Federal Newscast

(5/14/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: A draft version of the House defense policy bill would raise junior enlisted pay by 15%. The Postal Service is looking to raise prices on more than just mail. And the first chief digital and AI officer at the Defense Department is headed to the private sector. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com...

(5/13/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Navy is offering big money to keep its pilots from flying the coop. The 2023 numbers are in about how the U.S. Digital Service impacted agencies. And two leaders on the House Homeland Security Committee want to put Microsoft on the hot seat about "cybersecurity failures." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...

(5/10/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The FDIC is in need of "cultural and structural change," according to a special review committee report. A watchdog report says breakdowns in leadership led the VA to pay nearly $11 million in bonuses to ineligible executives. And the Army's Chief Information Officer continues his march to revamp technology policy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

In today's Federal Newscast, federal prosecutors are wrapping up one of the biggest counterfeit postage cases in years.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In today's Federal Newscast, a pair of senators is looking to get feds back to the office even more.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

(5/7/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Defense Department has secured funding for the Replicator initiative. Fourteen Senators want to press the pause button on facial-recognition-use at airports. And a Virginia Congressman is troubled by the lack of information on postal accidents and fatalities caused by trucking contractors. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pr...

(5/6/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Army will discontinue its temporary promotion policy for non-commissioned officers. In April, TSP posts negative returns for first time this year. And a long-serving official at Office of Management and Budget is taking on a new role at the Social Security Administration. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...

(5/3/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: A permanent under secretary of Defense for policy, remains elusive. OPM prepares to launch its HR career-growth website. And DISA's new five-year plan will consolidate support for the warfighter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

(5/2/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: Expanded data on the federal workforce is opening the door for better planning and hiring. Republican Senators are squeezing the Education Dept for higher telework numbers. And pro-Russian hacktivists have broken into American and European critical infrastructure networks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...

(5/1/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Defense Innovation Unit gets a new deputy director of commercial operations. The GSA's effort to "right size" the inventory of federal office space continues. And CISA makes major progress deploying Endpoint Detection and Response tools on agency systems. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/p...

(4/30/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: Members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee have introduced a bill to authorize new VA facilities in eight states and Puerto Rico. CISA has identified more than 150 beneficial use cases for AI in critical infrastructure. And the Navy defends itself in court over the health impact of a Honolulu fuel spill. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy...

(4/29/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: GSA is looking for members to serve on its new Open Government Federal Advisory Committee. Senators are raising concerns about Homeland Security's practice of searching through phones at U.S. border checkpoints. And by Friday, agencies are required to name a senior career official to lead their presidential transition efforts. See Privacy Policy at https://...

(4/26/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: OPM advises agencies on how they should consider a job candidate's criminal background. Staffing shortfalls will likely mean the Coast Guard will shut down about two dozen small-boat stations across the country. And Sen. Chuck Grassley is underwhelmed by DoD's oversight of the government purchase card. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...

(4/25/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: Assistant U.S. attorneys at DOJ are calling for more flexibility and consistency in their telework options. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration helped stop a $3.5 billion fraud scheme targeting pandemic relief funds. And GSA will release a new buying guide this week to help agencies purchase generative AI capabilities. See Privacy Policy a...

(4/24/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: Federal employees’ participation rates in the Thrift Savings Plan are gradually rising. The Census Bureau is laying the groundwork for its next population count in 2030. And seven Senate Democrats call out postal-service leaders for poor service and unsustainable pay hikes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...

(4/23/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Defense Information Systems Agency reaches a new milestone in its classified cloud environment. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is finalizing a list of critical software products. And the DoD IG says Army commanders fail to adequately address all forms of harassment. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pri...

(4/22/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The Defense Health Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit are asking for ideas to make DoD health care more human-centered. The Defense Department, once again, dominates the President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition. And the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act includes a requirement for a telework option. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Ca...

(4/19/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: An Illinois Congresswoman looks to put the postal service's network modernization plans on hold. The State Department joins a nationwide initiative to hire and retain more women for law enforcement positions. And a Virginia-based defense contractor pleads guilty to bribery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...

(4/18/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: The IRS received over 100 million individual tax returns this year. The big membership numbers for AFGE, make it the fastest growing major union in the country. And children at a New Mexico Air Force base appear to have a higher rate of a rare brain-and-spinal- cord cancer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...

(4/17/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: A half million veterans give high marks to VA health care. The NSA is urging organizations to deploy increasingly ubiquitous AI systems with security in mind. And recent TSA pay raises have reportedly done wonders for staff attrition. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in...

(4/16/24) - Lawmakers are pushing for more access to specialty services in the military’s health care system. The IRS hit its goal for the number of tax filers who used the agency's new-and-free Direct File system. And Accenture Federal Services has acquired a major contractor for the Veterans Affairs Department. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at http...

(4/15/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: Military pharmacies are finally back to business as usual after a February cyber attack. A new request for information is asking for feedback on a new part of the Federal Acquisition Regulations. And OMB disbands the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and tosses all COVID-19 orders and guidance onto the syringe-heap of history. See Privacy Policy at https:/...

(4/12/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: Junior enlisted service members could get a 15% pay hike as soon as next year. A Senate committee is trying to find out why the Postal Service keeps raising mail prices. And DoJ's efforts to come down hard on pandemic fraudsters, has recovered more than $3 billion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...

(4/11/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: To curb costs, Army officials are considering cuts to education benefits for their soldiers. The Army's Chief Information Officer is out with another new policy. And the Department of Homeland Security is seeing a lot of interest in new job postings for artificial intelligence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...

(4/10/24) - In today's Federal Newscast: An Air Force legislative proposal to transfer National Guard space units to the Space Force is sparking a backlash among state governors. NIST is seeking feedback on new recommendations for cyber incident response. And the Navy has a new strategy for science and technology. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...