FederalDaily - November 3, 2005
New Coordinator of Federal Hurricane Response
On Nov. 1 President Bush issued an executive order stating the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) should establish a new position of Coordinator of
Federal Support for the Recovery and Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast Region. Bush
said this would further strengthen federal support for the recovery and rebuilding
of the Gulf Coast region affected by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
The same day Bush issued the order, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff appointed
Donald E. Powell as the new coordinator. Powell’s mission will be to
work with executive departments and agencies to coordinate the federal response;
he will also be the principal point of contact for the president and his senior
advisors with respect to the federal response. Powell served as chairman of
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation since August 2001.
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Court Martial Recommended for Army Staff Sgt.
The officer investigating the case of Army Staff Sgt. Alberto B. Martinez
recommended that the case be referred to a general court-martial. Martinez
is charged with two counts of premeditated murder in the deaths of his company
commander, Capt. Phillip T. Esposito, and 1st Lt. Louis E. Allen. Martinez
is accused of planning and conducting a June 7 attack at Forward Operating
Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq, which resulted in the subsequent deaths of the
two officers. The investigating officer also ruled that evidence existed to
charge Martinez with larceny for removing grenades and using them in a personal
vendetta. The Special Court-Martial Convening Authority has several potential
options after receiving the investigating officer’s conclusions and recommendations.
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VA Warns Against Scams
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is warning veterans not to give credit
card numbers over the phone to callers claiming to update VA prescription information. "Some
unscrupulous scammers have targeted America's veterans, especially our older
veterans," said VA Secretary R. James Nicholson. "VA does not call
veterans and ask them to disclose personal financial information over the phone." The
latest scam, currently centered in the Midwest, comes from callers who identify
themselves as working for the "Patient Care Group." They say
VA recently changed procedures for dispensing prescriptions and ask for the
veteran's credit card number. "VA has not changed its processes for dispensing
prescription medicines," Nicholson said. Veterans with questions about
VA services should contact the nearest VA medical center or call, toll-free,
(877) 222-8387.
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Federal Furniture for Hurricane-Affected Schools
The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Education
on Nov. 1 announced the Furniture for Schools Task Force, a new federal initiative
to identify and donate surplus furniture and other supplies for schools affected
by the recent hurricanes. The Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics
Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are also members. "The
task force members are already hard at work to match schools with much-needed
furniture and supplies, such as desks, bookshelves and computers," said
GSA Acting Administrator David L. Bibb. Federal surplus and excess furniture
and supplies being donated under the initiative include: student and teacher
desks, chairs, bookshelves, filing cabinets, tables, computers, printers and
room partitions.
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