The federal government increased whistleblower protections for more than 40,000 airport screeners yesterday, following years of complaints from screeners and other staffers who claimed they were harassed, demoted, or even fired for publicly disclosing problems within the nation's airport se curity system. 

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration signed an agreement that for the first time allows screeners to appeal cases to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board if their initial complaints of reprisal are dismissed. Screeners previously were limited to bringing cases to a government investigative agency, which only was allowed to issue recommendations that were not binding on the TSA.  Read More