Federal Insights

  • In addition to the killing of Mustafa Ahmed Muhammad Uthman Abu al-Yazid, one of Al Qaida\'s most senior commanders, now comes word that another, less senior, but still important target has been killed as well. Osama bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Damjan Al-Dawsari was reportedly killed when he was attending a meeting in the house of Omar Khaitab, a close associate of militant commander Maulvi Nazir in South Waziristan on May 28, 2010. Locals say that Khaitab, two other tribesmen and an Afghan national were killed in the attack. A top U.S. counter- terrorism analyst says, with the killing of Abu al Yazid and now al Dawsari, \"it looks like the U.S. intelligence community is dialed into a very good Intel channel.\"

    June 03, 2010
  • The former leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro says if the U.S launched a nuclear strike against Iran, President Barack Obama would definitely win another term. In an opinion column published by Cuban state media, the reclusive Castro, says North Korea\'s recent sinking of a South Korean frigate is a good opening for the U.S. to launch an attack against the North Koreans. Castro also suggested that Mr Obama getting bad advice from his advisors.

    June 03, 2010
  • Former U.S. Rep. Bob Edgar (D-Pa.) President and CEO, Common Cause John Threlkeld AFGE Legislative Representative Isaiah Poole Executive Editor, OurFuture.org

    June 03, 2010
  • U.S. military tanker aircraft have suspended refueling operations at Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan. A new contract is being renegotiated with interim government in that country. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said refueling for KC-135 aerial refueling tankers had been shifted to a new refueling location, which was not disclosed for security reasons. Whitman said the move has not disrupted U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, and the movement of troops and supplies through Manas have not be affected.

    June 01, 2010
  • After days of days of promotion and preparation --the Obama administration has released its national security strategy. The document identifies what the administration calls four enduring U.S. national interests. 1)The security of the United States, its citizens, and U.S. allies and partners. 2) A strong, innovative, and growing U.S. economy that promotes opportunity and prosperity. 3) Respect for universal values at home and around the world. 4) And more international cooperation to meet global challenges.

    June 01, 2010
  • The brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Ahmad Wali Karzai has become a target of NATO --so to speak. British Major General Nick Carter, a top commander in Afghanistan said his plan is to reduce his role in the day-to-day governing of Kandahar. The president\'s brother has been accused of ties to drug traffickers for many years and represents an impediment to transparency in Afghanistan. Carter\'s goals is to see to it that the actual governor of the Kandahar province gets to govern.

    June 01, 2010
  • The Department of Defense has announced it will use the FBI-owned and maintained eGuardian suspicious activity reporting system as a long-term solution to ensure access to appropriate threat information. The announcement follows two years of analysis and a six-month pilot program, and a recommendation this past January by the DoD Independent Review related to the shootings at Fort Hood that DoD adopt a reporting system for documenting, storing, and exchanging threat information. Those using the system will be trained with regard to the protection of civil liberties. Through its use, DoD law enforcement and security personnel will be able to share potential terrorist threats, terrorist events, and suspicious activity information with other state, local, tribal, federal law enforcement agencies, state fusion centers, and the FBI\'s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

    May 31, 2010
  • A new ocean observing system from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now offers mariners free real-time information on water level, wind, and weather conditions for the Sabine-Neches Waterway of Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas. The so-called PORTS system provides observations of tides, currents, water and air temperature, barometric pressure, and wind speed, gusts and direction through an easy-to-use Web portal and by phone. NOAA officials say the system will significantly reduce the risk of vessel groundings and increase the amount of cargo moved though the waterway by enabling mariners to safely use nearly every inch of a channel. The system also allows big ships to time their arrivals and departures more efficiently. There are 19 such other PORTS systems located throughout the nation. A new ocean observing system from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now offers mariners free real-time information on water level, wind, and weather conditions for the Sabine-Neches Waterway of Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas. The so-called PORTS system provides observations of tides, currents, water and air temperature, barometric pressure, and wind speed, gusts and direction through an easy-to-use Web portal and by phone. NOAA officials say the system will significantly reduce the risk of vessel groundings and increase the amount of cargo moved though the waterway by enabling mariners to safely use nearly every inch of a channel. The system also allows big ships to time their arrivals and departures more efficiently. There are 19 such other PORTS systems located throughout the nation.

    May 31, 2010
  • The Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health have launched a new Web site that, when fully developed, will provide a mechanism for the reporting of pre- and post-market safety data to the federal government. Currently, the Web site can be used to report safety problems related to foods, including animal feed, as well as adverse events that might happen in relation to human gene transfer trials. Consumers can also use the site to report problems with pet foods and pet treats. The new site, called the Safety Reporting Portal, is meant to provide greater and easier access to online reporting. FDA officials say it\'s a first step toward a common electronic reporting system that will offer one-stop shopping, allowing people to file a single report that may be of interest to several agencies.

    May 31, 2010
  • A lot goes in to setting up an effective home office.

    May 31, 2010
  • John Gage AFGE National President Dwight Bowman AFGE 14th District National Vice President

    May 27, 2010
  • A study funded by the National Institutes of Health - using an electro-encephalogram, a machine that records the brain\'s electrical activity - shows newborn infants are capable of a simple form of learning while they\'re asleep. The finding may one day lead to a test that can identify infants at risk for developmental disorders. The NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development sponsors research on development, before and after birth. The machine measured the babies brain\'s electrical activity while a video camera recorded each baby\'s facial expressions, as researchers played a tone, as a machine blew a puff of air at each sleeping infant\'s eyelids. The electroencephalogram detected changes in brain wave activity that occurred simultaneously with the tone, showing the infants had learned to associate the tone with the puff of air.

    May 25, 2010
  • Summer may be the time for hitting the trail or rafting the gorge, but before heading out, the National Park Service is encouraging visitors to spend at least a little time planning an itinerary, negotiating routes, and researching the environs of where they\'re going. And, they have a new website to help out. The National Park Service\'s 2010 Summer Adventure trip planning website connects visitors to travel resources, events and services at national parks across the country. The website links visitors to sites of interest, lodging, upcoming events and tips to get the most out of the nation\'s parks. An interactive calendar makes it easier to search for special events by state, or by park. Last year more than 285 million people visited national parks. The website is at www- dot-nps-dot-gov.

    May 25, 2010
  • Scientists at the Nuclear Science and Technology Division of the U.S. Department of Energy\'s Oak Ridge National Lab are bringing together decades of nuclear energy and safety expertise with high-performance computing to effectively address a range of nuclear energy - and security-related - challenges. One of the goals of the Lab\'s Nuclear Science and Technology Division is to bring together what we know about nuclear energy, nuclear national security modeling, and simulation capabilities with high-performance computing. That will solve problems that were previously unthinkable, or impractical, in terms of the computing power required to address them. One example is using computational methods and software to simulate radiation, in order to support the design and safety of nuclear facilities.

    May 25, 2010