NASA's Launch Program Recognized For Government Innovation

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A NASA program supporting innovative approaches to sustainability challenges has received an Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

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NASA's LAUNCH program is among the top 25 federal programs recognized by the Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. The award promotes excellence and creativity in the public sector. LAUNCH and the other Top 25 programs represent the top 5 percent of all applications received for the award.

NASA and founding partners the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and Nike created LAUNCH in 2010 to identify, showcase and accelerate innovative approaches to specific sustainability challenges faced by human spaceflight, as well as communities and nations on Earth. LAUNCH searches for visionaries whose world-class ideas, technologies or programs show great promise for making tangible impacts to exploring beyond low-Earth orbit and on society.

The challenge currently under way, LAUNCH: System Challenge 2013, will identify 10 game-changing innovations that could enable fabric systems to enhance global economic growth, drive human prosperity and replenish the planet's resources. The challenge seeks creative innovations in the materials from which fabrics are made, with a focus on positive social and environmental impact in space and on Earth. Fabrics and the materials from which they are made are important for designing new spacecraft and spacesuits that will protect astronauts traveling to destinations far beyond Earth. Innovations presented at the LAUNCH: System Challenge 2013 forum may lead to new, stronger, lighter and more affordable fabrics that will benefit NASA as it sends humans deeper into our solar system. NASA will host the forum Sept. 26-28 at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

For more information about LAUNCH, visit:
http://www.launch.org/

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA

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U.S. government may not hit debt limit until October: analysts

By Rachelle Younglai

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States might not hit the statutory limit on its debt until October, a policy research group said on Friday, giving Republican lawmakers more time to extract spending cuts from the Obama administration in return for extending the borrowing cap.

After giving into Democratic demands in December to raise taxes and later working with them to avoid a government shutdown, Republicans have been gearing up to use the debt limit as leverage to seek fresh budget cuts and changes to the tax code.

The Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank that analyzes the Treasury's daily and monthly cash flows, had expected the federal government to hit the congressionally-set limit on its debt sometime between early-August and mid-September.

But stronger-than-expected revenues and deeper-than-anticipated budget cuts mean the ceiling on borrowing probably will not be reach until sometime between mid-August and mid-October, the group said on its website on Friday.

"October is a nasty month," BPC economic policy director Steve Bell said in an interview, noting that major government payments are due in October.

If Congress does not raise the borrowing cap before the Treasury hits the limit, the government will no longer be able to borrow money to pay its bills, including interest on its bonds, raising the risk of a damaging debt default.

In an attempt to avoid being blamed for a default, Republicans in the House of Representatives are pushing legislation to require the Treasury to pay bondholders and Social Security retirement benefits before other bills if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling on time.

The BPC said its forecast could change depending on economic conditions and when updated financial information became available.

Nearly $90 billion may soon be pumped into government coffers by the now-profitable government-controlled housing finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to account for deferred tax assets that were written down.

The think tank, however, does not think the disbursement to the Treasury will be that high. "We do expect that there will be a payment of some size in June but it is our opinion that the number is more likely to be in the $20 billion range and not in the rumored $100 billion range," Bell said.

The Treasury has said it could not forecast an exact date for when Congress must raise the debt ceiling due to delayed tax filings and uncertainty about the effect of the government budget cuts.

(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Paul Simao)

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Lawmakers question U.S. government failure to protect Iranian dissidents in Iraq, continued funding for Iraq government, says Iranian American Community of Northern California

Listen now! AFGE responds to DOD furlough plan on "Inside Government"

Listen Now! http://www.federalnewsradio.com/216/3272860/AFGE-responds-to-DOD-furlough-plan-highlights-legal-wins---April-5-2013

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tune in now to AFGE's "Inside Government" for the union's response to the Defense Department's furlough plan. The show, which originally aired on Friday, April 5, is now available on demand.

AFGE Defense Conference Chair Don Hale analyzed the Pentagon's plan to reduce furlough days from 22 to 14 for civilian employees and the impact furloughs would have on workers and public service delivery. Hale also suggested alternate ways the Pentagon could trim costs from its budget.

AFGE 14^th District National Vice President Eric Bunn then discussed his top priorities as newly elected national vice president and the impact of sequestration on District 14 members.

AFGE General Counsel David Borer highlighted the union's latest legal victories and the value of workplace representation for federal employees.

Lastly, AFGE National Border Patrol Council Vice President Shawn Moran addressed sequestration's impact on border security and Border Patrol agents.

Listen LIVE on Fridays at 10 a.m. on 1500 AM WFED in the D.C. area or online at FederalNewsRadio.com. 

For more information, please visit InsideGovernmentRadio.com. 

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"Inside Government" is a one-hour weekly nationwide radio/Internet program dedicated to issues that impact federal and D.C. government employees. The show airs each Friday at 10 a.m. on Federal News Radio 1500 AM in Washington, D.C., and online at FederalNewsRadio.com . It is also available to millions of iPod users through Apple's iTunes podcast. "Inside Government" is produced by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation's largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

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