Tuesday’s Top Ten

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1.  Affirmative Action in Recruiting. Contributor Jillian Hamilton reports, “On March 24, 2014, additional affirmative action requirements go into effect for government contractors. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) two final rules add new and multifaceted terms for government contractors’ affirmative action plans for veterans and people with disabilities. The changes will take time to implement correctly, so if you haven’t already planned for the new policies – it’s time to start.”

2.  Getting Top Talent. Also from Jillian Hamilton, “Getting the right person for the job starts with the right job description and the right questions when screening candidates. Hiring managers may still collect resumes, but times are changing and the steps in the screening process should be updated and individualized for the job. Education and years of experience aren’t the first thing to look for anymore. Hiring managers now want to see skills and certifications up front on a resume.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1.  G-8 minus one. Time’s Zeke J. Miller reports, “The G-8 is once again to become the G-7. Leaders of the so-called Group of Eight announced on Monday they would cancel their planned June meeting in Sochi, Russia, and suspend their participation in the international group, following Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and threats toward eastern Ukraine.” Reuters’ reports, “G7 warns Russia of more sanctions if Ukraine crisis escalates.” Khaama.Com reports an irony of history, “US officials voiced disagreement with the Afghan president Hamid Karzai’s decision to back Russia’s annexation of Crimea.”

2.  Aleppo—al Assad’s whipping boy. Reuters reports, “Aleppo is central to President Bashar al-Assad’s goal of rescuing a viable state from the ruins of Syria; hence the grim message from his forces to its residents, that one equals five. . . . The battle for Aleppo ebbs and flows – the rebels regained some high ground at the weekend – but Assad’s forces struck back on Monday, dropping barrel bombs from helicopters on several rebel-held districts in the east.”

3.  Preventing nuclear terrorism. DefenseOne.Com contributor Graham Allen explains, “The core truth about preventing nuclear terrorism is this: no nuclear-weapons material means no mushroom clouds and no nuclear terrorism. States that are free of highly enriched uranium or separated plutonium can be certain that they will not be the source of the core of a terrorist’s nuclear bomb. Regions that are free of nuclear-weapons material, and commit themselves to remain so, should be recognized as nuclear-weapons-material-free zones (NWMFZ).”

4.  AFRICOM at Nuclear Security Summit. AllAfrica.Com reports, “Of the 53 countries invited to participate in the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit that is taking place in The Hague today and tomorrow, six are from Africa. This is a sure sign that Africa’s role in the future of international nuclear security remains crucial. Given the increase in nuclear-related activities taking place in Africa, this is a critical time for the continent to ensure that its voice is heard.”

5.  Taliban casts its vote in Afghan elections. AP’s Kathy Gannon reports, “The Taliban launched a brazen assault in the Afghan capital on Tuesday, with two suicide bombers detonating their explosives outside an election office on the city’s outskirts and other attackers storming inside the premises. The attack was the latest in the insurgents’ violent campaign against the country’s April 5 presidential polls.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1.  Carrier contractor chaos. DefenseOne.Com contributor Rick Giannini and Darrell Grow report, “The uncertain future Pentagon officials have charted for the Navy’s aircraft carrier fleet unfortunately provides no clear direction for the defense industrial base that builds and supplies it. The Defense Department’s decision to tie carriers, including the fate of the USS George Washington, to future budgets leaves them questioning how they should proceed to prepare inventory, allocate resources and hire skilled workers for new construction and maintenance of aircraft carriers — all actions that must occur well in advance of the actual start of work.”

2.  Korea picks the F-35. DefenseNews.Com’s Aaron Mehta and Wendell Minnick report, “he Republic of Korea has officially selected the F-35 as its next-generation fighter, the government announced this morning. The country has agreed to purchase 40 of the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) design, with first delivery planned for 2018. South Korea becomes the third foreign military sales customer for the F-35, joining Israel and Japan. There are eight other international partners on the program.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1.  POTUS proposes—what happened to the executive order? AP’s Eileen Sullivan reports, “The White House wants the National Security Agency to get out of the business of sweeping up and storing vast amounts of data on Americans’ phone calls. The Obama administration this week is expected to propose that Congress overhaul the electronic surveillance program by having phone companies hold onto the call records as they do now . . . .”

2.  Transforming the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). DefenseNews.Com’s Barry Rosenberg interviews NGA Director Letitia Long: “Today, we’re transforming from a traditional product provider — static maps, charts, analytic products — into a dynamic content and services provider, delivering advanced analysis, driving integrated intelligence, constantly evolving critical geospatial content and offering expert service — not only to the warfighter, but to all of our customers.”

3.  Commuting in style. Wired.Com’s Christina Bonnington offers, “Brompton, a company better known for its compact, ultra-portable commuter bicycles, has a good middle-of-the-road solution to this fashion conundrum. The Game Bag is a stylish hybrid between a messenger bag and a briefcase that’s handmade from cotton canvas and backed by moisture-blocking natural rubber. Developed in partnership with British luggage maker John Chapman, the smart-looking bag also comes with full-grain leather and brass detailing.” [Very cool.]

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1.  Oops: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that Republicans may have helped Russia annex Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in a surprisingly sharp attack ahead of a test vote on a bill authorizing more U.S. sanctions on Russia and $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine.”

2.  Name that book: “Hillary Clinton told a publishers group in New York last week that she still hadn’t come up with a title for her forthcoming memoir and turned to the Loop for guidance. So we’re re-launching the contest! Send your suggestions to: intheloop@washpost.com. Subject line: Hillarycontest. The top five winners will receive an official — and highly coveted — ‘In the Loop’ T-shirt.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1.  “Nuclear terrorism prevention at a crossroads.” Reuters contributors Kenneth N. Luongo and Kenneth C. Brill argue, “The Nuclear Security Summits have created expectations that leaders will act decisively to prevent nuclear terrorism.  Results have fallen short of these hopes. In The Hague, Obama and world leaders will have the first of two remaining opportunities to establish a global control system equal to the risks and catastrophic consequences of this very real threat. Failure to do so will only reveal a lack of imagination and seriousness.”

2.  “Summits Are Nice but Obama Needs to Do More for Nuclear Security.” DefenseOne.Com contributor Joseph Cirincione argues, “Much bolder action is needed to prevent terrorists from getting the material they want to build a bomb — just a chunk of plutonium the size of a grapefruit, or a sphere of uranium smaller than a basketball.”

3.  “A rush to restore global order after Crimea.” Christian Science Monitor’s Editorial Board argues, “Putin’s actions in Crimea have not shattered the current order. But they have shaken it. At some point, either President Obama or a European leader might approach the Russian leader, as Mr. Bush did with Mr. Gorbachev, and work to patch up the international norms. No one country is strong enough, even the US or Russia, to defy the deep desire to keep – and improve – them.”

THE FUNNIES

1.  Keeping score.

2.  Cold War.

3.  Sanctions.

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Ed Ledford enjoys the most challenging, complex, and high stakes communications requirements. His portfolio includes everything from policy and strategy to poetry. A native of Asheville, N.C., and retired Army Aviator, Ed’s currently writing speeches in D.C. and working other writing projects from his office in Rockville, MD. He loves baseball and enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring anything. Follow Ed on Twitter @ECLedford.