Nextgov
NSA Cyber Chief Warns Hackers Increasingly Use Commercial Tools to Stay Hidden
Advanced persistent threat actors are becoming harder to spot and making attribution more difficult.
Management
Regulator Blasts Postal Service for 'Unachievable" Package Slowdown Plan
USPS will also begin slowing down mail delivery this week.
Pay & Benefits
Employee Groups React to Health Insurance Open Season Announcement
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Survey: Americans Have Low Trust in the Federal Government, But Believe It Has Potential To Help With Health Care and Technology
“Most believe the government’s role in improving lives will stay the same or increase over the next 10 years,” the results found.
Nextgov
Federal Employee Group Urges Congress to Avoid a Government Shutdown
Lawmakers have a little time left to pass a continuing resolution.
Pay & Benefits
Feds Will Pay 3.8% More Toward Health Care Premiums Next Year
Cost growth stems largely from specialty drugs, treatments for chronic illnesses and the COVID-19 pandemic, insurers said, although federal workers will be impacted less than employees of other large organizations.
Defense
Austin, Milley Say White House Was Advised to Keep US Troops in Afghanistan
The Afghanistan evacuation that resulted was “a logistical success but a strategic failure,” Milley said.
Defense
COVID-19 Outbreak Hits Marine Corps Officer Candidates School
Group is first to do pre-training quarantine at home instead of at school.
Oversight
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddies Tried to Get the VA to Sell Access to Veterans’ Medical Records
A congressional investigation prompted by ProPublica’s reporting found Trump’s “Mar-a-Lago crowd,” wealthy civilians with no U.S. government or military experience, pursued a plan to monetize veterans’ medical data.
Defense
GovExec Daily: Innovation, the Commercial Sector and the Pentagon
Defense One's Bradley Peniston discusses Defense modernization with Art Trevethan, Director of Corporate Ventures at the Army Applications Lab.
Employee Policy
Big win: TSA employees secure appeals rights
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union representing the nation's more than 45,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) this week announced a huge win: After two decades of effort, these long-underappreciated feds have secured the right to appeal termination and other adverse actions taken by management.
Employee Policy
How feds can access TSP loans during shutdowns
During the 35-day shutdown in 2018, the government's retirement savings system saw a spike in withdrawals from federal employees looking to make ends meet without regular paychecks.
Nextgov
Congress Gets First Look At Upcoming TMF Awards
The federal CIO offered a few details of the project proposals received and upcoming award announcements.
Management
Contracting Community Braces for Possible Government Shutdown
Government funding runs out on September 30 if Congress fails to act.
Pay & Benefits
Biden Administration Appears to Take a Furlough Approach Similar to Trump's as Shutdown Nears
The White House has yet to say if it will employ the same drastic tactics to keep some agencies fully operational during a funding lapse.
Workforce
TSA, Merit Board Reach Deal to Provide Appeal Rights to Airport Screeners
As the Biden administration moves to provide full civil service protections to the TSA workforce, lawmakers say Congress must codify screeners’ rights.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: VA Offers Booster Shots; Biden Receives His Booster
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Management
Tax-Wise Savings and Distribution Strategies for Feds
With the national debt roaring towards $29 trillion dollars, it would be prudent to plan for higher future tax rates.
Nextgov
Audit: IRS Needs to Improve How It Wipes Taxpayer Data from Devices
Computer and laptop hard drives that aren’t properly scrubbed could allow exposure of private taxpayer data.
Management