Congress has sided with labor unions against the Pentagon over the National Security Personnel System, prohibiting use of 2007 funds for NSPS labor relations actions. The House-Senate conference report for the 2007 defense spending bill would remove this limitation should the federal district court decision (American Federation of Government Employees vs. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld) be reversed on appeal. The Pentagon is pursuing implementation of NSPS—without the union employees.
Ukraine’s fleet of F-16 fighters has played a vital role in protecting the country against Russian aerial attacks, including the jet-powered drones the Russians have used to try to overpower Ukrainian air defenses, senior Ukrainian officials said. But Ukraine has a chronic need for spare parts to keep the venerable jets…