Observers of the Postal Service and Congress believe Democrats and Republicans are treating the agency’s financial crisis with a sense of urgency and are headed toward a compromise, according to a report by The Hill. A Republican bill is advancing through the House while the Senate has a bipartisan group of lawmakers working on a [...]

The recent BlackBerry outages may drive more smartphone users to the iPhone and Android platforms, but the BlackBerry is still preferred in government offices. According to National Journal, the main reason is simple: BlackBerry devices are more secure than the others. The devices have embedded encryption technology, making it difficult for hackers to get into [...]

Another satellite is expected to fall back to Earth sometime between Oct. 21 and 25. This time, it’s the German-built Roentgen satellite which was launched by NASA in 1990 from Florida. ROSAT, an x-ray telescope, finished its mission on Feb. 12, 1999 and ran out of fuel thereafter. Since then, it has slowly been descending [...]

The number of safety errors made by air traffic controllers involving flights near U.S. airports doubled between fiscal 2008 and 2011, the Government Accountability Office said. In a report released Thursday, GAO said the Federal Aviation Administration has not met related performance goals but credited the agency with taking steps to reduce hazards. The FAA [...]

The federal government has recently embarked on a round of data center closures, an initiative the White House said will save agencies a combined $630 million by 2015. The Office of Management and Budget had previously said the closures would save $3 billion by 2015. Agencies are reporting revised data center plans that are likely [...]

In an effort to eliminate unexpected charges, the wireless industry will be adhering to improved changes in its billing system. According to a report by Reuters, CTIA, the wireless trade association, will announce new guidelines Monday afternoon requiring companies to notify customers when they near and reach monthly limits on voice, text and data services, [...]

Defense cuts are a primary topic of conversation in the government and in the defense industry, providing a timely backdrop for Congress to host both the Pentagon’s top civilian official and uniformed military officer Thursday. The House Armed Services Committee heard testimony for the first time in their current roles from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta [...]

The Office of Personnel Management notified federal employees Wednesday they have until Nov. 19 to schedule their annual leave or risk losing leave time. Angela Bailey, OPM associate director of employee services, told agency human resources staff in a memo 2011 is an “unusual year” because the end of the federal government’s leave year and [...]

William Lynn, the former deputy defense secretary, was honored by the Defense Department for his service to the country during a ceremony earlier this week. “We really are thankful for his service to this department,” said current defense secretary Leon Panetta. “I’m personally thankful for the service he gave me as deputy.” Lynn was President [...]

Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood told the Chicago Tribune Thursday would only stay in his position for one term and will not run for public office again. Lahood was a representive in Congress for 14 years. His position in Congress ended in January 2009 when he was nominated to his current post by President Obama. He [...]