Business

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems of Clearfield, Utah, is being awarded a modified firm fixed prices contract for $50,130,567. This contract action will provide a procurement of 280 ICBM Security Modernization Program (ISMP) launch facility secondary door or Fast B-plug element. At this time $50,130,567 has been obligated. Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).

NAVY    » read more »

05/08/2008 -- Washington, DC — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Jeff Bingaman, Max Baucus, Charles Schumer, Byron Dorgan, Maria Cantwell and Bernie Sanders held a press conference today to unveil the Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008, a bill that addresses the root causes of high gas prices.

Gas prices: Photo by Todd Lappin (CC)

Seven years of the Bush Administration’s disastrous energy policies have enriched Big Oil and market speculators at the expense of American consumers. Democrats are committed to providing relief to consumers and strengthening our economic, energy and national security.    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- (Washington, DC) - Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5994, the "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2008," to establish an antitrust remedy for anticompetitive and discriminatory practices by broadband service providers.

The legislation requires internet service providers (ISPs) to interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis. It also requires them to operate their network in a reasonable and nondiscriminatory manner so that all content, applications and services are treated the same and have an equal opportunity to reach consumers.    » read more »

Bill would limit speculation in oil trading and close loophole for trades on foreign exchanges using U.S. terminals

May 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced the Oil Trading Transparency Act to ensure that energy commodities traded on foreign exchanges using trading terminals located within the United States are subject to the same speculative trading limits and reporting requirements as energy commodities traded on U.S. exchanges.    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) today urged the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to ensure adequate market protections for the trading of U.S. energy future contracts on international markets.

Oil refinery at sunset: Photo by LinBow (CC)

Senators Feinstein and Snowe have been the lead sponsors of legislation to help prevent manipulation, excessive speculation and fraud in electronic energy markets. Since 2000, the trading of electronic commodities, like oil or natural gas, has been exempt from federal regulation under the so-called “Enron Loophole.”    » read more »

Northwest Airlines to add daily non-stops to Beijing and London

May 8, 2008 -- SEATTLE – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire joined representatives from Northwest Airlines and the Port of Seattle in announcing two new international air routes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Beijing and London.

NWA jet landing: Photo by Travis Church (CC)    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- (Anchorage, AK) -- Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg and the attorneys general of 48 other states and the District of Columbia today announced that Facebook has agreed to changes to better protect children from predators and inappropriate content on the social networking site.

Facebook logo: Photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid (CC)

Facebook also agreed to participate in a task force on exploring and developing age and identity verification software. The agreement is similar to one that MySpace reached in January with 49 states and the District of Columbia.    » read more »

CONTRACTS

NAVY

Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc.*, dba NovaSol, Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded a $27,475,062 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the development of a reconnaissance and data exploitation system in support of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle sensor efforts within the Naval Air Systems Command Avionics Department.

Work will be performed in Honolulu, Hawaii, and work is expected to be completed in May 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured via a Broad Agency Announcement. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-08-C-0110).    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, May 7, 2008) – The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing later this month to examine the rising price of crude oil and its effect on gas prices across the country, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced today.

Giant 5 mpg SUV: Photo by Financial Aid Podcast (CC)    » read more »

May 6, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The French-based AREVA company has notified Idaho’s Senator Larry Craig, Governor Butch Otter, Senator Mike Crapo and Congressman Mike Simpson that it has selected Bonneville County, Idaho, as the site of its $2 billion first U.S. uranium enrichment plant.    » read more »

As Oil Company Profits Hit Record Highs, Americans Pay the Price at Pump

May 6, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Uncompetitive practices by oil companies and manipulation of the market by financial speculators are two culprits behind soaring gas prices, Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee today.

Chevron oil refinery: Photo by Garlyn (CC)    » read more »

CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Helicopter Tech., Inc., of King of Prussia, Penn.; Logistics Specialties, Inc., of Layton, Utah; ES3 Prime Logistics Group, Inc., of San Diego, Calif.; and Eagle Tool and Machine Co., Inc., of Springfield, Ohio, are being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for $1,500,000,000.

Humvees

This action will provide support and source for competitive Air Force and DLA land gear (709 Air Force, and 371 DLA items). At this time $8,000,000 has been obligated. Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8203-08-D-0001, FA8203-08-D-0002, FA8203-08-D-0003, FA8203-08-D-0004).

ARMY    » read more »

May 6, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- With energy prices continuing to reach record highs, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) sent a letter to President Bush requesting the creation of a new federal task force to investigate whether speculators are driving up prices in energy commodity markets through manipulative or deceptive practices.

Oil drums: Photo by tripletrouble (CC)    » read more »

Bipartisan Effort Would Prevent Energy Market Manipulation

May 6, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – As American consumers face soaring gas and energy prices, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) announced today that legislation providing long overdue oversight of energy markets will be included in the final Farm Bill. Feingold pushed for the provision as part of a bipartisan effort, led by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), to ensure federal oversight of the electronic trading of oil and gas.    » read more »

In 2000, Congress passed a provision requiring the SBA to award 5% of contracts to women owned businesses

May 1, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today sent the following letter to the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA), Steven Preston, objecting to the SBA's proposed rule, entitled Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Assistance procedures, which would do little or nothing to rectify the underrepresentation of and discrimination against women owned businesses in government contracting awards.

Senator Barack Obama: Photo by abbyladybug (CC)    » read more »