Federal News Digest for March 21, 2012

Monday, Oct. 29th 2012 9:17 AM

Washington Post

As Justice Department investigates shooting of Florida teen, doubts arise about federal charges [Justice Department, FBI] — Sari Horwitz reports that while the Justice Department and FBI have opened an investigation into the Floritda community watch incident that left a black teenager slain, it’s unlikely that the federal forces will be able to charge the perpetrator with charges

Obama’s evolution: Behind the failed ‘grand bargain’ on the debt [President Obama, federal debt debate] — Peter Wallsten, Lori Montgomery, and Scott Wilson profile the 2011 struggle between the White House and Republican lawmakers over the federal debt

U.S. general suggests Afghan force should stay level after ’12 drawdown [General John Allen, Afghanistan] — Karen DeYoung reports that General John R. Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, doesn’t expect another drawdown of troops for a while after this year’s scheduled withdraw of 23,000 U.S. troops

Idled nuclear driver for government still collecting paycheck [federal workforce] — Lisa Rein recounts the tale of Stephen Patrick, an Energy Department employee — hired to drive nuclear materials around the country to support the U.S. stockpile — who still receives a paycheck from the U.S. (as he’s still technically in the workforce) despite having been suspended from his job in 2007 for breaking the agency’s overnight-rest rules

NRC seeks public comment on proposed order [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] — Timothy R. Smith reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on a proposed government order to require nuclear plants to maintain functions despite loss of electric grid or energy generators — part of a government effort to prepare America’s nuclear reactors for a natural disaster

New York Times

Supreme Court revisits issue of harsh sentences for juveniles [Supreme Court, criminal justice] — Adam Liptak reports that the Supreme Court seems willing to limit the harsh punishments that are imposed on juvenile offenders

Justices limit suits filed over Family Leave Act violations [Supreme Court, Family Leave Act] — Adam Liptak reports that the Supreme Court has decided — in a 5-to-4 vote split along ideological lines — that state workers may not sue their employers for money for violating a part of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act

Wall Street Journal

Bernanke goes back to school [Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke] — Jon Hilsenrath and Kristina Peterson report that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that he’s in no real hurry to raise interest rates

Weak schools said to imperil security [Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. schools] — Jason Dean reports that the Council on Foreign Relations has concluded that U.S. schooling is a national security risk — failing to produce adults with the necessary math, science, and language skill snecessary to ensure American leadership in the 21st century

Soldier sentenced in kickback case [defense contracting] — Joel Millman reports that Sergeant Terry Hall is the latest U.S. soldier to be sentenced in a multi-million-dollar defense-contracting scandal at a base in Kuwait, where millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks from defense contractors were solicited

Posted on Monday, Oct. 29th 2012 9:17 AM | by Share of Cost | in Share of Cost | Comments Off on Federal News Digest for March 21, 2012