Management
GSA has a backlog of 36,000 open fire, safety and health risk conditions in federal buildings
After a complaint to GSA’s inspector general that the agency was violating employee health and safety regulations, auditors found a database of unresolved risk issues at federal buildings across the nation that dated back a decade.
Education Department outlines its testing period for a phased rollout of the new FAFSA form
After this year's federal student aid application encountered a series of glitches and errors the department will begin beta testing the 2025-2026 form with community-based organizations in October.
SSI to move its core disability program application online
The initial rollout will be available to adults who have never married and are applying for Supplemental Security Income for the first time.
Federal judge pauses a program that grants protections for undocumented spouses
A Homeland Security Department spokesperson said the agency will defend the program, known as Keeping Families Together, in court. DHS is still allowed to collect applications, but not allowed to approve them.
Both Harris and Trump are historically behind on presidential transition planning
GSA is beginning to provide office space and information technology support to the candidates, who have both just recently named the heads of their transition teams.
ICE struggles to track unaccompanied minors, oversight report says
The agency lacks automated systems to chart the path of underage migrants through the immigration system.
Social Security to finalize rules making expanded phone and video hearings permanent
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the agency quickly pivoted toward offering disability determination hearings by phone and video, options that remain popular today.
FDA greenlights a new COVID vaccine after a summer of rising numbers of cases
While the death rate from COVID-19 steadily decreased during the first half of the year, it began ticking up slightly in June, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
VA should offer more support for Veterans Crisis Line personnel, watchdog says
VA’s Office of Inspector General found that the Veterans Crisis Line successfully prepared for the launch of the streamlined “988 then press 1” call option for those in crisis but strained supervisors’ ability to guide responders.
GSA will update its property management regulations to reflect gender inclusive pronouns
The agency previously adopted similar updates to regulations governing federal travel earlier this year.
EEOC averts the threat of a one-day furlough
Chair Charlotte Burrows said in a statement that the agency found enough savings to avoid furloughing employees on Aug. 30.
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Trump assassination attempt laid bare long-standing vulnerabilities in the Secret Service
A Spotlight PA, ProPublica and Butler Eagle investigation found the process for securing campaign events was susceptible to attack for years.
VA hopes new antifraud tools will help veterans identify, report common scams
Veterans lost $350 million in scams targeting former service members in 2023, according to a government report.
GSA awards contract for $524M CISA headquarters
The agency will leverage its largest Inflation Reduction Act-funded project to date to help construct a 630,000-square-foot building for the cybersecurity agency at the St. Elizabeths West Campus.
Several House Democrats urge USPS to implement heat safety protections for workers
The Biden administration in July issued a proposed rule to protect employees working in extreme heat, but more than 70 members of Congress want the USPS to implement those protections before the rule goes into effect.
Two lawsuits challenge the EPA’s regulation of ethylene oxide
As the regulatory fight over toxic sterilization facilities continues, the health of more than 14 million people may hang in the balance.
SSA has a plan, but wants more funding to get it done
The 2024 agenda’s top priorities for the remainder of the year stem from over 5,000 recommendations from employees.
OPM and OMB unveil a new plan to improve the federal hiring ‘experience’ for both workers and HR managers
The Biden administration’s latest effort to improve the federal hiring process provides a roadmap for implementing decades-old calls for reform.
A pair of new bills aim to reshape the Secret Service
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., penned new legislation to shift the agency’s jurisdiction for investigating financial crimes and alter how it designates its protective perimeter in the wake of the Trump assassination attempt.
USDA to take ‘additional step’ in testing beef from former dairy cattle for bird flu
The undersecretary for food safety at the USDA said Tuesday that the new testing program follows three studies undertaken during the spring and summer that all found beef in the nation’s food supply is safe to eat.
