There really was an institutional bias within Veterans Affairs against a Congressional dictum to centralize its information technology processes and The Hill has a “secretly recorded” tape to prove it, reports the Congressional newspaper. On this tape, one VA official says, “It’s about power; it’s about Congress saying, “VA, you’re accountable to us.” The security of veterans’ personal information became a major issue on Capitol Hill last spring when a laptop computer—containing information on more than 26.5 million veterans and military personnel—was stolen from the employee’s home. The laptop eventually was recovered and apparently no data compromise had occurred.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
