Friday Morning Federal Newscast – May 27th

Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team working in Joplin, Texas vs. TSA: Texas blinks

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.

  • The House has passed a $690 billion dollar Defense Authorization bill for 2012. It gives members of the military a 1.6 percent raise, but it also increases TRICARE health care fees for retirees by up to $60 per year. The fee increase is the first for TRICARE in 15 years. The bill also denies annual raises for all federal workers whose job performance is unsatisfactory. Plus, it delays repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the policy that banned gays from openly serving. The Senate Armed Services Committee begins crafting its version of the defense bill the week of June 13.
  • The Postal Service plans to hand out Specific Reduction-In-Force notices to its employees today. Postal workers will receive RIF notices if they did not receive an assignment; if they received a demotion to a lower-grade position; or if they received a reassignment to a same-grade position. According to the agency’s Organizational Redesign FAQ, employees who are assigned a new position will begin that new position on September 10th. Employees who received separation notices will be separated effective Sept. 9th. USPS has not said how many employees will receive RIFs today.
  • The Senate has caught up on its homework. It passes an Intelligence Authorization bill. For 2011, that is, with four months left in the fiscal year. There’s some history there. The 2010 intelligence authorization bill was the first to clear Congress in six years. The hang-ups have been caused by friction between the White House and Congress over controversial items such as enhanced interrogation techniques. The House is a little ahead of the game. Yesterday the Intelligence Committee passed a 2012 version of the of an intelligence bill.
  • The Patriot Act has been extended for another four years. Congress passed the extension Thursday. The White House says President Obama signed the bill just after midnight. Because the President is in France, the Patriot Act was signed into law with an autopen machine. That can only be done with the proper authorization of the president. The Patriot Act allows law enforcement to continue post-Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists.
  • The House has voted to limit parking at the new MARC Center building in Alexandria, Virginia – until traffic improvements can be made. The language was included in the 2012 Defense Authorization Bill that was voted through on Thursday. It would limit parking to 1,000 people. The MARC Center has 3,000 parking spaces. Representative Jim Moran of Virginia says the amendment was critical for preventing congestion when more than 6,400 civilian defense workers move in later this year. The provision also allows the Defense Secretary to delay seven relocations under Base Realignment and Closure for up to a year. The Defense Bill now moves to the Senate.
  • Computer Sciences Corporation profits fell by a third last quarter. Its stocks tumbled 13 percent yesterday. Washington Business Journal reports that CSC will miss its 2011 sales estimates. The government information technology contractor is facing delayed government contracts and an SEC accounting investigation. CSC has about 10,000 Washington-area employees.
  • Seventy five federal investigators have joined the effort to identity those killed in tornado strikes that leveled much of Joplin, Missouri. The Wall Street Journal reports a temporary morgue has been set up in a warehouse. Joined by volunteers and two coroners, the federal workers are examining the bodies for identifying marks such as tattoos or piercings. Five dentists are checking teeth. All of the information is being entered into a database. Survivors aren’t allowed into the 25,000 square foot facility. It contains some 100 victims. More than 200 people are listed as missing in Joplin.
  • The State of Texas drops an anti-gropping law aimed at preventing TSA pat downs – after the federal government threatens to shut down all the airports in Texas. The bill would have made it misdemeanor for TSA agents to do the intensive pat downs. The penalty – a $4,000 dollar fine or up to a year in jail. The TSA blogged its response, saying states are barred by the U.S. Constitution from regulating the federal government. It said the bill could lead to shut down of every airport in Texas. The bill had passed the state House, but after the TSA response it lost support. The Lt. Governor pulled the bill.

More news links

State Department names diplomat as new spokeswoman

Heavy snows spoil weekend holiday plans in West

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