Oversight
5 Indicted for Alleged Scheme to Steal Millions From Military Members and Veterans
Potential victims of fraud and identity theft will be notified, and Defense will provide free credit monitoring services.
Nextgov
Cyber Reskilling Grads Gained Valuable Skills But Not New Jobs Yet
Two graduates from the first class of the new Cyber Reskilling Academy said the program changed the way they see technology and their current jobs but won’t be changing their job titles anytime soon.
Workforce
Union Files Grievance After VA Bans Employees From Smoking at Work
VA says new policy will improve care for veterans, but employees say it violates their contract.
Pay & Benefits
TSP Flexibilities Are Weeks Away, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Nextgov
Agencies May Not Meet EIS Deadline, But Future Extensions Aren’t in Sight
GSA’s Office of Telecommunication Services director offered an update on the contract vehicle’s progress.
Route Fifty
The First Drag Queen Elected to Local Office Is Making a Run for Congress
Maebe A. Girl, the self-described “larger-than-life” candidate, is challenging one of the current stars of the Democratic party.
Route Fifty
How 3-D Mapping Technology Could Improve Firefighter Safety
Memphis is experimenting with technology more frequently used for autonomous vehicles to create indoor maps of buildings for first responders.
Defense
Defense Department Inaction Is Hurting Effort to Improve Pentagon Efficiency
Officials are nearly two years late in meeting some congressional requirements, a watchdog found.
Management
Leaked Immigration Court Official’s Directive Could Violate Rules That Protect Families From Deportation
Legal experts say placing hard limits on family immigration cases could be illegal.
Nextgov
The Pentagon Is Turning to Nature to Solve Its Most Complex Problems
DARPA is exploring ways to harness chemical reactions, biological processes and other natural phenomena to build a more efficient computer.
Defense
U.S. Army: No Afghanistan Withdrawal Plans Yet
“We have not received any direction to do anything at this point,” says Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.
Management
Some of the Country’s Worst Prisons Have Escaped Justice Department Action
Prisons in Alabama are so bad, the Department of Justice said they violate Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. We found prisons in Mississippi that may be even worse.
Route Fifty
Voters in One City to Decide On an Unusual Pension Funding Proposal
A pending ballot proposition in Phoenix calls for imposing strict limits on city spending until funding for the city’s retirement programs reaches a certain threshold.
Route Fifty
Cherokee Nation Wants to Be the First Tribe With a Representative in Congress
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Cleveland considers gunfire detection system … Chicago mayor proposes taxing “high-end” services to close budget gap … Police officer involved in Eric Garner’s death fired.
Route Fifty
Traveling to This Airport? Bring Your Own Water Bottle.
San Francisco International Airport banned the sale of single-use plastic water bottles as part of a larger goal to become zero-waste by 2021.
Pay & Benefits
USDA Slashes Buyout Payments for Scientific Agency Employees By 60% Ahead of Relocation
Employees of research agencies have less than a week to decide whether to accept $10,000 voluntary separation payments, despite being offered upwards of $25,000 in June.
Insights
Crawl, Walk, Run: Agencies Find the Right Pace for Cloud Innovation
Government Business Council (GBC) interviews top officials at the Departments of State, Health & Human Services, and Defense Information Systems Agency regarding the future of cloud computing.
Nextgov
Pilots, Bias Important Considerations Ahead of Deploying AI
Cloud technology makes piloting artificial intelligence efforts easier than ever, but hard decisions around bias need to be confronted.
Management
Agencies With Acting Leaders Can Now Fill Top Career Ranks, OPM Says
Some worry the administration is normalizing its proclivity for circumventing the confirmation process.
Nextgov