The Obama administration and Congress have responded to the recession by ratcheting up the Dept. of Agriculture administered food stamp program. The increase in food stamps, though, sharply contrasts to the Labor Dept.’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, better known as welfare. Here federal aid has not increased in a way commensurate to the rise in joblessness and poverty. Barbara Ehreinreich and Peter Edelman report out the contrast in a piece for the Nation: (more…)

TARP’s main mortgage-modification program has not helped enough homeowners avoid foreclosure. Moreover, the homeowners who have been helped are disproportionately white. (more…)

The Food and Drug administration is reviewing whether to close the most controversial hole in the agency’s new tobacco regulations: the continued legality of menthol flavoring in cigarettes. (more…)

Washington Post

FDA reviewing whether to ban menthol cigarettes – Lyndsey Layton reports that FDA officials are considering banning menthol-flavored cigarettes, which make up about one third of the U.S. cigarette market

U.S. forces set sights on Taliban bastion of Kandahar – Karen DeYoung and Craig Whitlock report that U.S. military forces have begun the initial phases of a political-military offensive in Kandahar

White House to seek input on roles of private contractors, federal workers – Ed O’Keefe reports that the Office of Federal Procurement Policy is issuing guidelines subject to public review about which jobs are appropriate to contract out and which jobs should be responsibility of federal workers

Homeland Security IG in conflict with agencies on corruption probes – Andrew Becker outlines conflict among investigators at the Department of Homeland Security, its Customs and Border Protection Division, and the FBI which is delaying inquiries into corruption in border enforcement

As missions are added, Stratcom commander keeps focus on deterrence – Walter Pincus discusses Strategic Command’s responsibilities and the strategies of its head, Gen. Kevin P. Chilton

Eye Opener: Cherry Blossom time at OPM – Ed O’Keefe discusses how workers at the Office of Personnel Management will be allowed a one hour break from duties to view the cherry blossoms on Thursday or Friday

New York Times

Safety Agency Adds Outside Experts in Toyota Recall – AP reports that both NASA and the National Academy of Sciences will join the government’s investigation of Toyota’s vehicle recalls

Census Day is Near, Carrying a Weight Far Beyond the Raw Numbers – Kate Zernike and Jim Rutenberg discuss Census deadlines and a campaign to encourage people to limit their answers on the form, a step that could unfairly reduce federal resources going to certain parts of the country where anti-Census feelings dominate

Obama Signs Overhaul of Student Loan Program – Peter Baker and David M. Herszenhorn report on Obama’s signing legislation that will overhaul the federal student loan program, expanding college access for millions of young Americans

Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time – John M. Broder reports that Obama will open areas off the East coast and Alaksa for offshore drilling, some of them for the first time

Wall Street Journal

Effect of Menthol on Smoking Unclear – Jared A. Favole discusses the mixed information available on menthol as a cigarette flavoring, and whether it induces people to smoke or makes it harder for them to quit

Obama to Propose More Oil Drilling in Gulf – Stephen Power and Ian Talley report on President Obama’s intentions to allow drilling for oil and natural gas off the shore of the East coast, Gulf of Mexico and Alaska

White House Court Brief Backs Race-Based Admissions – Jess Bravin reports that the Obama administration asked a federal appeals court to uphold a race-conscious admissions system at the University of Texas at Austin

Bush-Era Facilities-Upgrade Rule Faces Repeal – Siobhan Hughes discusses a proposed EPA rescinding of a Bush administration rule that narrowed the situations in which companies had to install state-of-the-art controls when upgrading power plants

FDA Cleared of Criminal Wrongdoing – Alicia Mundy reports that FDA managers were found innocent of criminal actions against scientists who opposed approving several medical devices

- Compiled by Alison Baitz

If states are going to climb out of fiscal peril, it’s not going to be through the Education Dept.’s “Race to the Top” grant program. (more…)

“Food fraud” may be a serious problem — but is it a top problem for the Food and Drug Administration? (more…)

The Environmental Protection Agency has repeatedly signaled their intention to regulate greenhouse gases that cause global warming — but they don’t seem to be in a hurry to actually issue rules. (more…)

By Matthew Blake

The Obama administration is quietly making a big break from a Bush administration that turned a blind eye to antitrust enforcement – and its prime target could be agribusiness giant Monsanto.

From January 2001 to January 2009, the Justice Department Antitrust Division filed fewer lawsuits than previous administrations and did not file one case that claimed a dominant firm improperly obtained a monopoly. But in just one year, the Obama Antitrust Division, led by former Clinton administration official Christine Varney, has taken steps to scrutinize corporate giants. “They’ve ramped up investigations,” says Herbert Hovenkamp, a prominent antitrust law scholar who teaches at the University of Iowa. Hovenkamp said he believes the Obama administration is “looking for a major monopolization case.” (more…)

Washington Post

FDA pressured to combat rising ‘food fraud’ – Lyndsey Layton reports that the FDA has been criticized for focusing on preventing food contamination, neglecting the issue of ‘food fraud’

NASA to investigate cause of Toyota problems – Peter Whoriskey reports that auto-safety regulators probing Toyota’s problems have asked scientists from NASA to assist with investigation

EPA will list Bisphenol ‘chemical of concern‘ – David A. Fahrenthold reports the EPA is adding the widely used chemical bisphenol-A to its list of chemicals of concern, increasing testing of its effects on animals and the environment

Pay stubs for some federal workers going electronic – Ed O’Keefe reports that in a money saving effort, employees of the executive branch will begin transmitting pay information electronically, will still be able to opt for paper versions

NASA chef Vickie Kloeris shoots for the moon – Vickie Kloeris, NASA’s ‘top chef’, answers some questions about her job

Mortgage-banking veteran Bott leads FHA foreclosure-prevention effort – Dina ElBoghdady profiles Vicki Bott, head of the FHA’s single-family housing programs

New York Times

SEC Looks at Wall Street Accounting – Lousie Story reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission has begun an inquiry into approximately two dozen financial companies, to see if they engaged in accounting practices similar to those of Lehman Brothers

EPA Delays Plants’ Pollution Permits - John M. Broder analyzes the EPA’s statement that it will not require power plants to obtain federal pollution permits for emitting greenhouse gases until next January

FDA to Examine Menthol Cigarettes – Duff Wilson reports that a new federal advisory board for tobacco plans to meet and discuss the issue of menthol flavoring in cigarettes

U.S. Names Education Grant Winners – Sam Dillon covers the announcement of Race to the Top awards, giving $100 million to Delaware and $500 million to Tennessee

New EPA Scrutiny is Set for a Chemical in Plastics – John M. Broder discusses the addition of bisphenol-A, or BPA, to the EPA’s list of chemicals of concern

Disabled Immigration Detainees Face Deportation – Nina Bernstein investigates the problem of mentally ill and mentally disabled immigration detainees in Texas detention centers who are deported without medication or medical records

Wall Street Journal

EPA Confirms Delay in Permit Requirement – Ian Talley reports on the EPA’s decision to delay requirement power plants to file for emissions permits until January 2011

Consumer Spending Rises a Bit, but Incomes Stagnant – Jeff Bater lays out Commerce Department data proving high consumer spending despite stagnant income

EPA to Scrutinize Impact of BPA – Jared A. Favole reports on the EPA’s investigation of widely used plastics chemical bisphenol-A

FDA Panel to Look at Menthol Cigarettes – Jared A. Favole covers the new tobacco panel investigating the health effects of menthol cigarettes

–compiled by Alison Baitz

Washington Post

FDA pressured to combat rising ‘food fraud’ – Lyndsey Layton reports that the FDA has been criticized for focusing on preventing food contamination, while neglecting ‘food fraud’

NASA to investigate cause of Toyota problems – Peter Whoriskey reports that auto-safety regulators probing Toyota’s problems have run into enough scientific mystery that they’re asking scientists from NASA to assist with investigation

EPA will list Bisphenol ‘chemical of concern‘ – David A. Fahrenthold reports the EPA is adding widely used bisphenol-A to its list of chemicals of concern, will increase testing of the chemical’s effects on animals and the environment

Pay stubs for some federal workers going electronic – Ed O’Keefe reports that in a money saving effort, employees of the executive branch will begin transmitting pay information electronically, though they’ll still be able to opt for paper receipts

NASA chef Vickie Kloeris shoots for the moon – Vickie Kloeris, NASA’s ‘top’ chef, answers some questions about her job

Mortgage-banking veteran Bott leads FHA foreclosure-prevention effort – Dina ElBoghdady profiles Vicki Bott, head of the FHA’s single-family housing programs

New York Times

SEC Looks at Wall Street Accounting – Lousie Story reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission has begun an inquiry into approximately two dozen financial companies, to see if they engaged in accounting practices similar to those of Lehman Brothers

EPA Delays Plants’ Pollution Permits - John M. Broder analyzes the EPA’s statement that it will not require power plants to obtain federal pollution permits for emitting greenhouse gases until next January

FDA to Examine Menthol Cigarettes – Duff Wilson reports that a new federal advisory board for tobacco plans to meet and discuss the issue of menthol flavoring in cigarettes

U.S. Names Education Grant Winners – Sam Dillon covers the announcement of Race to the Top awards, giving $100 million to Delaware and $500 million to Tennessee

New EPA Scrutiny is Set for a Chemical in Plastics – John M. Broder discusses the addition of bisphenol-A, or BPA, to the EPA’s list of chemicals of concern

Disabled Immigration Detainees Face Deportation – Nina Bernstein investigates the problem of mentally ill and mentally disabled immigration detainees in Texas detention centers who are deported without medication or medical records

Wall Street Journal

EPA Confirms Delay in Permit Requirement – Ian Talley reports on the EPA’s decision to delay mandatory emissions permits for power plants until January 2011

Consumer Spending Rises a Bit, but Incomes Stagnant – Jeff Bater lays out Commerce Department data proving high consumer spending despite stagnation of incomes

EPA to Scrutinize Impact of BPA – Jared A. Favole reports on the EPA’s investigation of widely used chemical bisphenol-A

FDA Panel to Look at Menthol Cigarettes – Jared A. Favole covers the intentions of a new tobacco panel to investigate the health effects of menthol cigarettes, then advise the government on regulating the product

–compiled by Alison Baitz