Tech
White House cyber office has its eye on workforce data
Data on the cybersecurity workforce is fragmented and inconsistent. A top White House official is looking to change that.
Workforce
The federal government’s primary internship program is getting its first update in a decade
The Office of Personnel Management will propose regulations Wednesday governing the federal government’s Pathways Programs to make it more appealing for potential applicants and easier for agencies to use as a recruitment tool.
Workforce
Study: Mental health stigmas persist throughout the security clearance process
A new report from Leidos finds that mental health perceptions hurt pipelines of talent into the intelligence community.
Management
USPS to offer discounts in hopes of boosting mail usage
The Postal Service hopes to boost revenue from its largest customers by up to $1.3 billion.
Pay & Benefits
IVF coverage is available to veterans under VA insurance — if you’re heterosexual and married
A lawsuit filed in federal court would push the agency to cover the treatment — the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology — for people who are single, or who are in LGBTQ+ relationships.
Defense
What military sexual-assault victims think of the new way cases are prosecuted
President Biden signed an executive order last month that removes legal decision-making authority from commanders for most serious crimes.
Oversight
How the IRS accidentally tagged thousands of taxpayers as dead
The IRS confirmed that 6,821 tax accounts were marked as deceased and locked — meaning that the agency wouldn’t process the tax returns associated with it — when the person was, in fact, alive.
Defense
PACT Act in one year aided 340,000 ailing veterans and survivors, Biden says
The act expands health care eligibility for up to 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans, and for those who served during the Vietnam and Cold War eras.
Pay & Benefits
Labor Dept. will offer training on new rules to boost some federal contractors' wages
Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced a major overhaul of regulations governing the compensation of construction workers on federally funded projects.
Workforce
Republicans push for hiring freeze at the Education Department
The department has yet to recover from the significant workforce losses is sustained under President Trump.
Oversight
Maui wildfires: Extra logistical challenges hinder government’s initial response when disasters strike islands
How the U.S. government responds to disasters like these and how Maui’s geography could interfere with aid delivery.
Management
Biden requests $40B to boost funding at select agencies
Border security, federal firefighter pay and Ukraine aid are part of the emergency request.
Workforce
Retiring NTEU president reflects on three decades in organized labor
Tony Reardon on Thursday handed the reins of the National Treasury Employees Union to newly elected national president Doreen Greenwald.
Defense
VA extends PACT Act filing deadline after website glitches
The Veterans Affairs Department is giving eligible veterans an extra week to announce their intention to submit claims under a law that expands benefits for exposure to toxic substances.
Defense
'High volume’ of last-minute PACT Act submissions caused tech glitches, VA says
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough stressed that no veteran or survivor who received an error message “will miss out on a single day of benefits due to this issue.”
Management
DeJoy pledges to trim workforce costs as USPS continues to lose more money than expected
The Postal Service has found some success in eliminating costs from its network, but overall expenditures spiked in the most recent quarter.
Pay & Benefits
Bill to alleviate federal pay compression introduced by House Dems
The Pay Compression Relief Act would effectively allow General Schedule employees to receive annual increases to both basic and locality pay, even if they have already hit the federal pay cap.
Defense
Pioneering study links testicular cancer among military personnel to ‘forever chemicals’
A new federal study for the first time shows a direct association between PFOS, a PFAS chemical, found in the blood of thousands of military personnel and testicular cancer.
Tech