Federal employees who expose fraud, waste and abuse in government operations now have new protections against retaliation. President Obama signed the protections into law on Tuesday, 13 years after groups representing whistle-blowers began lobbying for such measures. The legislation closes loopholes created by court rulings, which removed protections for federal whistle-blowers. One loophole specified that whistle-blowers were protected only when they were the first to report misconduct. The law makes it easier to punish supervisors who try to retaliate against the government workers. Specific protections would be given to certain employees, including government scientists who challenge censorship.