The Office of Personnel Management announced the federal government will once again be closed tomorrow in Washington. This will be the second snow day in a row, and the third this winter. This screenshot at data.gov announcing the closure is apparently all that is left of OPM’s decimated Web site. The National Weather Service is forecasting more snow — anywhere from 10 to 20 inches — beginning Tuesday afternoon. That forecast, combined with the still-lousy conditions on many roads in the Washington area, led OPM Director John Berry to close the government. OPM hasn’t yet made any decisions on Wednesday.…
Monthly Archives: February, 2010
Alex Parker rounds up some reactions to the Census Bureau’s $2.5 million advertisement during last night’s Super Bowl. The ad was aimed at boosting participation in the 2010 Census: If people don’t mail in their census forms, the agency has to send census workers to their homes, and that gets expensive. The ad was expensive, too — hence the criticism that the agency wasted money. But according to the Census Bureau, if 1 percent of Super Bowl viewers decide to mail in the 2010 Census form, it will save $25 million. That’s a 10-to-1 return on investment. So the question…
The federal government’s Washington offices may be closed today because of the Snowmageddon, but the White House sees only sunshine and rainbows for its Open Government Initiative. White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer posted a blog entry today showing how agencies are faring in meeting the goals of the president’s Open Government Directive. According to Pfeiffer, and this stoplight-styled scorecard (think Bush-era President’s Management Agenda), federal agency performance toward meeting their goals has been green like the grass under the two feet of snow covering the White House lawn. And rainbows. If you count it up, all but four of…
Washington weather predictions are getting worse and worse. The National Weather Service just issued a winter storm warning — which replaces the previous winter storm watch and means they’re pretty sure it’s happening — that says we’re looking at 10 to 20 inches of snow beginning Tuesday at noon. Temperatures are expected to drop from near-freezing into the upper 20s Tuesday night, and the winter storm warning is scheduled to last until Wednesday at 7 p.m. This is a marked increase from this morning’s predictions of six inches or so. NWS warns that “The combination of snow and strong winds…
If you’re looking for something to do Wednesday evening after our next expected round of snow, you might want to check out www.whitehouse.gov beginning at 5:15 p.m. Bob Dylan will be one of at least a dozen musical acts performing that night in the East Room to honor the Civil Rights Movement, and the White House will stream the whole thing live on their Web site. Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, Joan Baez, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Smokey Robinson and John Mellencamp are among the other musicians to be featured at “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music…
The Office of Personnel Management announced this evening that the federal government will be closed on Monday. OPM’s Web site was completely crashed for a while due to the onslaught of people checking on the status, but is now back up. Here’s the details: Emergency employees must show up for work on time. Nonemergency employees (including employees on preapproved leave) will have an excused absence for the number of hours they were scheduled to work. Telework employees may have to work from their home or other prearranged telework site. Employees on alternative work schedules who were already scheduled to have…
The Office of Personnel Management declared federal employees will go home four hours early today. Emergency employees still have to show up on time.
Snow’s a-comin’, and the Office of Personnel Management just issued a memo recommending agencies allow any eligible employees to telework tomorrow. “This severe weather forecast presents a key opportunity for agencies to test their telework plans in the context of emergency preparedness,” OPM Director John Berry wrote. Berry also said employees on alternative work schedules should, if possible, schedule their day off or use credit hours tomorrow. As of now, agencies in the Washington area will be operating on an unscheduled leave policy tomorrow. If an employee doesn’t think he’ll be able to make it in tomorrow, Berry said he should…
The Senate has confirmed Martha Johnson to lead the General Services Administration, giving the agency its first permanent, Senate-approved leader in two years. The nomination passed in a 94 to 2 vote.
The Washington area is about to get smacked with its second major snowstorm this winter. Forecasters are predicting snow to begin around midday tomorrow, and it’s expected to get worse as the day goes on, eventually accumulating 16 to 24 inches. The Office of Personnel Management just declared that anyone who can’t make it in tomorrow can take unscheduled leave. Emergency employees are still expected to show up. FedLine’s crack meteorological team (which is pretty much just me checking the National Weather Service’s Web site) will keep you posted on the federal government’s operating status over the next few days. NWS is forecasting near-blizzard conditions…