Thursday morning federal headlines – Dec. 29, 2011

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive host Tom Temin 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 new year could be a good year for federal employees. Two developments in 2011 help lay the foundation for an increasingly lean and mobile federal workforce. That’s from Mike Kane, the Energy Department’s chief human capital officer. Topping Kane’s list is HR University. The online training helps hiring managers navigate important HR issues. Kane also credits a new framework for how federal workers are evaluated. It was worked out through collaboration among managers, union members and management associations. The CHCO Council named Kane as chief human capital officer of the year. (Federal News Radio)
• A new book says Gen. David Petraeus nearly quit over President Obama’s decision to quickly draw down forces from Afghanistan. But the top commander in Iraq, now the CIA director, ultimately stuck with the job. The forthcoming authorized biography is by Paula Broadwell. The book says Petraeus didn’t want to make what he felt would be a selfish, grandstanding move. Instead, the general decided to salute and carry on. Broadwell had unlimited access to Petraeus for two years, both in war zones and in Washington. (Federal News Radio)
• The Obama administration will announce a big sale of F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The deal will deliver 84 new planes. Plus, 70 existing planes will receive upgrades. The deal is worth nearly $30 billion. Sources tell the Associated Press, the plan is to bolster Saudi military strength as Iran grows more belligerent. Last year, Congress approved an administration bid to sell a total of $60 billion worth of gear. Besides F-15s, Saudi Arabia will get helicopters, missiles, bombs and delivery systems — even night vision goggles. (Federal News Radio)
• The National Credit Union Administration has launched two websites it says make tricky subjects more understandable. One site covers the NCUA’s resolution activities for troubled credit unions. The other has information on a program that gives long-term funding for distressed investments. Visitors can sort through charts and graphics showing performance of different programs and investments. Plus there’s background information on how NCUA resolutions work and a glossary. (NCUA)
• The Postal Regulatory Commission is slamming the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to close 3,600 post offices. The Commission says Postal executives used flawed research and questionable data to come up with their list of targeted facilities. USPS plans to replace many small and rural post offices with clerks in nearby retail stores. But the oversight commission says USPS used a screening process that was too simple. Chairwoman Ruth Goldway says USPS officials don’t really know which of the targeted post offices are growing and which are shrinking. USPS is expected to sustain operating losses of $14 billion in 2012. (PRC)
• The Pentagon is trimming the number of general officer positions as forces return from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Washington Post reports 27 generals and admirals have been eliminated since March. One hundred and two positions will be cut altogether. Nearly half will come from commands in Iraq and Afghanistan. The cuts are part of a broader plan to reduce brass creep by 10 percent over five years. The Pentagon’s goal is to shrink the ranks of top leadership to what they were before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Vice Adm.William Gortney is director of the Joint Staff. He says the reductions will make the military more nimble. (The Washington Post)
• The government will pay more than $17 million to a family that lost four of its members in a military jet crash. The mother, two children and a grandmother were killed when a Marine Corps jet crashed into their San Diego home in 2008. The Marine Corps says the its engine failed but a series of bad decisions led the student pilot to bypass a potentially safe landing at a Navy base. He was able to eject in time. The military disciplined 13 members of the Marines and the Navy for the errors. (Federal News Radio)

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