FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. Disability and clearances. Contributor Chandler Harris explains, “A federal contractor is suing the government over requirements to employ people with disabilities to perform government service-related contracts. Government contractor Akima, which performed services for several National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency installations for the past 14 years, claims it’s losing its contracts because of the AbilityOne program that allocates work for severely disabled people . . . .”
2. Leaking to the press. Also from Chandler Harris, “Last March, the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper signed Intelligence Community Directive 119. It prohibits employees of the Intelligence community from discussing any classified or non-classified government intelligence matters with the media. . . .”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. D-day—70 years ago. TheDailyBeast.Com contributor Clive Irving reminds, “Extraordinary heroism was demonstrated on the beaches named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword—Hitler spent four years building what he thought was the impregnable Atlantic Wall and it was breached in one day. But what lay beyond the beaches turned out to be far more formidable and entangling than Hitler’s shoreline bunkers. It was called bocage . . . .”
2. Boko Haram 101—who they are. BBC.Com reports, “Nigeria’s militant Islamist group Boko Haram – which has caused havoc in Africa’s most populous country through a wave of bombings, assassinations and now abductions – is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.”
3. Bo Bergdahl—the story continues. Reuters’ Phil Stewart reports, “A U.S. military investigation of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl’s capture by the Taliban found he had slipped away from his unit before but had always returned, raising questions about whether or not he was deserting when he disappeared in 2009 . . . . The people familiar with classified findings said investigators learned that Bergdahl, who was broadly portrayed as dissatisfied with the deployment in Afghanistan, had slipped away in the past, only to return a short while later. He did this once while undergoing military training in California, the sources said on condition of anonymity.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Grimm’s fairy tale: “Some groups that have previously endorsed Grimm say they will likely back him this fall despite his recent indictment that threatens his chances of holding onto the already competitive district. Those supportive of Grimm say they base their decisions on the two-term congressman’s voting record and legislation he introduced in Congress. But political observers say those groups are still likely betting on a losing horse. . . . The National Republican Congressional Committee has essentially cut off funding to Grimm after the indictment, and his campaign manager quit last month because Grimm could not afford the $5,500 monthly salary . . . .”
2. The M-word: “Senator Bob Corker is under fire for using the M-word. Little People of America on Thursday said the Tennessee Republican’s use of the word ‘midget’ before a Senate Banking Committee vote on Tuesday was ‘embarrassing and insulting.’ Corker used the word as he chided colleagues Tuesday for letting Congressional Budget Office scores dictate policy debates. ‘I’m sorry it just feels like a bunch of midgets up here worrying about some CBO issue,’ he said. The nonprofit group, which supports the dwarfism community, sees the word as a ‘slur.’ ‘Today, no matter in what context it is used, the word dehumanizes and objectifies people of short stature,’ Little People of America President Gary Arnold said.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “Leave no soldier behind – no exceptions.” Reuters contributor Charles J. Dunlap Jr. argues, “When we send our troops in harm’s way for any purpose they have to be confident that their country will try to get them home. Yes, a real price might be paid for Bergdahl’s release; upholding values is not cheap. Yet as Americans we simply cannot toss aside the cherished military ethos of leaving no one behind. How this exchange was handled may be justifiably questionable, but why it was done is not.”
2. “The Bergdahl blowback: Did he deserve to be rescued?” LATimes.Com Editorial Board argues, “We agree with Obama that men and women who serve their country in uniform and fall into the hands of the enemy are entitled to special consideration. We wouldn’t extend that presumption to a soldier who clearly has defected to the enemy and taken up arms against his own country. But that isn’t an accurate description of Bergdahl.”
3. “The Secret Side of the Web Is Home to Heroes, Not Just Crooks.” Wired.Com contributor Joseph Cox argues, “What’s too often forgotten is that behind the pixels glowing on a computer screen there are people–who aren’t concerned by profit–with goals, motivations and agency.”
