Defense

Obama to Name a New Veterans Affairs Head That Republicans Can't Refuse

The president will reportedly pick Bob McDonald, the former head of Procter & Gamble.

Nextgov

NASA’s JPL Is the Only Agency on a New Top IT Employer List

Should your agency have ranked?

Oversight

Play of the Day: America Is Winning at Marriage Equality

John Oliver looks at the discrepancy in gay rights in different states.

Defense

If Obama Wants to Save Iraq, He'll Have to Get His Hands Dirty

The president likes things clean and surgical, he likes exit strategies and limited commitments.

Employee Policy

White House to nominate top CEO as VA secretary

The White House indicated that President Obama plans to nominate the former chief executive of Proctor & Gamble to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Employee Policy

Firing for bad behavior should be easier, EPA head says

When pressed by one lawmaker to answer why an employee at her agency who watched pornography at work was not fired immediately, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency invited Congress to make that firing process easier.

Employee Policy

SEIU joins APWU's Staples boycott

The American Postal Workers Union is amassing labor support for a boycott of the Staples office supply chain as a way to push back against a U.S. Postal Service pilot program to place USPS counters manned by non-postal employees in the retail stores.

Defense One

Senate Politics Leave 28 Countries With No U.S. Ambassador

Nominations for U.S. ambassadors are gathering dust as partisan posturing holds up their Senate confirmation. Never mind that the world’s on fire. By Molly O’Toole

Pay & Benefits

Not Ready to Retire? Not a Problem at NIH.

A federal program lets NIH retain experienced scientists and administrators who reach retirement age.

Management

NASA Astronauts Lose World Cup Bet–and Their Hair

A German astronaut did the honors after his country’s 1-0 win over the USMNT.

Defense

Senators Drafting Bill That Could Extend Life of Chemical Security Program

The anticipated legislation could serve as a companion to a similar House bill.

Management

EPA to Congress: Help Us Fire Misbehaving Employees

Agency’s firing rate has consistently stayed below governmentwide figures.

Nextgov

A New Cybersecurity Bill Could Give the NSA Even More Data

Privacy groups are rallying opposition to the Senate legislation.

Defense One

How Nonviolent Action Could Thwart ISIL’s Advance in Iraq

ISIL fighters are making gains in Iraq. But this does not mean that their violence is decisive. By Maria J. Stephan

Management

The Talent Your Organization Needs May Already Be on the Payroll

Though executives say that their most important asset is their people, they don’t tap into the knowledge that their employees who do the work have about both the problems and the solutions they face every day.

Insights

Elastic Perimeter Defense: The Next Generation of Cloud Security

A new understanding of network security based on software defined perimeters could fundamentally alter the cloud security narrative and present an opportunity for federal agencies to make the most of cloud computing.

Oversight

Bipartisan Bill Would Make it Harder for Agencies to Claim FOIA Exemptions

Leahy-Cornyn plan also aims to strengthen Archives’ mediation office.

Management

Expanded Intel Whistleblower Bill Headed to the President

Advocates praise 'first enforceable' rights for workers at secret agencies.

Defense One

A Good Step Toward Ending Landmines

President Obama announced that the United States will no longer make or buy landmines. This is good, but he can do more to end this deadly scourge. By Joe Cirincione

Nextgov

Hackers Say ‘Yo, Musk,’ Poison AskMen.com, Cause iPhone Heartbleed Failure

Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.