Tech
Unmanned border flights suspended despite Bush call for more
Bush border plan calls for use of drones to detect illegal crossings, but Border Patrol hasn’t flown one along the southern border since April crash.
Defense
Negotiators reach deal on supplemental spending bill
Senate appropriators agree to trim $14.4 billion from their version of bill to meet Bush's demands.
News
Another federal breach exposes employee records
Lawmakers disturbed by long lapse before Energy Department’s disclosure of hacker attack exposing 1,500 personnel records.
Defense
Subpanel votes to remove disaster housing from FEMA
Bill would shift responsibility to HUD and would allow only three emergency housing trailers per site to avoid crowding.
Defense
VA opposes bill to let veterans hire lawyers
Legislation being pushed in House and Senate would allow vets to use legal counsel to help in obtaining benefits.
Defense
Army weighs options for scaling back combat systems upgrade
Long-term program, now valued at between $160 billion and $200 billion, is one of the service’s most expensive technological efforts.
Tech
Human resources consolidation project advances
OPM signals that federal shared service providers will compete with the private sector, but details have yet to be released.
Defense
Corporate disaster response team hailed as model of efficiency
Time to fix communications infrastructure in typical scenario is less than 24 hours, AT&T officials say.
Management
House panel votes to untangle bureaucratic language
Bill would require agencies to use plain language writing so ordinary citizens could understand regulations.
Defense
Chertoff warns senators against an independent FEMA
Separation would be costly and would make the government’s response to disasters less coordinated, DHS secretary argues.
Management
Iraq IG cites successes in reconstruction oversight
Legislators call for more congressional hearings to probe alleged fraud and mismanagement.
Tech
VA cuts telework, bans employee-owned computers
Moves by VA Secretary James Nicholson are intended to prevent security breaches.
Defense
House conflicted on extra pay for feds called to military duty
Bill would stem severe pay hit for federal employees serving in the Guard, reserves.
Defense
Lawmaker secures funds to upgrade ship Navy doesn't want
Service worries millions added to authorization bill for the catamaran will waste limited resources.
Management
Bill to reopen FAA labor negotiations fails
National Air Traffic Controllers Association vows to continue the fight against the contract the agency recently implemented.
Pay & Benefits