Nextgov
Feds Tap Data Surveillance Firm for Money Laundering Investigations
The five-year sole source contract with Palantir will support Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security.
Defense
Sexual Assault in a Bureaucracy: How Universities and the Military Fail Victims
Senator notes women face similar hurdles in reporting incidents on campus and in the military.
Oversight
City and State Officials Are Getting More Skeptical of Privatization
Policymakers are starting to question what for decades has been seen as a cost-saving panacea.
Insights
What a Return to Sequestration Means for DoD, in 3 Graphs
The Department of Defense is determined to avoid the return of sequestration-level funding, or at least to let policymakers know exactly how much it will cost U.S. national security.
Defense
The FBI Allegedly Used the No-Fly List to Coerce Muslims to be Informants
Four men filed a complaint in federal court in New York on Tuesday.
Nextgov
FEC Considers Allowing Bitcoin Donations to Political Campaigns
Could virtual currency be the next form of campaign clout?
Oversight
Play of the Day: Is Clinton Coverage Sexist?
The Daily Show looks at the ways gender is covered in political coverage.
Employee Policy
Border Patrol buildup continues
Customs and Border Protection announced that the more than two dozen newly hired Border Patrol agents reported for duty this week at its Rio Grande Valley Sector—one of nine sectors spanning the southwest border.
Pay
Tax-delinquent IRS employees received cash awards
An audit of an Internal Revenue Service awards program revealed that more than 1,100 IRS employees with federal tax compliance problems received in excess of $1 million in cash awards, as well as more than 10,000 hours in time-off awards.
Employee Policy
IFPTE urges Congress to reject TVA privatization
The International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers is urging leaders of the congressional committees that oversee the Tennessee Valley Authority to reject the administration's proposal to divest the TVA.
Management
The 7 Agencies Where Contract Spending Sped Up Despite the Sequester
Overall spending was down 11 percent last year, but seven agencies bucked the trend.
Management
Budget Cuts Bring 11 Percent Decline in Contract Spending for 2013
Annual Bloomberg study shows rising awards from three departments despite the overall downward trend.
Pay & Benefits
The IRS Gave $1 Million in Bonuses to Employees Who Didn’t Pay Their Taxes
Drug users, credit card cheats also received performance awards.
Nextgov
Buying Facebook Ads Could be a Bad Call for Agencies
Departments should focus more on mission and less on marketing, GSA says.
News
Smithsonian Boosts Hipster Credentials to Save Endangered Species
National Zoo enlists indie band to make rare recording.
Management
You're Looking for Help in All the Wrong Places
Bad things can happen when you seek out like minds for advice.
Management
Budget and Personnel Cuts Have Hurt the IRS
Significant reductions in employee training at the agency also are a concern, watchdog finds.
Defense
Army Denies It Will Lay Off 3,000 Officers to Meet Force Reduction Goals
Service could instead rely on retirements and fewer enlistments.
Defense One
Pentagon Sending 600 U.S. Troops to Eastern Europe
Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne are heading to Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia for month-long military exercises. By Ben Watson
Defense