Spring Arrives Sunday; After That Forecasters Can’t Agree

WASHINGTON – The promise of spring is more promising than usual this year — if the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is to be believed

Appeals Court Reinstates Users’ Lawsuits Against Cell Phone Companies

WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court has revived class-action lawsuits against dozens of cell phone companies, who were accused by users in five states of selling phones that emitted harmful levels of radiation

Southern Maryland Military Bases Show Off Their Wares on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON – Officials from three Southern Maryland military bases toted bomb-detecting robots and chemical-sniffing devices to Capitol Hill, where they mingled with lawmakers and congressional staffers Friday in a show-and-tell of their work

Fight Over Pay Parity Between Civilian and Military Workers Returns — Again

WASHINGTON – Another year, another budget, another debate over pay parity

Federal Workers Unions Sue to Block New Defense Department Personnel Rules

WASHINGTON – Labor unions asked a federal court Wednesday to force the Department of Defense to include them before moving ahead on personnel rules that would establish a pay-for-performance system for federal workers, among other changes

Glitches Remain for Injured Guardsmen, Reservists Trying to Get Benefits

WASHINGTON – Heavy reliance on Reserve and Guard units in Iraq and Afghanistan has overwhelmed a pay and health benefits system that was designed to serve part-time soldiers who are now fighting a full-time war

Labor Unions Assail Pentagon’s New Personnel Rules for Civilian Workers

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Thursday unveiled new personnel rules that would replace the current pay scale with a performance-based pay system and would reduce bargaining rights for civilian employees

Court Says Government Not Liable in Patuxent Naval Air Station Mishap

WASHINGTON – A New Jersey contractor who suffered severe head injuries when he fell into a construction pit at the Patuxent Naval Air Station cannot hold the government accountable for the 1999 accident, a federal judge said