Workforce

DHS cyber hiring program got off on the wrong foot, CIO says, but progress is showing

Ten years after its congressional authorization, the Cybersecurity Talent Management System is closing in on 200 hires.

Management

DHS says surge of employees to the front lines is working to ramp up border enforcement

President Biden's new policies to turn away most migrants is causing border crossings to decline significantly, administration says.

Workforce

DHS hires its initial cohort of 10 to join its AI Corps

The Homeland Security Department’s AI Corps is designed to deploy tech-savvy experts across its operations to drive the adoption of AI capabilities within its various mission areas.

Defense

Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships

White House officials said Wednesday that veterans convicted under Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice over several decades under military law would be pardoned by President Biden.

Pay & Benefits

How to use the ‘Bucket Strategy’ to optimize your retirement savings

COMMENTARY | There are ways to strategically withdraw money in retirement to make your funds last longer.

Oversight

Colorado VA medical facility leaders created a ‘psychologically unsafe’ environment for employees

A pair of inspector general investigations substantiated claims that VA officials in Aurora, Colo., presided over a toxic work environment that also featured a year-long pause in certain surgeries due to staff departures.

Pay & Benefits

Federal whistleblowers are entitled to damages for missed future pay, court rules

Employees can receive compensatory payments if their firings caused harm that prevented future earnings.

Workforce

Forest Service will partially refund federal firefighters’ rent in government-owned housing

The decision to provide a 50% refund to wildland firefighters at the GS-10 level who reside in government-owned housing will affect roughly 5,500 employees.

News

The presidential debate offers an opportunity for errors, partisan spin − and maybe an opening for change

The June 27 debate gives both campaigns the chance to test their candidates and messages while very few voters are paying attention.

Workforce

DHS wants to go big with its hiring fair this week

The department says it's cutting red tape in government hiring by giving tentative job offers on the spot and starting vetting processes in person.

Management

Lawmakers press VA to report on the delays in its burn pit registry revamp

An October 2022 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said VA should “initiate a new phase” of its Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to make it “a user-friendly, efficient and effective resource.”

Oversight

Tax audits for some millionaires may be more effective than targeting a wider range, report finds

The TIGTA report compared a 2020 IRS directive that required annual audits on some individuals making more than $10 million to a wider income range, finding that the former yielded more assessments.

Workforce

The House’s DHS funding bill preserves TSA’s recent pay increases

Although lawmakers have yet to act on a bill to codify the Biden administration’s decision to provide Transportation Security Administration employees with Title 5 protections and compensation, Congress is poised to continue funding the initiative.

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.