Sunday, February 23, 2014

TSA recognized baggage lock; A Red Tab alerts you if opened by TSA


Article Title: TSA recognized baggage lock; A Red Tab alerts you if opened by TSA

Snippet of Article: "...Makes it easy to reset the inspection status & lock combination and protect your possessions whenever you travel. The TSA logo alerts screeners, who can open and relock your bag using codes and secure tools, and allows TSA screeners to inspect and relock..."
Source: TSA recognized baggage locks from Amazon

Friday, February 21, 2014

President's new budget will not contain 'chained Consumer Price Index' proposal

Article Title: Obama dumping chained CPI, which feds, employee groups strongly opposed

Snippet of Article: "...Unlike his 2014 budget proposal, the President's new budget will not contain a proposal to calculate cost-of-living increases for federal retirees and Social Security recipients using a "chained Consumer Price Index."..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com chained CPI

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Save us from Social Security cut! Send a quick message please

Article Title: No Chained CPI

Snippet of Article: Article Snip: "...We cannot break our promise to our seniors. These are benefits they earned over a lifetime. Our parents and grandparents put their faith in us, and we will not let them down. Please use this link to send a message to the president...."

Source: ourfuture.org Chained CPI

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Senate Moves 'Clean' Debt Bill Forward; Federal Minimum Wage Increase


Article Title: Senate Moves 'Clean' Debt Bill Forward; Federal Minimum Wage Increase

Five-Day S&P 500 Index (CNN)

Debt Ceiling Raised until 2015

This extends the Treasury's borrowing authority without any more raping of the American working class to satisfy the 'extreme' wealthy. However, huge tax breaks and protections for the extreme wealthy are still protected. The debt ceiling is raised until 2015. Anticipation of the debt ceiling increase has led to a five-day change to the S and P 500 Index to an increase of 3.76% (at the time of this post).

Federal Minimum Wage for Contract Workers Raised

On this same date, the President Obama has raised the minimum wage for federal contract workers to $10.10 per hour starting next year in an attempt to set an example for private and corporate entities. The president also complimented Costco for providing decent wages and advancement opportunities.
Source: The Federal Newsgroup
Federal Minimum Wage, Debt Ceiling Raised,

Monday, February 3, 2014

Federal employee retirement eligibility boom could produce mission-critical skills gaps

Article Title: Fed-worker retirement eligibility to skyrocket by 2017, report says

Snippet of Article: "...The GAO concluded that the large numbers of retirement-eligible employees in coming years may be a cause for concern because “their retirement could produce mission-critical skills gaps if left unaddressed.”..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Congress screws blue-collar federal employees again but took care of white-collar feds, as congress takes another holiday break

Article Title: Feds will soon see first pay raise in three years - but not all will benefit

Snippet of Article: "...the modest pay raise only applies to white-collar employees under the General Schedule system. Some 200,000 blue-collar federal workers at places such as the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs as well as the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, will not see a similar increase in pay. ..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com

Sunday, December 15, 2013

HHS says they don't trust Rep. Darrell Issa

Article Title: HHS to Darrell Issa: We don’t trust you

Snippet of Article: "...The Health and Human Services Department told House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa that it won’t turn over documents related to the security of the Healthcare.gov website because it can’t trust him to keep secret..."

Source: www.politico.com Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Health and Human Services (HHS),

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Budget agreement will not require additional contributions toward retirement by any current federal employees, but...

Article Title: Budget deal protects current feds, while new workers will pay more toward retirement

Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees hired after Jan. 1 will make higher contributions toward their retirement benefits than current workers under a budget deal announced Tuesday night...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Federal Employee Retirement,

Sunday, December 8, 2013

2014 sequester cuts may be coming

Article Title: Sequester in 2014 will be worse, report warns

Snippet of Article: "...options will be harder to come by if a second round of sequester cuts strikes early next year, a liberal-leaning think tank warns in a new report...."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Friday, December 6, 2013

Update on stolen Cobalt-60: 6 people in hospital for possible radiation poisoning


Article Title: 6 hospitalized in Mexico for possible radiation poisoning

Cobalt-60 [Wikipedia]
Cobalt-60 [Wikipedia]
Snippet of Article: "...Cleaning up the area could take weeks, he said, because they don't have robotic equipment they would need to quickly collect the dangerous cobalt. They're coming up with a plan and considering asking for help from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United States or Canada...."
Source: www.cnn.com cobalt-60, International assistance provided by the United States of America, International Atomic Energy Agency,

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Some FEHB plans increase more than others; watch for out-of-pocket increases

Article Title: Why are some feds’ health-insurance premiums increasing more than others’?

Snippet of Article: "...Plans with the lowest rate increases include Kaiser standard option (less than $1 per pay period for a self-enrollment) and Samba standard option (no increase at all). Mail Handlers standard option actually decreased. ..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Mail Handlers standard option insurance, Kaiser standard option insurance,

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Are late night mail deliveries responsible for shooting?

Article Title: Postal Worker Shot, Killed in Cheverly

Snippet of Article: "...There have been complaints in recent months that postal carriers are having to deliver mail later in the day, sometimes after it is dark...."

Source: www.nbcwashington.com

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

NHTSA Tesla investigation


Article Title: Feds investigate Tesla fires: Elon Musk's idea? NHTSA disputes that

Tesla Model S
Photo courtesy of Tesla
Snippet of Article: "...Federal safety regulators opened a probe into a series of fires in Tesla Motors Inc. electric cars following crashes...."
Source: www.latimes.com NHTSA Tesla investigation

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Secret Service agents embroiled in alleged misconduct

Article Title: Two Secret Service agents cut from Obama’s detail after alleged misconduct

Snippet of Article: "...“was allegedly discovered attempting to reenter a woman’s room after accidentally leaving behind a bullet from his service weapon. ”..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Secret Service

Thursday, November 7, 2013

FEHB Open Season will be November 11 - December 9, 2013


Article Title: FEHB Open Season will be November 11 - December 9, 2013

FEHB
FEHB Open Season is near
Snippet of Article: "...This is the time of year to ensure that you have the right health, dental or vision insurance coverage for you and your family. It is also time to consider the money you can save on your out-of-pocket medical and dependent care expenses for 2014...."
Source: www.opm.gov

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Hacker allegedly stole identifying information of workers at NASA, the Missile Defense Agency and...

Article Title: Hacker Charged With Theft From U.S. Army, Defense Agency

Snippet of Article: "...Love stole identifying information of workers at NASA, the Missile Defense Agency and the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, according an indictment unsealed today in federal court..."

Source: www.businessweek.com

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Dangerous Trend: Late Night Mail Delivery; heavier-than-normal mail volume blamed

Article Title: Late Mail Deliveries Upset Residents in the D.C. Region

Snippet of Article: "..."Our goal is to have all mail delivered by 6 p.m.,” the U.S. Postal Service told News4. “Occasionally, heavier-than-normal mail volume or staffing issues require us to deliver outside of that time frame. We apologize for that. We expect to have it resolved very soon."..."

Source: www.nbcwashington.com heavier-than-normal mail volume, mail volume, Postal Employee Dangers, Delay of Mail,

Monday, October 7, 2013

Those that want to privatize America's Postal Service are same people behind shutdown of government

Article Title: Who’s behind the government shutdown? Some of the same people trying to privatize the Postal Service

Snippet of Article: "...The conservative think-tanks and lobbying organizations behind the attack on Obamacare are some of the same groups waging a war against postal workers and the fundamental principle that the Postal Service should be owned by the American people. ..."

Source: www.savethepostoffice.com postal privatization, destruction of postal service, Darrell Issa (R-Calif.),

Friday, October 4, 2013

Bills may permit federal worker back pay upon end of government shutdown

Article Title: House and Senate bills would pay federal workers for shutdown furloughs

Snippet of Article: "...“It is our responsibility to assure these public servants, mostly middle class and struggling to get by like so many other Americans, will be made whole again when it finally ends.”..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Government Shutdown 2013, Federal government shutdown news, Federal Employee Pay,

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Government shutdown furloughing close to 800,000 employees

Article Title: White House: Agencies, Start Your Shutdowns

Snippet of Article: "...furloughing close to 800,000 employees. The full scope of the shutdown remains unclear, and many government services – such as the military and postal service – will continue...."

Source: wsj.com Federal government shutdown news, Federal Shutdown, Government Shutdown, Government Shutdown 2013, shutdown plans,

Monday, September 30, 2013

Shutdown nears, stocks fall

Article Title: Stocks tumble as government shutdown nears

Snippet of Article: "...Stocks were sharply lower on Wall Street as investors braced for a potential government shutdown..."

Source: www.usatoday.com Government Shutdown 2013, Federal government shutdown news, Federal Shutdown,

Saturday, September 28, 2013

NSA maps some Americans' social connections

Article Title: NSA maps out a person's social connections

Snippet of Article: "...For almost three years the National Security Agency has been tapping the data it collects to map out some Americans' social connections, allowing the government to identify their associates, their locations at certain times, their traveling companions and other personal information, The New York Times reported...."

Source: www.cbsnews.com Social Connection Mapping

Friday, September 27, 2013

Prediction: Government Shutdown Will Be Averted

Article Title: Sen. Rob Portman predicts government shutdown will be averted

Snippet of Article: "...He said he is optimistic that the House and Senate will be able to reach a spending compromise in time to avoid a government shutdown on Oct. 1. "I think we will pass something," Portman said...."

Source: www.cleveland.com Government Shutdown 2013

Monday, September 23, 2013

FDA contract includes monitoring conversations on blogs, mainstream news websites and discussion boards

Article Title: FDA Hires Obama Campaigners to Track Its Social Media Reach

Snippet of Article: "...The contract includes monitoring conversations on blogs, mainstream news websites and discussion boards as well as on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr and Wikipedia, according to a request for quotation...."

Source: www.nextgov.com Food and Drug Administration

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Furloughs loom soon as political infighting puts federal employees in the crosshairs again

Article Title: NASA warns its 18,000 employees that no federal budget deal by Sept. 30 would mean furloughs

Snippet of Article: "...Radzanowski says no funding for the 2014 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 "would ... mean that a number of employees would be temporarily furloughed."..."

Source: al.com

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Navy Yard shooter held security clearance despite background history

Article Title: Navy Yard shooting rampage kills 12; dead suspect is contractor

Snippet of Article: "...Employed as a military contractor, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis began at the Navy Yard last week, but worked at multiple Navy offices over the summer,..."

Source: www.cnn.com Aaron Alexis

Sunday, September 15, 2013

40,000 Feds delayed direct-deposit on Friday due to error

Article Title: Pay is delayed for 40,000 federal workers

Snippet of Article: "...More than 40,000 federal employees expecting direct-deposit paychecks Friday did not receive their funds because of an error at one of the government’s payroll processing centers, officials said...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Federal job hiring on the decline

Article Title: Federal hiring declines to six-year low point

Snippet of Article: "...The drop in hiring comes as agencies face a wave of retirements by baby-boomers, who are calling it quits amid budget cuts, furloughs and poor morale caused by a negative public view of federal service...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Monday, September 9, 2013

Postal work is by far the most dangerous among federal civilian jobs

Article Title: Most dangerous jobs: Postal work tops list among federal civilian positions

Snippet of Article: "...In terms of federal jobs, postal work is by far the most dangerous: Last year, postal employees constituted a third of all federal civilian employees in the United States..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Postal Service wants to force retirees out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and over to Medicare

Article Title: USPS Plan to Pull Out of Fed Health Benefits Could Cost Postal Workers

Snippet of Article: "...The Postal Service would reach a majority of its savings by shifting its retirees... to Medicare..."

Source: www.govexec.com Postal Service, FEHB, Medicare,

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Small 2014 Federal Pay Raise May Be Coming

Article Title: COLA? Maybe. Pay raise? Maybe not!

Snippet of Article: "...Thanks to a three-year pay freeze, higher taxes and rising health insurance premiums, take-home pay for most nonpostal federal workers has been shrinking every year. The White House originally..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com 2014 Pay Raise

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Tell congress to stop the privatization of the Postal Service - you will be next!

Article Title: House Panel Approves Rep. Issa’s Postal Bill

Snippet of Article: "...“If it is enacted, this bill will lead to the demise of the Postal Service,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey..."

Source: www.apwu.org Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Postal bills, postal privatization, privatization,

Monday, July 29, 2013

Are sequestration cuts being used to send a political message?

Article Title: Chief of federal workers union says Pentagon using sequestration cuts to 'send a political message'

Snippet of Article: "...it's obvious sequestration cuts are being used to "send a political message" by being as "disruptive as possible." ..."

Source: blog.al.com

Thursday, July 25, 2013

States Rights: Will states need permission from the Feds...

Article Title: Feds want Texas to clear voting-rights changes with them

Snippet of Article: "...Holder said the Obama administration will use a different section of the Voting Rights Act that allows federal authorities to ask a judge to order a state to be put under the preclearance regime. To do so the Justice Department must prove "purposeful" discrimination...."

Source: www.cnn.com States Rights

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Are women owned businesses getting their share of federal contracts?

Article Title: Women-Owned Small Businesses Snubbed by U.S. Energy Department

Snippet of Article: "...The effort hasn’t gone far at the Energy Department, which reserved six of more than 13,000 awards for such companies last year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has also struggled, setting aside just one. ..."

Source: www.bloomberg.com 8A

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Life Event: Marrying a CSRS retiree

Article Title: Marrying a CSRS retiree

Snippet of Article: "...when he dies? Does the spouse receive any benefit?..."

Source: federaltimes.com

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Impact of furloughs begins

Article Title: Furloughs begin hitting federal workers in the wallet where it hurts; their pain will spread

Snippet of Article: "...Federal furloughs arrived for real this week, and real-world impacts will begin showing up as well. Thousands of federal workers..."

Source: www.pennlive.com

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

OSHA investigates postal worker death

Article Title: OSHA opens investigation into death of Medford postal worker who collapsed in the heat

Snippet of Article: "...A 24-year veteran of the US Postal Service, Baldassarre had complained to his wife about the heat earlier in the day. Baldassarre was a utility carrier working out of the Medford Post Office..."

Source: www.boston.com

Sunday, July 7, 2013

OPM buyouts could further slow federal employee retirement processing

Article Title: OPM pension claims processing plunged again last month

Snippet of Article: "...claims backlog could also be hindered by OPM’s decision in late May to offer buyouts and early retirements to up to almost 300 employees..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com OPM pension claims backlog

Sorry, the dismantling of your postal service must go on

Article Title: Postal Service to La Jolla: Sorry, the dismantling must go on

Snippet of Article: "...came to the same decision that he made regarding the relocation of the Bronx GPO: the objections to the relocation “do not outweigh the financial exigencies facing the Postal Service.”..."

Source: www.savethepostoffice.com