Workforce
Pence ‘Day 1’ plan includes a telework rollback, spending freeze and ban on gender affirming care
The former vice president and Republican presidential candidate on Tuesday unveiled a laundry list of executive actions he would take immediately upon assuming office to reverse the Biden administration’s policies.
Management
Feds pre-deploy to Florida in anticipation of major hurricane
FEMA looks to manage workforce shortages as it responds to multiple crises at once.
Defense
US offers rare preview of upcoming spy-satellite launch
Officials talked about Tuesday’s launch of NROL-107 in a bid to “deter the adversary.”
Management
Taxpayer advocate highlights challenges for legit taxpayers tagged as fraudsters by the IRS
The only online remediation option for people whose tax returns have been flagged as potential identity theft is through vendor ID.me.
Management
USPS eyes expansion of a potentially major insourcing initiative
The program is in its infancy, but could lead to many thousands of jobs going from external contractors to internal agency employees.
Pay & Benefits
IRS announces two-year delay to TSP catch-up contribution changes
New rules requiring high-income 401(k) participants to make catch-up contributions only to Roth accounts will not take effect until 2026.
Management
Federal call center workers join March on Washington call attention to workplace inequities
A 2023 report found only 2% of managers with frontline customer service experience were internally promoted.
Tech
NBIS says it will deliver continuous monitoring for all customers by December
The National Background Investigation Services system was initially scheduled to be up and running in 2019.
Tech
Government websites are loaded with misinformation, and that’s a big problem for AI
Sometimes information that looks reliable because it’s from a federal agency website has not in fact been vetted, and AI systems are only as trustworthy as the data they’re fed.
Pay & Benefits
TSP contribution limits will increase again next year, consultants predict
This would mark the third straight year that the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings plan and similar private sector programs see a boost in their annual contribution limits.
Defense
Navy divers begin search and underwater survey in Maui
The Defense Department now has 572 people supporting relief efforts after devastating fires.
Defense
Meet the tiny State Department offices clearing billions of dollars’ worth of weapons for Ukraine
They’ve handled a 150-fold increase in work by doing in hours what used to take months.
Workforce
6 places where federal employees actually work in swamps
A tour of government-owned wetlands.
Management
Biden looks to ramp up federal involvement in extreme heat response
Amid record heat waves and calls for more federal action, FEMA will host an extreme heat summit next week.
Management
EEOC finalizes electronic filing options for feds
Although the agency that investigates complaints of workplace discrimination has offered the option to file documents and track cases online for years, its regulations now finally endorse the current system.
Defense
Despite major reform to military justice system, Navy still leaves public in dark
A new law enacts sweeping changes to make prosecutions for serious offenses like sexual assault or murder more fair. The Navy is still fighting a ProPublica lawsuit to make those court cases public.
Tech
The Agriculture Department is taking a ‘cautious’ approach to generative AI
The agency’s data “also needs to be in a condition… to support those kinds of tools,” according to USDA chief data officer and responsible AI officer, Chris Alvares.
Management
Slashing the federal workforce and eliminating agencies: Takeaways from the first Republican presidential debate
Eight Republican candidates for president shared their ideas for reforming, and shrinking, government.
Oversight