Thursday, March 4, 2010

2010 Federal Census Questions

Article Title: 2010 Federal Census Questions


The Questions on the Form



  • How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

  • Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?

  • Is this house, apartment, or mobile home: owned with mortgage, owned without mortgage, rented, occupied without rent?

  • What is your telephone number?

  • Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult living here. This will be Person 1. What is Person 1's name?

  • What is Person 1's sex?

  • What is Person 1's age and Date of Birth?

  • Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

  • What is Person 1's race?

  • Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?


Source: This information was garnered from Census.gov
2010 Federal Census Questions

House Passes Bill to Protect Federal Retirees from the 2010 Medicare Premium Increase

Article Title: House Passes Bill to Protect Federal Retirees from the 2010 Medicare Premium Increase


Snippet of Article: "...Federal Retiree COLA ... Budget Office (CBO) has predicted the possibility of no COLA for 2011 and 2012...."


Source: www.myfederalretirement.com


Stay tuned to the Federal News Group for updates on the 2011 COLA, 2012 COLA, 2013 COLA, as well as the windfall elimination fight.

2010 Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA)

Article Title: 2010 Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA)


Snippet of Article: "...2010 COLA Update: Due to the current recession and subsequent reduction in the cost-of-living for many areas, the 2010 CONUS COLA rates have dropped for most Military Housing Areas (MHA), with the exception of..."


Source: www.military.com

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Postal Service expected to announce '‘significant changes'

Article Title: Postal Service expected to announce '‘significant changes'


Snippet of Article: "...to consolidate about 3,000 post offices drew a firestorm of protest from the public and lawmakers. But the Postal Service is considering more next year, potentially closing thousands of locations and moving some products and services to nearby supermarkets, office supply stores and pharmacies. ..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Monday, March 1, 2010

DOT Says Furloughs to Begin Monday

Article Title: DOT Says Furloughs to Begin Monday


Snippet of Article: "...Because of the shutdown, federal inspectors will be removed from critical construction projects, forcing work to come to a halt on federal lands, DOT said...."


Source: www.ttnews.com

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Why did federal salaries go up but Social Security did not?

Article Title: Why did federal salaries go up but Social Security did not?


Snippet of Article: "...How can the cost of living go up for all federal employees but not for people on Social Security? All federal employees got a cost-of-living increase as of Jan. 1..."


Source: www.mcall.com

“Great Federal Employees” Exhibit Debuts in Russell Rotunda

Article Title: “Great Federal Employees” Exhibit Debuts in Russell Rotunda


Snippet of Article: "...A week-long exhibit honoring “Great Federal Employees” debuted Monday in the Russell Senate Office Building rotunda – a special visual tribute to the hard work and often unsung dedication of the nation’s public servants...."


Source: kaufman.senate.gov

At Homeland Security, contractors outnumber federal workers

Article Title: At Homeland Security, contractors outnumber federal workers


Snippet of Article: "...more guidance to federal agencies next month on government functions that contractors can no longer conduct, an OMB spokesman said Wednesday.

Despite the planned contracting cuts, Napolitano..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Article Title: Judge: Disclosure Obligation in Terror Trial Applies to Top DOJ Officials


Snippet of Article: "...Prosecutors must produce memos by high-ranking U.S. Department of Justice officials on the transfers of an accused terrorist because they might explain why he was kept out of the criminal justice system for almost five years, a federal judge has ruled...."


Source: www.law.com

US DoJ probes collusion in auto industry

Article Title: US DoJ probes collusion in auto industry


Snippet of Article: "...Christine Varney, the head of the DoJ’s antitrust division, said in a speech last year that the antitrust division would continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute international cartel cases...."


Source: www.ft.com

DOJ: Department Of Jihad? ( IBD Editorials)

Article Title: DOJ: Department Of Jihad?


Snippet of Article: "..."It's like they're bringing al-Qaida lawyers inside the Department of Justice," said Debra Burlingame, whose brother was the pilot of the plane driven by terrorists into the Pentagon, following KSM's plan...."


Source: www.investors.com

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Missile Defense Career Development Program

Article Title: Missile Defense Career Development Program


Entry-level opportunities at MDA are offered through the Missile Defense Career Development Program (MDCDP).


Snippet of Article: "...Along with the salary, training and all the benefits of federal employment, you will be eligible for promotion opportunities throughout the program and may be able to take advantage of continuing education opportunities, recruitment and/or relocation bonuses and repayment of student loans. At the end of the two-year program, you will have the possibility of conversion to a permanent Government position...."


Source: www.mda.mil
Federal Employee Careers,

Friday, February 19, 2010

Fire Shortens Work Week For Federal Employees

Article Title: Fire Shortens Work Week For Federal Employees


Snippet of Article: "...As many as 25 hundred people fled the main federal office building in downtown Kansas City this afternoon. Fire in a basement electrical system produced acrid smoke. ..."


Source: www.publicbroadcasting.net

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Defense contractor arrested on Houston flight after 'international disturbance'

Article Title: Racial slurs, drunken arrest on Amsterdam flight to Houston


Snippet of Article: "...an Alabama man is locked up in Houston facing at least 2 federal charges. Houston Police officers say they were called to the gate to meet the arriving Continental flight from Amsterdam, and they found two Federal Air Marshals with a Texas man under arrest...."


Source: www.examiner.com
see the FBI 'Department of Justice' Press Release on this Incident here: Alabama Man Charged with Interfering with a Flight Crew and Assaulting Federal Air Marshal

Impersonating a Federal Agent

Article Title: Man arrested on charges of impersonating federal agent and 'deporting' distant cousin's wife [Updated]


Snippet of Article: "...man has been arrested on suspicion of posing as a federal marshal to kidnap a distant cousin’s wife and put her on a plane to the Philippines, police said Wednesday...."


Source: latimes.com
impersonating a Federal Agent

Friday, February 12, 2010

Government Jobs -vs- Private Sector

Article Title: For both government and private-sector workers, grass is greener on other side


Snippet of Article: "...during the dark days of the Great Recession, the sexiest fringe benefit to any job became security. Stodgy is hot. Civil servants = genius! Visits to federal jobs site USAJobs.gov were up 18 percent..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Officials plan to expand federal hiring despite spending freeze



Article Title: Officials plan to expand federal hiring despite spending freeze




Snippet of Article: "...federal employment probably will continue to grow.

The reason: The departments exempted from the freeze -- Defense, State, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs -- are growth areas ..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com




Wednesday, February 10, 2010

OPM director considers overhaul of civil service system

Article Title: OPM director considers overhaul of civil service system


Snippet of Article: "...The document dealt with a broad range of federal employee issues and spent a considerable amount of ink justifying why they get paid as well as they do. Federal workers are, on average, an older and better educated lot ..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Can military time count toward csrs retirement?

Article Title: Can military time count toward csrs retirement?


Yes, under Public Law 97-253, you can have your military service time after 1956 count toward your Civil Service Retirement. However, individuals that first became subject to Civil Service Retirement System deductions after Oct. 1, 1982, must make a deposit to receive credit for their military service in their CSRS or FERS annuity. CSRS covered employees prior to Oct. 1, 1982, may choose not to make the deposit and still receive credit toward the annuity, but would, if they are eligible for Social Security benefits, would at that time lose credit for military service in their CSRS annuities and their annuities will be reduced. If you pay the deposit, you will receive credit for their military service under CSRS and Social Security.


Source: federal-newsgroup.blogspot.com

Go to OPM for more info

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Washington DC hit by several feet of snow, bringing federal government to a standstill

Article Title: Snowstorm brings US capital to a halt


Snippet of Article: "...The gigantic weather system, predicted to be one of the largest storms on record in the region, effectively brought the US federal government to a halt. Workers were sent home early on Friday and it was unclear whether federal offices would reopen tomorrow...."


Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Windfall Elimination Provision News and Reports

Article Title: Windfall Elimination Provision News and Reports

Snippet of Article: "...The windfall elimination provision (WEP) reduces Social Security retirement benefits for most retirees who collect pensions from jobs that were not covered by the program...."

Source: www.retirementsecurity.org

'Pay parity' would return

Article Title: 'Pay parity' would return

Snippet of Article: "...As most federal workers know, the administration is proposing a 1.4 percent cost-of-living increase for military and civilian employees. This "pay parity" continues a tradition that is rarely broken..."

Source: fredericksburg.com

Monday, February 1, 2010

Ex-FEMA worker, cousin plead guilty to $721K Hurricane Katrina fraud



Article Title: Ex-FEMA worker, cousin plead guilty to $721K Hurricane Katrina fraud




Snippet of Article: "...A former Federal Emergency Management Agency worker and her cousin have pleaded guilty to orchestrating one of the biggest Hurricane Katrina scams to become public since the 2005 storm...."


Source: www.latimes.com




You don't need a security clearance to get a federal job



Article Title: You don't need a security clearance to get a federal job




Snippet of Article: "...Derrick Dortch: Let me clear up a myth: There are no federal jobs with federal government agencies that require you to have a security clearance to apply and get that job. I get this question often, and many people will stop looking for federal employment because they believe this. ..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com