Oversight
Drugs, guns and violence dominate Blackwater hearing
Contractor accused of swiping guns belonging to Afghan police; weapons later were used in deadly shooting.
Defense
Northrop's Hill allies hit tanker RFP
Company officials have threatened to pull out of the competition amid concerns of favoritism.
Defense
Lawmakers criticize shipbuilding budget
Members of both parties call proposed fiscal 2011 funding insufficient to build the fleet needed.
Pay & Benefits
Watchdog says FDA should fine-tune processes for handing out bonuses
Report follows OPM memo calling for more scrutiny of incentive payments governmentwide.
Oversight
Union calls for expanding definition of law enforcement officers
Changes would make more federal workers eligible for special retirement benefits and help agencies meet workforce challenges, officials say.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: Obama order resembles controversial Bush-era data-mining tool, security expert says
Memo issued in January to upgrade IT to integrate databases and correlate information after Christmas Day bombing attempt is similar to a 2002 DARPA project that attracted intense public opposition.
Oversight
Homeland Security contractors outnumber civilian employees
Senators call the department’s reliance on the private sector “unacceptable, untenable and unsustainable.”
Oversight
Senate leader throws his picks into deficit commission mix
Republicans are expected to make their selections soon.
Oversight
Census chief defends Super Bowl commercial
Groves says the ad will pay for itself if it prompts people to mail back their 2010 questionnaires.
Pay & Benefits
Officials question need for bill to boost prescription drug oversight
OPM already has taken steps to ensure pharmacy benefit managers are not contributing to cost hikes, official testifies.
Defense
National labor leaders back AFGE in effort to organize screeners
Largest federal employee union is vying with NTEU for 40,000 potential new members.
Oversight
Report finds Army broke contracting regulations in Iraq
Decision to withhold 15 percent of funds to KBR violated Federal Acquisition Regulation, Defense IG finds.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: VA expands plan for troubled IT projects to all system development efforts
Many of the department’s 282 technology programs show at least one characteristic of failure, prompting officials to apply the management and accountability system to all projects.
Defense
Air Force will release tanker RFP on Wednesday
Pentagon officials have said they hope to award a contract this summer for the program, which is the service's top procurement priority.
Defense
Army resists immediate end to gay ban
In congressional testimony, officials recommended against a moratorium on discharging known homosexual service members until a review of "don't ask, don't tell" is completed.
Pay & Benefits
Most NSPS workers will return to the General Schedule by October
Defense still is determining how to handle employees who came in from non-GS pay systems.
Defense