The cost of mailing packages, postcards and other items will rise this April, the U.S. Postal Service announced today. The price of a postcard stamp, for example, will rise by a penny to 29 cents. Although the base price for sending a first-class letter will remain at 44 cents, the charge for additional ounces will increase from 17 to 20 cents, USPS spokesman Greg Frey said. The rate hikes would be the first of any kind since May 2009, Frey said, and are set to take effect April 17. Other products and services affected by the planned increase include parcels,…
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The Justice Department announced Thursday that assistant attorney general for national security David Kris is leaving his post March 4. As head of the National Security Division, Kris helped lead responses for various threats, including the failed bombing attempts in Times Square in May 2010 and on board an airliner Dec. 25, 2009. “David has greatly strengthened NSD, helping it develop into a mature organization,” a Justice official said.” NSD has developed some of the strongest relationships ever for a DOJ entity with the FBI, the Intelligence Community, and the Defense Department — relationships that have made the government more effective.” Justice has not annouced an acting…
Richard Skinner, inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, is calling it quits after a 42-year government career. In a letter to President Obama released late this afternoon, Skinner said he will retire effective March 1. “I believe the time has come for me to give my full-time attention to my family and personal endeavors,” he wrote. Skinner became the department’s inspector general in July 2005 after two years as its deputy IG. Since 1969, he has worked in IG positions across the government, including the Agriculture, Commerce and Justice Departments, according to a news release. His service at…
The Department of Homeland Security has extended the Jan. 11 deadline for accepting bids on its next-generation, $22 billion contract for information technology services. Bids are due Feb. 16 for the unrestricted source category and by Feb. 23 for the small-business category. The five-year Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions II (EAGLE II) contract has three categories: development and delivery of services; technical support for those services; and independent evaluation on the cost-effectiveness of those services.
President Obama has settled on policy veteran Heather Higginbottom as the new deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Higginbottom, a former aide to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who also was policy director for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, currently serves as deputy director at the White House Domestic Policy Council. “She understands the relationship between numbers on a ledger and the lives of real people,” Obama said when announcing her nomination for the OMB slot Friday, along with several other appointments. “As we make cuts that are necessary to rein in the deficit, I want to make sure I’ve got Heather…
The Wall Street Journal reports today that Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration, is leaving to become the top public health official for the State of Maryland. As the Journal notes, Sharfstein’s departure has possible ramifications for the FDA’s oversight of drugs and medical devices. But there’s also a connection to the Obama administration’s performance management agenda. As Federal Times wrote back in September, Sharfstein has been the driving force behind creation of FDA-TRACK, a web site that monitors the agency’s performance in dozens of areas and was cited as a model for other…
Companies seeking preferential treatment as veteran-owned or small businesses will first have to verify their status with the Veterans Affairs Department. Under the 2010 Veterans Benefits Act, VA has greater responsibilities to ensure that businesses competing for set-aside contracts are eligible. This applies to companies currently listed in VA’s Vendor Information Pages database. Since mid-December, the agency has contacted more than 13,000 businesses by e-mail and mail to notify them of the new deadline. Companies have 90 days to submit documentation to VA upon notification, or they will not be listed in the database, VA announced Monday. The verification…
The Social Security Administration has a new deputy commissioner. Carolyn Colvin was confirmed before the Senate Wednesday, after being nominated by President Barack Obama in Oct. 2009, according to an agency news release. Colvin, a former chief executive officer at AMERIGROUP, DC, has held various positions within SSA including deputy commissioner for policy and external affairs and deputy commissioner for programs and policy. “Carolyn brings a wealth of expertise that will be extremely valuable as we face the dual challenges of ever increasing workloads and reducing current backlogs in an environment of fiscal austerity,” SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue said in the release. “I look…
The Senate on Saturday repealed the long-standing “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which prohibited openly gay men and women from serving in the military. The final vote was 65-31 in favor of repeal. The bill now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it next week. View our sister websites, including ArmyTimes.com, for more coverage.
Two-dozen past and present Securities and Exchange Commission employees are probably breathing easier. The reason? A federal judge ruled against making their names public after they got caught watching pornography and other sexual images on the job. In a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed this May, Denver attorney Kevin Evans had argued that government workers who “knowingly and intentionally” used taxpayer-financed property to engage in misconduct had no right to privacy. In a ruling last week, U.S. District Judge Christine Arguello disagreed. Not only were their privacy rights intact, Arguello wrote in an interesting line of judicial reasoning, but…