Tuesday Morning Federal Newsstand

Written by Ruben Gomez
Edited by Suzanne Kubota

This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED:

On Hold: A Bush White House proposal to toss out the so-called time-in-grade rule. That requires General Schedule workers to serve in their current grades for at least 52 weeks before they can get promoted, but OPM has delayed the rule’s elimination until August. They want more time to consider the change. And they’re asking for comments from now thru June 10.

The Program Assessment Rating Tool is getting an overhaul. The White house says it’s shifting away from a grading system that flags programs as successful or unsuccessful. Instead, agency heads will need to set priorities and show how they’re meeting them using research-based evaluations. The Office of Management and Budget says that over the next few months it’ll work with agencies to implement the changes. You can find details in the Analytical Perspectives section of the President’s 2010 budget proposal.

The White House Office of Health Reform gets a twin at the Department of Health and Human Services. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has set up an HHS office of health reform. The staff there will work alongside their Pennsylvania Avenue counterparts. The news comes in tandem with an announcement that several private hospitals and insurance companies will work with the President to reduce the cost of healthcare by $2-trillion dollars over the next 10 years.

Cloud computing gets new life in the president’s 2010 budget request. The White House says it’s planning a series of pilot projects using “the cloud” to transform the Information Technology Line of Business. The goal is beefed-up cost savings. The tests will include several agencies.

Microsoft says it’ll deliver its latest operating system by the holidays. Windows 7 will serve as a replacement for the much criticized Vista. Developers got a sneak peak at the new software last week. Many federal agencies are still using Windows XP. Support for that operating system will be dropped once Windows 7 is released.

Northrop Grumman has delivered the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier: the USS George H.W. Bush. Delivery was delayed last month after an unidentified material was found in two of the ship’s emergency generators. In all, the Navy paid close to $6.3 billion dollars for the ship. The carrier measures as long as three football fields and has two nuclear reactors. It can go 20 years without refueling.

Other Stories We’re Watching:

Treasury nominee can keep corporate pay (WashingtonTimes)

Nephew Mentioned Rep. Murtha in Dealings as Contractor (WashingtonPost)

Shuttle Atlantis races after Hubble Telescope

Tougher Smoking Policy Puts Union in Tight Spot (WashingtonPost)

Study: Many more swine flu cases than confirmed

Postal service: Worker stole $20,000 in stamps for mortgage (CNN)

Poll: Fewer Americans vacationing this summer

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