with Tom Temin and Jane Norris, Monday-Friday 6-10am.

AF tanker deal in question after Murtha's death

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By Suzanne Kubota
Senior Internet Editor
FederalNewsRadio.com

The death of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) may cause some shakeups in the tanker battle. As chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Murtha held considerable sway over Pentagon spending.

Paul Singer, associate editor for Roll Call, said at the time of his death, Murtha was pushing to split the deal to build the new refueling tankers between Northrop-Grumman and EADS on one side, and Boeing on the other. "Murtha," according to Singer, "ultimately said 'Listen, let's hurry up and get this done. Maybe the best way is just to split the deal.'"

Now, with Murtha gone, Norm Dicks, as the ranking member, is poised to take over as chairman. Dicks, from Seattle, "is likely to be a heavy advocate of Boeing's side of the story," said Singer.

What happens next is a difficult call, said Singer.

Keep in mind the House of Representatives also is... (long pause) basically not here. The snowstorm has shut down business on Capitol Hill. I think at this point, for the next couple of days at least, people will reflect on Mr. Murtha's contribution and start settling in towards the end of the week as to how we move forward, and how the Congress moves forward, without him.

And not just how to move forward. Singer said there is also a question of how quickly. "In theory, they (the Appropriations subcommittee) would begin marking up an appropriations bill for the Defense committee sometime in March, maybe April. Do they still meet that timeline? Do they still have the people in place to do that? I just don't know."

Rep. John "Jack" Murtha was 77. He leaves behind his wife, Joyce, three children and three grandchildren.

Read more: Air Force sets new date for tanker RFP

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Federal government grows smaller

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By many accounts, the size of government will dip slightly in 2011. But many agencies will add staff. The difference is mainly because the Census Bureau will no longer need the temporary help it's using for this year's population count. So aside from obvious candidates like the Pentagon and Homeland Security, which agencies will grow their size? And have they already started? Here with a look into the crystal ball is John Palguta, the vice president for Policy at the Partnership for Public Service.

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Ocean snails may save soldiers' lives

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Can a snail that lives deep in the ocean offer hope for better protection of soldiers? Not the snail, but its shell construction offers a model for building new and tougher body armor. Researcher Christine Ortiz is a professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, and explained this promising breakthrough.

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Olympics high-tech security, eh?

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When the 2010 Winter Olympics open this Friday in Vancouver, British Columbia, there will be teams from 70 federal, state and local agencies overseeing security for the event. They'll monitor activities from a high tech headquarters 20 miles south of Vancouver in Bellingham, Washington. This marks the first time a coordinated effort of this magnitude has been applied to a major event outside the United States. Mark Beaty is the Federal Coordinator for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He gave us a behind the scenes look at the center.

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GAO: NASA IT security has a problem

Cybersecurity Update - Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Jane Norris (6-10 a.m.) and The Daily Debrief with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris (3-7 p.m.). Listen live at FederalNewsRadio.com or on the radio at 1500 and 820 AM in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

• NASA might be changing missions under the President's 2011 budget proposal. But it still has ongoing management challenges, including cyber security. That's according to a recent Government Accountability Office report. Auditors said NASA remains vulnerable to disruptions in its IT networks, despite having made progress in adding security controls.

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Tuesday Morning Federal Newscast

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Jane Norris discuss throughout their show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air.

• Biting the weather bullets
  
  A winter storm warning in effect through 7 p.m. Wednesday.
  • Most of the snow starts this afternoon. Highs in the lower 30s.
  • Snow, heavy at times, tonight.
  • The storm continues Wednesday. Blizzard-like conditions in some areas. Highs around 30.
  • Total accumulation expected between 12 and 16 inches.
  • Complete weather information from sister-station WTOP at WTOP.com

• The Federal Government is closed today. Non-emergency employees will receive excused leave. Like yesterday, if you telework, you may need to log on -- check with your boss! Emergency workers are expected on time. In a related note, high-traffic to OPM's Web site has taken much of OPM.gov offline. So if you go there for closing information, you'll be sent to a mirror site.

• When the Federal Government closes due to snow OPM Director John Berry tells Federal News Radio that he accesses the Region Council of Governments, the National Weather Service, local transit agencies and that he monitors school closings. With more weather moving into the area, an updated decision about the operating status of the Federal Government for Wednesday will come later today.

• DC's snowpocalypse has delayed the swearing in ceremony for GSA's newly confirmed administrator Martha Johnson. Federal News Radio reported last week that the swearing in ceremony was scheduled to be today at 2pm.

• Alabama Senator Richard Shelby has removed holds on about 70 of President Obama's Executive Branch nominees. A spokesman for the senator says the holds have achieved their goal -- getting the president's attention. The Republican wants a the Air Force to build replacement refueling tankers in Alabama. He also wants the FBI to build a new explosives center in his state. Holds remain on nominees related to the Air Force tanker purchase.

• Aneesh Chopra is the federal Chief Technology Officer, but do you really know what his job is? The Congressional Research Service says the CTO's role remains undefined. The report finds the White House has yet to craft a job description. And, because the CTO's position was not set up by Congress, affecting change may be tough.

• The Federal Government's lead agency for weather research plans to launch a national climate service, reports the WashingtonTimes among others. Under the proposal, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would model the office after the National Weather Service. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says the center would study the long-range effects of climate change. Congress still needs to approve. And the idea comes amid controversy -- as the UN released a climate change report that contained errors on the melting of Himalayan glaciers.

• The Veterans Health Administration turns again to both employees and contractors for ideas. This time, FCW reports, the topic is how to improve health care services using IT and electronic health records. VHA is asking for better ways to provide care, improve workflow, and engage veterans more in their own care. The Innovation Initiative will accept ideas through February 21.

• Army leaders warn they are facing a $500 million shortfall this year in funds available for base operating accounts. The accounts pay for everything from utilities and maintenance to daycare and fitness centers. GovExec reports, Army brass are scrubbing the budget to find the money to shift to base operating accounts. Higher costs for the war in Afghanistan and for security contributed to the shortfall.

• The White House political director slipped and fell Monday, suffering a concussion and dislocating his jaw. Patrick Gaspard was recovering in a local hospital. Word of a fall came up during a conversation about the dangers of our weather with OPM Director John Berry on the Daily Debrief. The Washington Post since learned that is was Mr. Gaspard. (Editor's plea: please be careful! Sometimes we joke, we kid, but this weather really can be DANGEROUS! We'd miss you if you weren't here. sk)

DISA telecommuters can work just fine even with more snow (NextGov)

Federal government closes: Why can't they all work from home? (ChristianScienceMonitor)

What Exactly Is 'Cloud Computing'? (WallStJournal)

Feds want former NY top cop/DHS nominee to go directly to jail

And Finally...

Views from over Washington in the snow from United States Park Police Aviation

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How to attract, motivate and retain

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By Suzanne Kubota
Senior Internet Editor
FederalNewsRadio.com

The federal government is leading the way in rewarding employees, and often may not even be aware of it.

Jim Stoeckmann, a senior practice leader for non-profit World at Work, told Federal News Radio tools available to the private sector to recruit, motivate and retain employees are already in place, and being used, by the federal government.

Stoeckmann explained that pay, benefits, work-life and career development programs are part of a "total rewards" model his company has examined. "We take a look at the idea," said Stoeckmann, "that an organization's specific mission should drive an intentional selection from that total rewards toolkit that we talk about."

Elements of that tool kit are:

• Compensation
• Benefits
• Work-Life
• Performance and Recognition
• Development and Career Opportunities

For example, telework as part of work-life rewards has been part of the federal government for years, although perhaps not as much as some would like.

Telework is a great way to send a message to employees that you as an employer are looking to find a way to adapt the requirements of work to the important requirements of trying to manage a family life and a personal life. Telework affords employers the opportunity to attract and utilize more talent more of the time, around the clock. And even when there are transportation or other kinds of logistics issues, you've got the opportunity to use telework and telecommute strategies to deploy a workforce in very extraordinary circumstances. And that not only provides business continuity... but it also sends the message to employees that you're willing to be flexible and willing to have confidence and trust in their desire to do the work, get the work done, and achieve the mission of the organization.

First, said Stoeckmann, determine what talent pool you're trying to attract and retain. Then take a look at your "inventory of programs" available and see if that matches up with the pool's needs and desires.

It starts with Human Resources, according to Stoeckmann. "Thought leadership is the role HR can play to put the elements of the model together in a holistic fashion and develop a way to communicate them effectively." After that, HR should train the managers to use the tools.

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Expert: cybersecurity requires a paradigm shift

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By Suzanne Kubota
Senior Internet Editor
FederalNewsRadio.com

With cyberattacks increasing around the globe, cybersecurity is doing what it does best: trying to keep up.

That, according to Gen. Eugene Habiger (USAF, Ret.).

In fact, Habiger tells Federal News Radio the Google attack, drones being hacked, and increased media attention may be a good thing. "Hopefully these kinds of news items will increase public awareness," said Habiger, "but more importantly Congressional awareness because that's where things are going to happen - in the White House and in Congress - and Congress has been reluctant, if you will, to take any proactive action."

It's hard to blame Congress, really, for not being more proactive. Habiger concedes our nation has a long history of doing exactly that.

We, as a people, tend to react and not generally be proactive on issues regarding our national security, and it wasn't until we got kicked in the stomach with Pearl Harbor and 9-11 before we reacted. My concern, and the concerns of others, is that it's going to be very, very expensive and painful if we wait until we have a cyber-Pearl Harbor before we react. That's too late.

According to the press release announcing his white paper, "U.S. Strategy for Cyberwar and Cyberterrorism" written for the Cyber Secure Institute, Habiger draws a number of important conclusions, including these ten points (emphasis Habiger's):

1. Our nation's vital public and private IT systems are so vulnerable that they invite attack.
2. America is routinely the victim of nation-state driven cyber intrusions that can be seen as low-grade cyber-border conflicts.
3. Some of these attacks have crossed a critical line: they have compromised critical systems supporting our troops engaged in combat.
4. Our failure to proactively address these threats risks a digital Pearl Harbor or 9-11.
5. Deterrence by retribution and preemption, our nation's core national security strategies, are of limited value against cyberwar and cyberterror threats-"these rotary-phone-era strategies are not well suited for today's digital world."
6. A new approach based upon deterrence by denial is needed.
7. Achieving effective cyber deterrence by denial, or defense in-depth, will require nothing short of a total paradigm shift from both government and the private sector.
8. Across both the public and private sector we must deploy inherently secure technologies, tested and certified secure against sophisticated attacks.
9. The private sector must look beyond the balance sheet and focus on our national interests-and if need be the government must force this change.
10. We must educate the American people about the importance of cybersecurity and drive behavioral change.

Habiger said that, in his experience, "it's a react rather than a proact mode when you come to the technical details of cybersecurity."

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Jobs numbers explained

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Even though the jobless rate for January dropped from 10 percent to 9.7 percent, there were still a significant number of jobs lost. All told, the Labor Department says the recession has eliminated 8.4 million jobs. Joining us to explain the seemingly conflicting numbers and ways that Government might reverse this trend is Diana Furchtgott Roth, a senior fellow and director of Hudson Institute's Center for Employment Policy. She is the former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor.

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