FederalDaily - July 26, 2006

Feds Work Overtime To Bring Americans Home

Many in the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are working overtime this week--along with employees of the State Department and many other agencies--to assist Americans in their efforts to safely leave war-torn Lebanon. Marines, Navy and other U.S. military have provided security and assisted with air and sea egress from Beirut and elsewhere along the country’s Mediterranean coast for thousands of U.S. citizens. More than 1,200 Americans fleeing the violence wound up flying to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey over the weekend, courtesy of 12 Air Force C-17 transports and their crews. Chartered relief flights continue to ferry the majority of others through East Coast airports—including Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI), where DHS said it had added 42 extra screeners to facilitate quick transit times. Military and civilian federal workers continue to aid thousands needing help in the emergency. For more information, go to www.defenselink.mil,  www.dhs.gov,  and http://lebanon.usembassy.gov.

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The Army announced July 24 it has expanded its “Helmets to Hardhats” national program to include California—the 21st state to participate. The program helps join transitioning active-duty and reserve members of the service with jobs and training opportunities in the construction industry. “The building and construction industry in California is booming and we need as many trained and disciplined workers as possible to keep up with all the growth,” said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. With the program, troops exiting the service are quickly helped to begin construction careers and are accorded credit for their military training and experience. So far, nearly 1,500 employers and local trade unions have posted more than 3,000 job opportunities in the trade on the program’s Web site—and about 16,000 military have signed up. To learn more, go to www.helmetstohardhats.org, or call (866) 741-6210.

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Watchdog Study Questions Independence of NAS

Congress created the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to provide unbiased scientific advice to federal policymakers. A new report by the nonprofit watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reveals that of 320 scientists on NAS panels reviewed, almost one in five has “direct financial ties to companies or industry groups with a direct stake in the outcome of the study.” Worse, the study says that almost half of the panels play host to scientists with very “identifiable biases.” Merrill Goozner, a director at CSPI, said, “The NAS needs to be more transparent and work harder to find scientists without conflicts of interest.” In a related matter, the group backs a bill that would ban scientists with ties to drug companies from participating on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committees. NAS includes the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council and other entities. To read more on the report, go to: www.cspi.org.

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