National & World Headlines

  • The two departments are looking for "quick wins" in their integrated health-record strategy, aiming to bring the most important capabilities online three years early.

    February 06, 2013
  • Forrest Morgeson, director of research at the American Customer Satisfaction Index, has some good news for some agencies. Agriculture Department official Kevin Concannon says USDA is claiming victory in its battle against fraud. Jordy Yager of The Hill newspaper explains why some on Capitol Hill are talking about Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) Tom Day, USPS' chief sustainability officer, shares news of the Postal Service's successful conservation efforts.

    February 06, 2013
  • A little more than 15 months after the Pentagon repealed its ban on openly gay service members, the military is on the brink of extending some benefits to the same-sex partners of service members, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta hasn't made a final decision on which benefits will be included, but the Pentagon is expected to allow same-sex partners to have access to the on-base commissary and other military subsidized stores.

    February 06, 2013
  • Uncomfortable with the Obama administration's use of deadly drones, a growing number in Congress is looking to limit America's authority to kill suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens.

    February 06, 2013
  • Are you sick of hearing the F-word coming out of Washington? Would you offer yourself up as buyout bait? If the answer to either is yes, check out Senior Correspondent Mike Causey's Federal Report for the latest forecast.

    February 06, 2013
  • The Associated Press is reporting, South Korean and U.S. troops began naval drills Monday in a show of force partly directed at North Korea amid signs that Pyongyang will soon follow through on a threat to conduct its third atomic test. The region has also seen a boost in diplomatic activity since last month, when North Korea announced it would conduct a nuclear test to protest U.N. Security Council sanctions toughened after a satellite launch in December that the U.S. and others say was a disguised test of banned missile technology.

    February 05, 2013
  • Robert Litan discusses a Bloomberg Government study about rule-making in the Obama administration. Michael Tinsley, CEO of NeoSystems Corp., offers insight on how furloughs might affect federal contractors. Procurement attorney Joe Petrillo weighs in on a a 2012 Supreme Court case that could come back to bite federal agencies facing budget cuts under sequestration. Gregory Wilshusen discusses a new GAO report on how prepared agencies are to fend of online assaults. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service talks about sequestration and the threat of furloughs.

    February 05, 2013
  • Army leadership is looking to improve coordination among its mental health programs and other soldier-resilience efforts, acknowledging Monday that a patchwork system of tools is often confusing for both commanders and soldiers.

    February 05, 2013
  • Thanks to top government officials, we now have the definitive answer as to whether the government will have a series of furloughs and if so how they will work. The answer is either yes or no. There seems to be a little confusion at the top, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

    February 05, 2013
  • Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has decided against moving the U.S. military's headquarters overseeing Africa from Germany to the United States, concluding the benefits of staying in Europe closer to African hot spots - are worth the extra cost, officials say. Reuters is reporting, the Pentagon notified Congress of its decision this week. Some lawmakers had been pushing for Africa Command to move stateside, with South Carolina and Georgia promoted as possible locations.

    February 04, 2013
  • Terry Weaver, president of Weaver Consulting, discusses an overhauled version of Section 508 regulations. Jamison Cush, chief editor of TechTarget's Technology Guide, talks about the new BlackBerry Z-10. Tom Lee, director of Sunlight Labs, explains what's behind "Docket Wrench," a new tool to make it easier to track actions related to proposed rules.

    February 04, 2013
  • Shortfalls in operating accounts would mean military units would be undertrained, underequipped and unable to deploy by the end of fiscal 2013, senior DoD officials predict.

    February 04, 2013
  • Senator Chuck Hagel on himself. "No one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me." He made the statement during a day of tough questions in his quest to be the next Secretary of Defense. He was challenged over his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Sen. Lindsey Graham was harshly critical of Hagel for failing to sign letters in past years designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization and backing Israel.

    February 01, 2013
  • Sharon Roth of the Merit Systems Protection Board discusses a new survey on federal management. Lt. Cmdr. Jean Marie Sullivan of the Navy Office of Women's Policy talks about the new DoD decision to open up combat jobs to women. Greg Kutz, a senior audit executive with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Audit, talks about a new report his agency released. Keith Lucas, vice president for AFGE Council 228, discusses a new contract his union signed with the Small Business Administration.

    February 01, 2013