Wednesday Morning Federal Newsstand

Written by Ruben Gomez Edited by Suzanne Kubota This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED: Just midway into the fiscal year and the federal deficit alr...

Written by Ruben Gomez
Edited by Suzanne Kubota

This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED:

Just midway into the fiscal year and the federal deficit already stands at nearly $1-trillion dollars. The Congressional Budget Office says those numbers include $290-billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Last month, CBO projected a $1.7 trillion dollar shortfall. That number could climb higher if President Obama’s proposals for the fiscal year become reality.

There’s a new call in congress to halt the growth of pay-for-performance. Eight House Democrats have asked the Office of Management and Budget to stop agencies from adding new workers to performance-based pay systems. The lawmakers want OMB to conduct a comprehensive review of performance-based pay. Federal unions say the systems are discriminatory and lack transparency. Last month, the Pentagon said it would stop adding workers until a review of its system is completed.

As early as this week, the Postal Service could start consolidating delivery routes in order to save money. FederalTimes reports the agency is nearing an agreement with one of its largest unions. The Postmaster General says the move would help his agency address dropping mail volumes.

A judge orders a criminal probe of the federal prosecutors in the corruption case against former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. The prosecutors are accused of misconduct and withholding evidence. The judge dismissed the case against Stevens. The criminal probe could prove career-ending for the prosecutors.

Sprint is the latest vendor to offer secure internet gateway services under the Networx telecom contract. The General Services Administration has added the company under Networx Enterprise. So far, five awards have been made for trusted internet connection services. The program aims to reduce the number of Internet connections in government networks.

Other Stories We’re Watching:

Fort Meade to start work on new Defense Media Activity Hq (WashingtonBusinessJournal)

Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies (WallStJournal)

Scientist sentenced in rocket technology case

‘House’ actor Kal Penn joins White House team

Chia Obama pulled from Tampa’s Walgreens (Tampa Tribune)

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.