Tuesday Morning Federal Newsstand

Written by Ruben Gomez
Edited by Suzanne Kubota

This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED:

The Census Bureau gets its new boss. The Senate has confirmed Dr. Robert Groves as the agency’s new director. Roll Call reports that Groves’ nomination had been held up by Republicans worried he would use statistical sampling instead of a full count in the upcoming 2010 census. But Groves said he would not support that method.

The Pentagon is looking for contractors to help detect and fight distributed denial of service attacks. That’s what took down a slew of federal Web sites around Independence Day. The Defense Information Systems Agency has put out a request for information. FCW reports DISA’s looking for products that can help administrators keep better tabs on traffic entering and exiting their networks.

The Office of Management and Budget has overrided the Government Accountability Office on small business contracting. OMB is directing agencies (pdf) not to implement GAO recommendations on HUBZone firms. At issue is a decision indicating that agencies should contract with HUBZone businesses when two of those firms are expected to bid at fair market price. OMB says doing that may put other small companies at a DISadvantage. The White House is conducting a legal review.

Federal contracting is supposed to be fair, but a new audit indicates that Alaska Native Corporations are getting an unfair advantage. The Small Business Administration’s inspector general says spending on those contracts skyrocketed by more than 1,300 percent between 2000 and 2008, according to the FederalTimes. Under law, Alaska Native Corporations can receive sole-source contracts of any value. Other small firms have to compete when an award is worth more than $3.5 million dollars.

Congressional demands are growing for an investigation into a secret CIA program to kill or capture al-Qaida leaders at close range. The plan was concealed from Congress for eight years, and some lawmakers say that violated oversight laws. Sources say the operation never got off the ground. CIA Director Leon Panetta canceled the program last month after he first learned of it.

President Obama has renewed his threat to veto the 2010 defense authorization bill. The Senate has started debate, and at issue is a provision to continue funding production of the F-22 fighter jet. The Pentagon has called for an end to the program. The administration says making more jets would be a waste.

Other Stories We’re Following

DOD seeks defense against denial-of-service attacks (FCW)

Steven Rattner leaving auto task force

Sotomayor to face senators’ questions at hearings

Chips in official IDs raise privacy fears

China stops shock therapy for Internet addicts

10 Cities With the Most Job Postings Per Capita (U.S. News & World Report)

Cats Do Control Humans, Study Finds (LiveScience)

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