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,

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

Postmaster General Donahoe's Slowing of the Mail and Destruction of Postal Network Appears to Continue

Article Title: More than 400 postal jobs in Fayetteville to move to Charlotte

Snippet of Article: "..."Since the Postal Service slowed down the processing and delivery of first-class mail over two years ago by revising its service standards, it has been more difficult for the American public and small businesses to receive mail in a timely manner," the letter reads. "Slowing down mail delivery even further will especially hurt senior citizens on fixed incomes, small businesses, rural areas and the economy."..."

Source: www.fayobserver.com

FSA Update - change to FSA allows carry-over

Article Title: Federal Employees Can Now Carry Over FSA Money

Snippet of Article: "...Beginning in 2015, employees will be able to carry over up to $500 into the next year. Previously, any unspent money in these accounts would be lost each year..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com

American workers score win with postal worker arbitration award

Article Title: Postal Service to Add Thousands of Union Jobs in 2014

Snippet of Article: "...“The arbitration award he issued and the accompanying implementation memo mean thousands of jobs within 90 days, not years from now,” Dimondstein said.

The gains will help offset the 7,000 job cuts -- and thousands of additional relocations -- that will take place in 2015 due to processing plant closures. ..."

Source: www.govexec.com Postal news

Armed, retired, disabled veteran scales White House fence

Article Title: Secret Service considers new rules; intruder in court

Snippet of Article: "...Gonzalez, an Army veteran who retired because of disability, scaled the White House fence Friday and raced some 70 yards to the door of the building before being subdued...."

Source: www.usatoday.com

1% Federal Pay Raise in 2015 Closer to Reality

Article Title: 1% Federal Pay Raise in 2015 Closer to Reality

Snippet of Article: "...The possibility of a 1% pay raise for federal employees in 2015 continues to work toward becoming a reality as the legislative and political process works it way to a budget, at least a temporary budget, for the next fiscal year...."

Source: fedsmith.com

President George W. Bush Halloween Mask

Article Title: President George W. Bush Costume Mask

Snippet of Article: "...Regardless of your politics, this mask is a great likeness to George Bush and will complete your costume!..."
Source: Amazon.com President George W. Bush Halloween Mask