LLNL - The True Story -

This is a link to a March 24, 2017 letter from three Senators to DOE Secretary Perry regarding DOE OIG confirmed retaliatory conduct by SRNS management against Sandra Black. The Senators ask if the involved SRNS managers will be held directly accountable for the retaliation. The Senators also ask about consequences for the Contractor.  https://www.wyden.senate.gov/download/?id=50DB3316-98A3-476B-B5AC-A1EF7D6EE033&download=1

"Energy Department whistleblower finally gets justice, despite agency neglect" https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/23/energy-department-whistleblower-finally-gets-justice-despite-agency-neglect/

NIF Update. Spoiler alert: It's still a failure. https://lasers.llnl.gov/news/experimental-highlights comment: Odd, it looks like a hopeful future. In any case science is not about success or failure, it is about truth and what may seem as a failure at first may turn out to be the one of the biggest discoveries since Newtons gravity. Let the discoveries began! Lux Lux Lux!!!!!

http://twitchy.com/wa-37/2017/03/19/digging-your-own-grave-60-minutes-and-michelle-malkin-take-a-look-at-the-h1b-visa-program/ 60 minutes show on H1B visas. 60-80 Indian workers (from India) replace UCSF IT team (1/2 pay, no benefits)and Big Sis (Janet N) is behind it and Disney did the same. The H1B program was never meant for this (a loophole). Like it or not Mr. Trump (and maybe Bernie) addressed this in the campaign. Me thinks Mr. Trump (or Bernie if he was elected) will deal with this soon, a lot on his plate right now. Comments: Anonymous March 19, 2017 at 7:49 PM Oh forgot, be careful what you wish for! Anonymous March 19, 2017 at 10:08 PM Perhaps we can hire some of those cheap but smart Indians on H1B visas to take over the high level work at the weapon labs. Think of all the money we would save! Anonymous March 20, 2017 at 6:37 PM Don't give the directors any ideas. They will think it is a great suggestion.

Under the budget plans, defence department spending would rise by $54bn (£44bn) or 10%, including $2bn for nuclear weapons, while homeland security would get a 6.8% boost. In addition, the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the maintenance and safety of the nuclear arsenal and its research labs, would gain $1.4bn. DOE is -6% overall.

The Trump’s budget would cut DOE spending overall by $1.7 billion — or 5.6 percent from current levels — to $28 billion. But the money is redistributed. NNSA's budget would grow 11.3 percent while the rest of the DOE’s programs would be cut by 17.9 percent. The president would drop programs such as the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides grants to states and some Indian tribes to improve energy efficiency for low-income families, and the State Energy Program, which gives grants to states. It would also eliminate altogether the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, which is popular in Congress and spends $300 million on basic research; Title 17 loan guarantees for new low-carbon energy projects; and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program, which has helped such companies as Tesla develop electric cars and Ford develop more-efficient combustion engines and light materials. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-b...

The budget has a 20% decrease to DOE office of science, 20% cut to NIH. NASA also gets a cut. This will  have a huge negative effect on the lab. Crazy, juts crazy. He also wants to cut NEA and PBS, this may not seem like  a big deal but they get very little money and do great things.

Hannah Northey, E&E News reporter Monday, March 13, 2017  A well-connected political consultant for electric utilities and former George W. Bush administration official is Energy Secretary Rick Perry's chief of staff. Brian McCormack — a former White House aide, a strategist at the Edison Electric Institute and a familiar face on Capitol Hill — is working for Perry, a Department of Energy spokesman confirmed. DOE hasn't made a formal announcement. McCormack's last day with EEI was March 2, the same day the Senate confirmed Perry, according to Brian Reil, a spokesman for the industry group. As chief of staff, McCormack is helping manage DOE's $30 billion budget, 13,500 employees and 104,000 contractors. Past chiefs of staff have also helped implement the secretary's policy initiatives. A DOE career employee who's not authorized to speak to the press and asked to remain anonymous said McCormack's presence is reassuring given his energy experience and EEI...

University of California: Sexual misconduct widespread across 10 campuses http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/28/university-of-california-details-emerging-on-100-sexual-harassment-cases-systemwide-new-documents-show/ COMMENTS   Anonymous  said... How and why is this related or relevant to LLNL?   Anonymous  said... Regent Norman Pattiz has not been held accountable for his sexual harassment. He is on the LLNS Board of Governors. http://www.dailycal.org/2016/11/03/uc-regent-norman-pattiz-recorded-asking-touch-breasts-colleague/ http://www.dailycal.org/2016/11/27/leaked-audio-reveals-additional-lewd-comments-uc-regent-norman-pattiz/ http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uc-regents-sexual-harassment-20161109-story.html http://dailybruin.com/2016/11/30/opinion-editors-uc-regent-norman-pattiz-needs-to-resign-from-position/