Management

Biden’s Annual Physical Shows He Is ‘A Healthy, Vigorous, 80-Year-Old Male’

The evaluation of the president's health comes as he weighs whether to run for reelection in 2024.

Oversight

What Is a UFO? The U.S. Shot down Three Mysterious Objects as Interest and Concern Increase Over Unidentified Craft

There are thousands of sightings of UFOs – or "unidentified aerial phenomena" as government prefers to call them – every year.

Management

A Broken Civil Service System Could Break Government

Jeffrey Neal joins the podcast again to talk about the pace of change in modernizing the federal workforce.

Oversight

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Joe Biden Over Signing Federal Spending Package

The attorney general argued the House unconstitutionally passed its federal spending bill because not enough members were physically present to vote. Both Republicans and Democrats voted by proxy throughout the pandemic.

Pay & Benefits

Federal Prisons Employees Aren’t Entitled to COVID Hazard Pay, Appeals Judges Rule

In a 10-2 decision, the appeals court said OPM regulations around hazardous duty pay only address the handling of “virulent biologicals” in a laboratory setting, not “ambient” exposure to infected individuals.

Pay & Benefits

VA Docs Are One Step Closer to Earning More than $400K Annually

A Senate committee advanced a sweeping compensation overhaul for VA health care workers that would create a more market-based pay system.

Pay & Benefits

What Not To Do With Your TSP Account

Be careful about borrowing from your retirement investments. 

Tech

Almost 60% of GAO's Privacy Recommendations Since 2010 Are Unresolved

A watchdog report found that federal agencies have only implemented approximately 41% of recommendations related to the protection and security of sensitive data as of December 2022.

Workforce

Biden Administration Releases First-Ever Report on Diversity in Federal Government

The report reflects marginal gains in representation for women and some communities of color.

Exclusive Defense

‘We Didn’t Have the Ships’ to Send ‘Best Option’ to Help Earthquake Victims, Commandant Says

Incident comes a year after maintenance problems delayed the 22nd MEU’s deployment to Europe.

Oversight

U.S. Likely to Default on Debt between July and September unless Congress Acts, CBO Says

Congressional Budget Office cautioned that the window is uncertain, since amount of money flowing into federal government from taxes, other revenue fluctuates

Workforce

Modernizing the Civil Service isn't Exciting, but It Is Important

Jeffrey Neal joins the podcast to discuss bringing the federal workforce into the 21st century.

Management

Biden’s IRS Pick Says He’s the ‘Government Geek’ for the Job

Nominee pledges transparency with unprecedented spending and hiring surge as he takes on the “most challenging and least popular job in town.”

Management

Everyone Wants the New FBI Headquarters, But Who Gets It Remains Undecided

On Wednesday, a Virginia delegation explained why their state should be chosen for the new location, and got opposition from lawmakers advocating for Maryland to win the long-running fight.

Workforce

Report: Pentagon Personnel Use Unauthorized, Unsafe Apps on Work Devices

The Defense Department’s inspector general found that unsanctioned apps downloaded onto government-issued mobile devices “could pose operational and cybersecurity risks to DOD information and information systems.”

Pay & Benefits

Paid Family Leave: A Benefit Helpful to Just About Everyone—So Why So Slow In Coming?

It’s only in the last few years that feds got 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Now, a pending bill aims to cover caregiving in case of illness.

Oversight

Transitioning into the New 'Normal' of Post-Pandemic Life

Courtney Bublé joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming end of the public health emergency.