaire...government. “Someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired,” Moss said. “If they truly managed to release this file without noticing the Standard Form 86 paperwork in the file, there is justifiable cause to fire that FOIA officer.” “SF-86 paperwork is categorically privacy-protected..."

Source: www.buzzfeednews.com

USPS FOIA office, Standard Form 86,

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Judge derails efforts to curb federal employee unions

Judge derails Trump’s efforts to curb federal employee unions

Snippet of Article: "...In their legal complaint, the unions argued that the executive orders were illegal because federal law requires these rules to be negotiated between government agencies and the unions that represent their workers. The complaint said that the president lacks the authority to override federal law..."

Source: www.seattletimes.com

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Buyouts Announced: Labor Relations Board to Offer Buyouts, Early Retirement

Labor Relations Board to Offer Buyouts, Early Retirement

Snippet of Article: "...The National Labor Relations Board announced this month that it is offering buyouts and early retirement to some of its employees as part of an effort to rebalance its staff. In a press release August 7..."

Source: www.govexec.com

Buyouts, Early Retirement, VSIP, VERA,

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

COLA, yes — pay raise? Maybe

COLA, yes — pay raise? Maybe

Snippet of Article: "...With two months left to go in the inflation-tracker-countdown federal, military and Social Security retirees are on track for a raise of 2.7 percent. Maybe more? That COLA is not subject to action by Congress or the White House..."

Source: federalnewsradio.com

COLA

Thursday, July 26, 2018

New bills hit federal employees with shorter disciplinary appeals process, fees for submitting to MSPB

New bills hit federal employees with shorter disciplinary appeals process, fees for submitting to MSPB

Snippet of Article: "...The bill would let MSPB collect fees from employees who choose to appeal an adverse action with the agency. The legislation doesn’t name a specific price but said fees shouldn’t “exceed the amount that is 50 percent of the fee required for filing a civil action in a United States district court.” MSPB has some leeway to adjust the price from time to time..."

Source: federalnewsradio.com

MSPB, anti-union, Reducing Protections for Workers, Protecting Rogue Manager Actions and Agencies,

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Buyout Increase Dropped in Latest Congressional Report

Buyout Increase Dropped in Latest Congressional Report

Snippet of Article: "...The House version did not contain the change to increase the amount of the buyout amount..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com

VSIP

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Can USPS systems survive the e-commerce boom?

Can USPS systems survive the e-commerce boom?

Snippet of Article: "...As the number of packages from online orders increase, the U.S. Postal Service may face increasing overtime hours as its sorting facilities and mail carriers take longer to process and deliver those packages..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Monday, July 2, 2018

FBI says arrests man who planned to bomb Cleveland July 4 event

FBI says arrests man who planned to bomb Cleveland July 4 event

Snippet of Article: "...The man, who had expressed allegiance to the al Qaeda militant group, was arrested on Sunday after a meeting with an undercover FBI agent where he said he planned to plant a bomb at the event celebrating the U.S. Independence Day holiday and would also target other locations in Cleveland and Philadelphia. "What would hit them in the core..."

Source: www.msn.com

FBI, al Qaeda attacks, Foiled Terrorist Attack, Islamic Terrorist,

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Will the Almighty AT&T Become an Even Bigger Monopoly With the Help of Government Meger Approval? Sure they will, corporations always win over consumers

AT&T Would Use Time Warner as a ‘Weapon,’ Justice Dept. Says

Snippet of Article: "...If the merger goes forward, consumers all across America will be worse off as a result,” said Craig Conrath, the Justice Department’s lead lawyer..."

Source: www.nytimes.com

AT&T, Time Warner, Monopolies, Corporate America vs Consumers,

Monday, June 11, 2018

Monday marks end of consumer protective net neutrality rules

Monday marks end of net neutrality rules

Snippet of Article: "...scrapping the rules gives major internet companies like Comcast or Verizon the ability to hike up the cost of internet use and limit access online..."

Source: www.msn.com

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Too Big To Fail: Social Security and Medicare

Social Security to tap into trust fund for first time in 36 years

Snippet of Article: "...Congress could at any time choose to pay for the benefits through the general fund..."

Source: www.marketwatch.com

Too Big To Fail: Social Security and Medicare

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Signs of sophisticated cellphone spying found near White House, U.S. officials say

Signs of sophisticated cellphone spying found near White House, U.S. officials say

Snippet of Article: "...IMSI catchers are widely used by local, state and federal police, as well as foreign intelligence agencies. The devices work by simulating cell towers to trick nearby phones into connecting, allowing the IMSI catchers to collect calls, texts and data streams. Unlike some other forms of cellphone interception, IMSI catchers must be near targeted devices to work..."

Source: www.msn.com

IMSI-catcher, Spying, cellphone interception,

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Trump’s orders show unwavering attack on federal unions, employees

Trump’s orders show unwavering attack on federal unions, employees

Snippet of Article: "...The orders were just the latest steps designed to weaken unions, federal employee compensation and civil service protections..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

union busting, anti-union, Destruction of America's working class,

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

DHS secretary insists on funding sanctuary cities despite President's promise to cut off grants

Administration funds sanctuary cities despite pledge to cut off grants

Snippet of Article: "...homeland security secretary recently awarded nearly $1.7 billion in grants, some related to immigration, to states and localities across the nation, including so-called sanctuary cities, according to three people with knowledge of the grants. Kirstjen Nielsen authorized the grants despite objections of her top staff..."

Source: www.macon.com

Department of Homeland Security (DHS), sanctuary city funding,