House passes 6 bills to help veterans
WASHINGTON – The House approved a series of bills Monday aimed at helping veterans win government-paid jobs, get small-business loans or obtain other assistance.
One bill would give preference to government contractors who employ veterans on a full-time basis. Another bill would allow all veterans to receive official identification cards through the VA.
A third would require that written reprimands and admonishments received by VA employees be kept on file for as long as the person works for the VA. Under current policy, an admonishment only remains in an employee’s file for two years and a reprimand for three years. Lawmakers said this hurts the VA’s ability to get a true picture of an employee’s performance history.
The bills now go to the Senate.
Fighting deficits, Arizona limits welfare
PHOENIX – Facing a $1 billion budget deficit, Arizona’s Republican-led Legislature has reduced the lifetime limit for welfare recipients to the shortest window in the nation.
Low-income families on welfare will now have their benefits cut off after just 12 months.
As a result, the Arizona Department of Economic Security will drop at least 1,600 families – including more than 2,700 children – from the state’s federally funded welfare program when the budget year begins in July.
The cuts of at least $4 million reflect a prevailing mood among the lawmakers in control in Arizona, that welfare, Medicaid and other public-assistance programs, are crutches that keep the poor from getting back on their feet and achieving their potential.
Man claims he hacked plane in flight
A security researcher told federal agents he was able to hack into aircraft computer systems mid-flight numerous times through the in-flight entertainment systems, and at one point, he caused a plane he was on to move sideways, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit.
Although the claims are still being investigated, the airline involved, United, cast doubt on whether it was possible to control an airplane through the entertainment system, while other experts said such cyber threats should be taken seriously given that airplanes are increasingly connected to the Internet.
The researcher, Chris Roberts, was questioned upon his arrival at the Syracuse, New York, airport April 15.
Associated Press
