Wednesday Morning Federal Newsstand

Written by Jane Norris and Ruben Gomez
Edited by Suzanne Kubota

This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED:

The White House has formally introduced a much anticipated bill to set up a consumer financial protection agency. The body would oversee consumer bank and credit products, removing that power from banking regulators. It will be modeled after the Consumer Product Safety Commission and it would use employees from the Federal Reserve and other regulators to help with the agency’s start-up. The proposal is part of the administration’s attempt to overhaul the nation’s financial regulatory system.

The Obama Administration is already tracking it’s spending on the $787 Billion in Recovery funds and now they will also follow the $70 Billion spent every year on Information Technology. The new Web tool is called the IT Dashboard. It will display charts and graphs that depict agencies project performance in IT and will be housed at spending.gov.

The 2010 census still doesn’t have a confirmed director, but it does have new leaders to get the work started on the Nation’s headcount. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke appointed three former officials with the Census Bureau this week, including Kenneth Prewitt who headed the 2000 census count. Robert Groves’ confirmation vote as Census director has been stalled by Republicans in the Senate.

To the moon, on a budget: NASA’s shuttle program manager presented a plan to an independent panel reviewing the agency’s spaceflight plans. USAToday reports it includes mounting a cargo container and a space capsule for astronaut travel on the old space shuttle rocket system. The cheaper option is not as powerful as the moon program currently being designed called Constellation, but with problems plaguing the manned lunar station plan, the cheaper option is now being considered.

Two popular prescription painkillers may be banned by the FDA because of their effects on the liver. A Federal Advisory Panel narrowly voted to recommend a ban on Percocet and Vicodin. The two drugs combine a narcotic with acetaminophen, the ingredient found in over the counter drugs like Tylenol and Excedrin. The concern is that high doses of acetaminophen can cause liver damage over time. The FDA is weighing the recommendation.

The USDA and Commerce Department are set to unveil guidelines for a $7.2 billion dollar broadband stimulus program. Congress Daily reports that could happen as soon as today. The guidelines will provide telecom and cable companies with details on regulatory conditions. They’ll also outline whether unserved or underserved communities should receive most of the money. Broadband has become central to the Obama administration’s telecom policy. Three federal agencies are working together on ways to expand access and boost speed.

Other Stories We’re Following

Federal pay and benefits provisions missing from Senate bill (GovExec)

Federal Diary: OPM Chief Deploys Administrative ‘SWAT Teams’ to Speed Hiring (WashingtonPost)

USIS hiring 200 investigators (WashingtonBusinessJournal)

Registered Traveler: Data privacy, security prompts chairman’s inquiry (FederalComputerWeek)

Metro: Trains to run manually possibly for year

Former CIA officer charged in Algiers rape

Israel navy intercepts boat with ex-U.S. Rep. McKinney (CNN)

Protection sought again for giant, spitting worms

When Hammering, Women Nail It (LiveScience)

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