Monday Morning Federal Newscast – May 3rd

NTEU files motion to end internship program, VA finds eHealth bug, 8a Contracting program riddled with fraud

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear end to the Federal Career Intern Program. The President of the National Treasury Employees Union, Colleen Kelly, says the program undercuts merit-based hiring principles. She says that agencies are misusing it. NTEU has petitioned a federal court to suspend the program.

  • It’s the computer system the government has set up to finish off the 2010 census. And there’s a report that says the system may not be quite up to the job. The U.S. Government Accountability Office says the system hasn’t shown it’s up to meeting the peak requirements of the census as it gears up to account for those who didn’t return their forms by mail. In a statement, Census Director Robert Groves says the problem stems from a change from a handheld device system to a paper-based system. Other than the concerns about the computer system, GAO believes the Census Bureau is in position to finish the door-to-door count, which began over the weekend.
  • Veterans Affairs has discovered a bug in its e-health records system that caused a mixup in patient data. NextGov reports the problem first surfaced in March when a doctor tried to access prescription records on a female patient. What turned up was information for an erectile dysfunction drug. The system allows VA to share information with the Defense Department. VA says it’s working to correct the problem.
  • For the third year in a row, the Government Accountability Office has found fraud and abuse in the 8(a) program that gives small and disadvantaged companies an advantage in federal contracting. A report released Friday identifies 14 companies receiving $325 million in set-aside or sole-source contracts they weren’t entitled too. Some of the firms’ principals owned expensive yachts and multimillion dollar waterfront homes while claiming to be disadvantaged.
  • New rules to speed up employee dispute arbitration are out from the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Appeals periods start the day after an arbitrator makes and award, instead of the same day. There are wider grounds on which managements or labor can ask for expedited decision. And there’s a longer filing period to ask for alternative dispute resolution. FLRA chairwoman Carol Waller Pope said the changes are part of a continuing reform effort.
  • The Defense Department wants to be a more active player in world markets for critical raw materials. It plans to offer Congress a plan for overhauling its critical materials stockpile, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Strategic Materials Security Program would let the Pentagon buy and store certain elements without waiting for Congressional approval. Military leaders say changing technology and growing competition from China means they need more discretion in playing markets for commodities crucial to national security, such as cobalt, lithium and zinc.

  • More news links

    Obama heads to Gulf; govt defends spill operation

    Obama, Bloomberg talk about NYC car bomb

    Military tells Congress to keep gay ban for now

    Computer-security event seeks to spur int’l talks

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