Management

‘We’re flying blind’: CDC has 1 million bird flu tests ready, but experts see repeat of COVID missteps

Three months into the U.S. bird flu outbreak, only 45 people have been tested. Laboratories say their path forward has been slowed by miscommunication and uncertainty.

Tech

Education Department official says they are making fixes on the FAFSA at a 'rapid pace'

Though users faced glitches and technical errors after the Jan. 8 official debut for the 2024-25 federal student aid form, Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal cites progress and says they will "continue to try and make this process easier and faster for all students."

Defense

Pentagon background-check systems at risk of hacking, GAO says

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency didn’t fully implement DOD’s cybersecurity process, a new report finds.

Management

Senate bill aims to streamline how agencies respond to wildfires

Much like the workforce-focused wildfire bill introduced last week in the House, the EMBER Act draws its provisions from the recommendations of a recent bipartisan commission report.

Tech

Generative AI’s fleet-footed evolution is causing quandaries for federal acquisition

Government leaders and federal contractors said the rapid development of generative AI makes it difficult for agencies to determine what types of tools it needs.

Tech

Biden nominates a new director for the Defense Information Systems Agency

Maj. Gen. Paul Stanton, who currently leads the Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence, has been picked to replace Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner.

Management

Exit interview: OMB’s Customer Experience guru Amira Boland

Boland was the first to take on the role of customer experience lead at the White House, and she sees great potential even beyond her departure.

Management

Agencies spell out how climate change will affect their employees and what they’ll do to protect them

The Biden administration is looking to protect federal workers and agency missions in the fact of extreme weather.

Pay & Benefits

Biden’s 2% raise more likely upon advancement of Senate defense policy bill

The Senate Armed Services Committee last week advanced its version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, endorsing a 2% average pay raise for civilian federal workers alongside a 4.5% increase for military service members.

News

Scientists argue over the origins of COVID-19 before Senate panel

Microbiology and biodefense experts continued to wrangle over whether COVID-19 emerged from a laboratory leak or was passed to humans through exposure from another animal.

Tech

House panel advances bill to study TSA’s embrace of digital IDs

Travelers from nine states can now use mobile driver’s licenses to verify their identities at 27 U.S. airports.

Workforce

Dems warn of agency furloughs, layoffs if spending caps are not lifted

FBI agents, meat inspectors and others could face job cuts under the current fiscal 2025 spending plan, Democrats say.

Workforce

‘Trailblazing’ federal leaders urge perseverance, authenticity to government interns

Panelists at an OPM event for interns praised federal DEI programs, which some congressional Republicans want to end.

Exclusive Workforce

Martin O’Malley is on a one-year sprint to save Social Security

Despite shaking up the culture one of Washington’s most risk-averse agencies, the former governor said his biggest task is convincing Congress to reinvest in the Social Security Administration’s administrative overhead.

Tech

GSA announces 11 new Presidential Innovation Fellows to focus on AI

The second cohort of Presidential Innovation Fellows in 2024 will help agencies adopt AI while mitigating risks.

Workforce

Embracing authenticity: A call to action for federal employees for Pride Month and Juneteenth

COMMENTARY | “Being authentic isn’t just ‘speaking your truth,’ it also means paying attention to the comfort level of others and respecting our own boundaries,” writes one long-time federal employee.

Oversight

NSF’s ongoing major infrastructure project delays due to personnel, supply challenges, report says

Staffing challenges were partially at the root of delays for two of the agency’s construction facilities projects costing more than $100 million.