The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear street closures for the Nuclear Security Summit are expected to cause headaches, but a memo from OPM Director John Berry to all Chief Human Capital Officers says government offices will be open and operating. Telework and Alternative Work Schedules are options for many feds, and if all else fails, OPM suggests feds who can’t deal with the traffic consider taking leave.
All cabinet-level agencies have met the deadline to release their open government plans. The blueprints outline how components of executive branch will move forward on transparency using technology and traditional means of communication. The plans were required by the president’s Open Government Initiative. The White House will now review them to see if they meet requirements.
Got a cell phone in one hand while driving? You’ll get a ticket in the other hand. That’s the goal of a new Transportation Department initiative to stop drivers from using mobile devices. Secretary Ray LaHood says DOT will fund pilot projects targeting distracted drivers in Syracuse, New York and Hartford, Connecticut. Motorists there will face ticketing blitzes and ads highlighting the risks of distracted driving. He urged automakers to develop better hands-free communications systems in cars.
Soon it will be much easier to interact with government through Tweets, blogs and wikis without forcing federal agencies to jump through hoops set up by the Paperwork Reduction Act, reports the WashingtonPost. As part of the Obama administration’s open government directive to federal agencies, government lawyers are trying to clarify how the PRA will treat online interactions between federal agencies and the public. The government’s chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra, said the new policy will give agencies the ability to embrace the principles of interaction without having to wait months for review.
The rules are changing for how agencies and contractors report spending data. The Office of Management and Budget has directed agencies to publish information on subcontractors and grant subrecipients. In some cases, those parties must also report, including information on their highest paid officers. The directive applies to grants, contracts and task and delivery orders awarded after October 1st. The move is designed to improve the government’s public site for contract data, USASpending.gov.
Greener federal buildings spur a $4 billion dollar contracting boom. GSA says it has spent that much in stimulus funds to convert federal facilities into more eco-friendly buildings. As of last week, that translated into contracts for more than 500 firms, with projects in 50 states, two U-S territories and the District of Columbia.
Double counting, backlash by ethnic groups and systems failures are among the red-level threats to the 2010 Census count. They are detailed in a 300-page report obtained by the Associated Press in a FOIA request. The Census bureau is on high-alert to head off problems that threaten the accuracy of the count. Also on the worry list: The effect of a major disaster on population, inaccurate address lists for Puerto Rico, and contract management problems.
Stronger cloud computing standards will be the topic of a federal summit next month. Hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the May 20 meeting will bring together agencies and industry to talk about interoperability and security standards to make it easier for agencies to adopt cloud computing. Federal CIO Vivek Kundra announced the summit at a Brookings Institution conference yesterday. FCW reports, a first draft of cloud standards is expected August 1.
The National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations has approved worker-management collaboration plans submitted by 24 agencies. It sent plans back to 21 agencies, saying they needed more work. GovExec reports, failure to consult employee unions in formulating the plans was a leading reason for not approving them. The council plans to monitor agency progress in carrying out the plans in 90 days and again in six months. Creation of labor-management councils was ordered by the White House.
A former high-level Labor Department political appointee charged in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single misdemeanor count. Horace M. Cooper, 44, was indicted last year on five felony counts, including charges of conspiracy, fraudulent concealment, false statements and obstruction of an official proceeding. Cooper’s guilty plea was to a single count of failing to include sports and concert tickets he received on financial-disclosure forms. Cooper worked as chief of staff for the Labor Department’s Employment Standards Administration.
More news links
Taxpayer Could Have Kept the $600, but He Put His Country First (NYTimes)
Pepco gets federal grants for smart grids
Newfound Asteroid Will Fly Close by Earth Thursday (Space.com)
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