Federal News Digest for March 28, 2012
Washington Post
On health-care hearing’s last day, court weighs severability, Medicaid expansion [SCOTUS, health-care law] — N.C. Aizenman and Robert Barnes report on the third and final day of arguments about the health-care law in front of the Supreme Court; today’s topic: will the entire law fall apart if just aspects of it are found unconstitutional?
U.S. Interior Dept. taking comment on plan to allow seismic testing for oil, gas in Atlantic [Interior Department, energy] — AP reports that the Interior Department is seeking comments from the public on the plan to allow energy companies to begin seismic testing in order to find oil and natural reserves in the Atlantic Ocean
President Obama defends ‘flexibility’ remarks to Medvedev [President Obama] — David Nakamura reports that President Obama is defending his unknowingly recorded comment on “flexibility” to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on European missile defense, saying that a consensus at a critical time in the American presidential race (and in the wake of Russian presidential elections) would be difficult
Federal health benefits win for gay couple is limited [FEHBP, federal employees] — Joe Davidson reports that while a federal lawyer’s same-sex partner has been granted insurance coverage by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program — as married couples do — it’s clear that this case is currently the exception, not the rule
Lawmakers challenge limit on Defense employment [Defense Department, federal employees] — Eric Yoder reports that a group of lawmakers is speaking out on the initiative to limit employment at the Defense Department — the government’s largest employer — because they believe it threatens to raise costs and allow contractors to take over work traditionally performed by federal employees
New York Times
U.S. and Pakistan take step to mend relations [Pakistan, foreign relations] — Salman Masood and Declan Walsh report that while a meeting between President Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is a hopeful step, the relationship remains strained
Judges rule against pilot in privacy case [FAA, privacy, public health] — John H. Cushman Jr. reports that the Supreme Court ruled against the private pilot who had his secret H.I.V.-positive status shared improperly between government agencies; the pilot sought to collect damages for the emotional distress he suffered after being punished by the Federal Aviation Administration for hiding his medical condition
Final approval by House sends jobs bill to President for signature [Jobs bill] — Jonathan Weisman reports that the House has approved a package of measures intended to ease access to capital and investments for entrepreneurs, and it’s been sent to the White House for signing
Wall Street Journal
Treasury to cut costs by remaking coins, replacing paper [Treasury] — Eric Morath reports on the cost-saving measures that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has announced for his agency, including changing the materials that go into making coins, replacing paper with electronic communications, and consolidating internal agencies
Fed prevented ‘total meltdown,’ Bernanke says [Federal Reserve] — Kristina Peterson and Michael R. Crittenden report on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s latest defense of the Fed’s repsonse to the 2008 financial crisis, saying that the Fed prevented a “total meltdown” of the financial system
