Pay & Benefits

What you need to know about the Social Security Earnings Test

When picking a date to start claiming your Social Security benefits, timing is everything.

Management

Congress averts shutdown, punts funding debate into March

Both the Senate and House approved a six-week stopgap on Thursday, just one day before a shutdown deadline.

Management

Senate panel advances watchdog, labor nominees

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee favorably reported four nominees for adjudicative agencies recently hamstrung by vacancy-related case backlogs to the Senate floor for final consideration.

Management

Supreme Court appears ready to end deference to federal agency expertise

The conservative majority is skeptical of a longstanding precedent that gives agencies latitude in setting regulations, and legal experts say it will take "miracle" to save it.

Management

OPM and the Pentagon are among agencies adopting solar under a $104M clean energy plan

The Biden administration detailed new grant awards from an Energy Department program tasked with helping implement energy conservation technology at federal agencies. 

Management

Can NIST get it all done?

The small technology agency has a big share of the responsibility for executing on the Biden administration's executive order on artificial intelligence.

Management

A thumbs-up for State's 3-year-old cyber bureau

The Government Accountability Office said the creation of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy in 2022 has “helped to better position State to achieve its cyber diplomacy goals.”

Pay & Benefits

Election years and the TSP

COMMENTARY | Investing during election years is an exercise in not letting your emotions drive your decisions, says one financial advisor.

Tech

CISA needs better collaboration with the EPA and water sector, watchdog says

CISA had “inconsistent collaboration” with relevant stakeholders due to a lack of formal mechanisms, according to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.

Management

Biden’s chief diversity officer is headed to the private sector

Janice Underwood, who serves as the governmentwide chief diversity officer and as director of the Office of Personnel Management’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility office, will be vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion talent outreach and development at Disney.

Management

Senate advances another two-tiered stopgap spending bill

Facing a potential shutdown at the end of the week, Congress aims to push the deadlines into early March.

Workforce

White House looks to eliminate college degree requirements for cyber jobs with federal contractors

National Cyber Director Harry Coker also said Thursday that the federal government will be conducting a series of hiring sprints this year to fill seats.

Tech

House lawmakers join push for agencies to disclose public-impacting AI uses

A group of House members from both parties rolled out companion legislation to a Senate bill that would require agencies to notify individuals when they are engaging with AI tools.

Management

Senate committee wants details on VA’s harassment investigation

On the heels of a House panel voting to subpoena the Veterans Affairs Department as part of its own investigation, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee wants more information about how officials are examining sexual harassment allegations. 

Management

With partial government shutdown a week away, Johnson says he’ll stick to spending deal

Several conservative Republicans have been calling for the House speaker to set aside, renegotiate, or somehow sweeten the current topline agreement.

Workforce

Biden nominates OSC deputy to join FLRA

Biden’s previous choice to fill the last spot on the Federal Labor Relations Authority quietly withdrew from consideration last fall.

Defense

More than $1 billion in high-tech military aid sent to Ukraine incorrectly tracked, watchdog finds

Poor interagency coordination and a lack of U.S. staff on the ground meant advanced weaponry was not accurately monitored in Defense Department databases.

Oversight

IRS has ‘unconscionable delays’ in helping identity theft victims, taxpayer advocate says

The average wait time for taxpayers trying to resolve fraudulent returns, coupled with legitimate filers being mistakenly flagged as fraudulent, has become a top challenge for the IRS, according to a new report.

Management

New turmoil over a possible government shutdown

Congress must pass some sort of spending bill before Jan. 19, otherwise the departments and agencies funded by the Agriculture, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD spending measures would enter a shutdown.

Pay & Benefits

OPM reduces the retirement backlog by one-third in 2023

The federal government’s HR agency’s work on improving the retirement application process for federal workers led to the agency shattering yet another longstanding record last month.