Federal Newscast

In today’s Federal Newscast, the State Department plans to spend almost a billion dollars to modernize four key services under the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today’s Federal Newscast, Raphael Sanchez, former chief counsel for Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Office of Principal Legal Advisor used the identities of undocumented immigrants to open fraudulent lines of credit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) has offered legislation to give federal employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson reported that changes in the new tax law will create hurdles for IRS in preparing for next filing season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, women still only make up a fraction of federal law enforcement officials. The Justice Department's Office of Inspector General says it found women accounted for only 16 percent of criminal investigators in DOJ’s law enforcement components and were more likely to be passed up for promotions in their agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In its 2019 proposal, the House Budget Committee wants federal employees to contribute more toward a defined benefit retirement plan. And, it again seeks to end the special Social Security supplement for federal workers who retire before age 62. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three more Senate Democrats have added their voices to leaders of government worker unions in opposing President Trump's recent worforce executve orders. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) wrote to the president saying they're willing to work with the executive branch to modernize the federal workforce, but they say those orders threaten attempts to build better labor management relationships. At least two unions have filed suit to stop the president's actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All hope is not lost for federal civilian employees looking for a pay raise in 2019. The Senate Appropriations Committee has cleared the Financial Services and General Government bill with a recommendation an increase in pay by 1.9 percent next fiscal year.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, over 30 veterans service organizations ask Senate and House Veterans Affairs leadership to help secure specific funding for the VA MISSION Act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today’s Federal Newscast on Federal News Radio, 45 Democratic Senators write to President Trump to express their concern with the White House’s recent trio of federal workforce executive orders on employee accountability, official time, and collective bargaining. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, a new study by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission highlights the trouble federal agencies are having recruiting and hiring women to law enforcement positions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, a whistleblower and the Office of Special Counsel say inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration cleared planes for take off even though they did not have all of the needed safety information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council created a new rule to enforce the Homeland Security Department's ban on the Russian cybersecurity company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, the Veterans Affairs Department publishes the ratings of its 130 community living centers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, The Interior Department's inspector general reported at least two of the nation's largest hydropower dams face a high cyber risk from insider threats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, House Democrats continued their campaign to oust Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt. This time, Pruitt is the target of a report that suggests he purposely delayed the release of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson reports low-income Americans are still being targeted by private debt collectors hired by the IRS, despite her year-old recommendation to stop the practice.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast on Federal News Radio, former Defense Secretary Ash Carter calls the idea of a separate branch of the military devoted to space is a bad idea.  Carter says creating a space force would make the domain even more separated from the military branches than it is now. “We need to head in the direction of integration, he said speaking at Mitre’s 2018 Space Computing and Connected Enterprise Resiliency Conference in Massachusetts. The Defense Department under Carter tried to do that with the creation of the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center, which is now called the National Defense Space Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today’s Federal Newscast, a bill out of the Senate would require all open recommendations from agency inspectors general that are over a year old to posted to a searchable website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's Federal Newscast on Federal News Radio, after winning the four remaining protests holding up the  multiple award IT services governmentwide contract, the General Services Administration says agencies will soon be able to order IT services from the more than 60 vendors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.