Defense Spending Bill Winds Toward House Floor

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.

 

The Defense appropriations bill continues through the US House of Representatives midst Republican leadership sparring with conservatives within their party seeking amendments dealing with NSA surveillance, Syria or Egypt, reports The Hill. House intel committee gives go-ahead to arm Syrian Rebels, reports The Hill.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel warns DoD civilians that furloughs are likely to continue into next year and layoffs could follow, says Navy Times. Sec’y Hagel also called on veterans to engage in the “debate over our country’s future national security priorities,” reports Defense.Gov, and encouraged them to  make their concerns known.

Don’t shoot the drones! The FAA issues a warning as Deer Trail, CO considers a license to shoot down UAVs, reports Defense Tech, and a bounty for proof of success. Two MiGs found on seized ship headed to N. Korea, reports Defense News.

The Navy begins releasing court martial information this week, reports Navy Times.

The Navy receives upgraded MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial system, reports Avionics Intelligence. The Littoral Combat Ship program hit another glitch when USS Freedom lost power in Singapore during  its first foreign tour, says Breaking Defense.  Aviation Week reports the reasons given for the loss.

McAfee sponsored economic model suggests US suffers a $100 billion loss annually from cyber-crime and a .5 million jobs, reports the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which developed the model and is studying its findings. Edward Snowden’s leaks were “damaging” but not the “crown jewels,” CNN Security Clearance reports government officials’ evolving assessment of the breach.

An internet monitoring company credits Google with 25 percent of internet traffic in North America and connection daily with 62 percent of all the phones, devices, streaming, accessing of the world wide web. Except, cautions Wired, “take these numbers with a grain of salt” since no one knows the size of the internet itself.

Virginia doing better than Maryland, but both states are showing growing unemployment, according to In The Capitol, which links the rises to sequestration.

NPR reports sequestration threatens to ground needed hurricane reconnaissance planes from the Air Force Reserve.

Initial leeway granted the Transportation  Security Agency now has Congress pressing for procurement and acquisition  processes to be put into place, reports FCW.

Wyle wins NAVAIR technical analysis $4.9 million contract, reporting to Pax River, says Southern Maryland online.