Federal Drive

Tuesday Morning Federal Newscast – March 29th

USPS names the new deputy postmaster TSA fires spell-casting Wiccan

Federal News Network Staff

March 29, 2011 9:38 am

3 min read

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Amy Morris discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air.

A government shutdown, for now, not only looks possible – it seems likely. As the clock ticks toward April 8th, spending cut talks between Senate Democrats and House Republicans have broken down. While Dems say they’re ready to cut another $20 billion from the budget, they haven’t sent that proposal to House Republicans, because they don’t know if it will be accepted.
The TSP Roth 401(k) option is still an option, but it’s going to take a little while longer. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has decided to push back the launch of the highly-anticipated program from January 2012 to April. The postponement is designed to give federal payroll offices more time to prepare their systems. By moving the option to April, TSP avoids launching the Roth option during its busiest transaction season. Roths receive contributions from income after taxes.
The United States Postal Service has a new second in command. Capitol Hill staffer Ronald Stroman is set to become the new deputy postmaster general on April 4th. The Postal Service had put out a lengthy job description looking for the right person for the job. Stroman brings more than 30 years of government and legislative experience to the job. He’ll be expected to be the new face of USPS, overseeing outreach and communication with congressional and industry leaders. This marks the first time the deputy position has been filled from the outside.
President Obama tells the nation, he wants to see Libyan strongman Moamar Kadaffi leave office. But the President rules out using military action to make that happen. In a televised speech at National Defense University in Washington, Mr. Obama says the American-led initial attacks on Libyan military installations stopped Kadaffi’s assault on Libyan rebels. He says not stopping what he calls a potential slaughter would have been a betrayal of American values. The President says NATO would take command of the Libyan operation by Wednesday.
VA hospitals are using data on health outcomes to improve the care they deliver. The Wall Street Journal reports hospitals are acting on information that had been kept secret. But VA Secretary Eric Shinseki ordered hospital statistics posted online. Data on 152 VA hospitals has been public since November. The data show how likely patients are to survive a visit without complications at a given hospital. It also shows infection rates and instances of return visits. The Journal reports, the VA has fired some doctors based on the statistics.
SAIC’s deal with NASA may be worth $1.3 billion. The Washington Business Journal reports the contractor has won the NASA Integrated Communications Services contract, to provide managerial and technical expertise for the space agency. The award is part of an IT upgrade at NASA. The contract has a three year base period, but can last an additional eight years.
The Transportation Security Agency has fired a Transportation Security Officer after a co-worker complained that she’d been casting spells on her. MSNBC reports that Carole Smith is a practicing Wiccan. She had been in the job at New York’s Albany International Airport for seven months when her supervisor told her he had to investigate a threat of workplace violence. A co-worker accused Smith of casting a spell on her car heater one snowy night, causing it not to work. The supervisor suggested that she enter the TSA’s Integrated Conflict Management System to help dispel misconceptions about her religious practice. She refused, and was fired. Smith filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint, the administrative judge ruled against her in December, and she filed an appeal. She wants her job, assignment to a different airport and back pay.