Federal Eye - February 6, 2011

Report: Postal workers used official credit cards for private travel and 'adult entertainment'

If the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service wants to save money it should cut back even more on pricey hotel rooms and airplane tickets, according to a new watchdog report.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 11, 2011; 9:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (57)
Categories: Oversight, Postal Service
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Federal Budget 2012: What to watch for

The release of President Obama's proposed 2012 budget on Monday begins in earnest a growing debate between the White House and Congress over government spending -- an exchange that should continue through the Spring as lawmakers first attempt to settle funding levels for fiscal 2011 before shifting to the next fiscal year.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 11, 2011; 6:40 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Budget, Eye Opener
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Ronald Reagan 'Forever Stamp' unveiled

The U.S. Postal Service today unveiled a new stamp commemorating Ronald Reagan, just days after what would have been the 40th president's 100th birthday.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 10, 2011; 1:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (29)
Categories: Postal Service
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TSA boss says he'd fire security officers who strike

Transportation Security Administration boss John Pistole said Thursday that he would fire any workers who strike or purposely slow their work over disagreements with the agency's labor policies, but cautioned that neither option is permissible anyway.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 10, 2011; 12:16 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Congress, Workplace Issues
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Fight for gays in the military isn't ending anytime soon

Debate over gays in the military isn't likely to end once President Obama and Pentagon leaders officially end enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell."

By Ed O'Keefe | February 10, 2011; 7:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Eye Opener
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State Department launches Arabic Twitter feed

The State Department -- already pretty good at the social media thing -- is now using Twitter to transmit its thoughts to the Arab world in ... Arabic.

By Ed O'Keefe and James Buck | February 9, 2011; 2:58 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Agencies and Departments
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Postal Service had $329 million loss in first quarter

The U.S. Postal Service delivered more bad news Wednesday, announcing it lost hundreds of millions of dollars during its first quarter because of costly health-care payments for its future retirees.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 9, 2011; 11:53 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Postal Service
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Watchdog agency watches itself in new report

A new internal investigation by the Government Accountability Office concludes that errors in a recent report about for-profit colleges were not the result of personal bias or conflicts of interest.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 9, 2011; 6:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Eye Opener, Oversight
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Medal of Honor recipient Sal Giunta leaving Army

Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta, the first living service member from the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq to receive the Medal of Honor, will leave the Army in mid-June of this year, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 8, 2011; 5:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Military
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Navy sets deadline for completion of post-'don't ask, don't tell' training

The Navy said Tuesday it plans to complete its training of sailors regarding the end of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy by June 30, becoming the first branch of the military to publicly disclose its plans for training personnel about ending the ban on gays in the military.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 8, 2011; 4:25 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Military
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President Obama's big business outreach (Video)

The Federal Eye appeared Monday on TBD's "Capital Insider with Morris Jones" to discuss President Obama's first speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and his plans to work more with the American business community.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 8, 2011; 3:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Administration, Video Report
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Reporter gets deep look inside the Secret Service

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder is out with a deep, detailed profile of the U.S. Secret Service, in what he calls the first opportunity a reporter has ever had "to see the process from the inside in a real-world, real-time situation."

By Ed O'Keefe | February 8, 2011; 1:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: About the Blog, Agencies and Departments, FY-Eye
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GOP trying again to block TSA collective bargaining rights

Republicans have kept union representatives from negotiating on behalf of airport security screeners since Congress established the Transportation Security Administration after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and with the Obama administration on the verge of granting limited collective bargaining rights to transportation security officers, they're trying yet again.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 8, 2011; 11:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Workplace Issues
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What is a 'Presidential Alert'?

The Federal Communications Commission has approved plans to hold the first test of a "Presidential Alert," or a broadcast warning that might be issued in the event of a serious natural disaster or terrorism threat.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 8, 2011; 5:53 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Administration
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Republicans want information on timing, scope of Bush-era Cabinet probe

Congressional Republicans are asking the federal government's independent watchdog office to explain why it took almost four years to release a report alleging that at least seven Cabinet secretaries from George W. Bush's administration violated federal law restricting the political activities of top government officials.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 7, 2011; 4:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Congress, Oversight
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In Chamber of Commerce speech, Obama mentions reorganization, regulation plans

President Obama reiterated Monday that his plans to reorganize the federal government will begin with the 12 agencies responsible for trade.

By Ed O'Keefe | February 7, 2011; 12:03 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Administration, Budget
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Cost to build digital archive could hit $1.4 billion, federal auditors say

The cost of building a digital system to gather, preserve and give the public access to the records of the federal government has ballooned as high as $1.4 billion, and the project could go as much as 41 percent over budget, government auditors reported Friday.

By Lisa Rein | February 7, 2011; 10:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Oversight
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President Obama visits the Chamber of Commerce; Dick Cheney calls Mubarak a 'friend'; DOD buys Gulf Coast seafood; NASA's 360-degree view of the sun

By Ed O'Keefe | February 7, 2011; 7:20 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Eye Opener
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Federal Eye: February 6, 2011 - February 12, 2011