Management
Justice Department sues freight railroad to improve Amtrak service
Trains are late three-quarters of the time along one Amtrak route. The Justice Department blames Norfolk Southern for the chronic delays.
Management
Secret Service director resigns after Trump assassination attempt, bipartisan criticism
Biden said he would appoint a new director soon.
Oversight
FBI program to catch serial criminals is underfunded and understaffed, inspector general says
Despite a nearly 3,000% increase in cases submitted to the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program’s database, staffing and funding levels have remained “relatively flat.”
Management
‘Long been the case’ that we’re stretched too thin, Secret Service says
Agency says it is dealing with "long impacts" of staffing shortages as congressional leaders call for heads to roll.
Management
Scrutiny increases of Secret Service security at Trump rally where assassination attempt occurred
President Joe Biden has ordered an independent review of the shooting.
Management
The Trump campaign shooting puts a spotlight on Secret Service leadership, and the women serving in its ranks
Kimberly Cheatle, the second woman to lead the agency, is being called to testify in front of Congress, while conservatives question whether women are fit to provide protection.
Updated
Management
How federal agencies are responding to the Trump assassination attempt
FBI, Secret Service and others are taking a lead role and deploying personnel in response to Saturday's shooting.
Oversight
Detention facilities under U.S. Marshals Service lack proper oversight
GAO found that nearly half of the deputies who reviewed certain detention facilities in fiscal 2023 had not been trained.
Pay & Benefits
FBI agents say they need more money to stay in the bureau
Agents in high-cost cities say they cannot support their elevated expenses on their current salaries.
Workforce
AG vows prosecution amid ‘unprecedented’ spike in threats against career civil servants
The Justice Department has set up a task force to investigate "heinous threats of violence" against federal workers.
Oversight
USPS doesn’t know if it has enough law enforcement protecting mail and employees
Postal inspectors and police are responding to more criminal activity and management should better determine needs, GAO says.
News
DC’s response stands out among nationwide campus protests
The capital city’s police department cleared an encampment at a local university following pressure from House Republicans to be more forceful. But the District’s reluctance to take action sooner underlies lessons officials learned decades ago about the perils of aggressive enforcement.
Management
These are the 8 biggest agency and program reforms in the first FY24 spending bill
Lawmakers include budget cuts, hiring initiatives and new priorities in first of two appropriations packages.
Oversight
Federal prison employees falsified logs in case where inmate committed suicide, IG says
The Justice Department inspector general last week urged the Bureau of Prisons to adopt stricter rules governing special housing unit rounds logs after lax policies potentially impaired the ability to prosecute the employees.
Oversight
Understaffing and mismanagement contributed to hundreds of deaths in federal prisons
Deaths have increased as agency staff fail to identify suicidal risks and allow contraband into facilities, IG finds.
Management
The DOJ works with law enforcement to improve how deputies communicate with people who don’t speak English
A ProPublica investigation revealed how a grammatical mistake in Spanish led sheriff’s deputies in Wisconsin to wrongly blame a Nicaraguan dairy worker for his son’s death.
Tech
How DHS is providing security tech and cyber support for Super Bowl LVIII
The Homeland Security Department said it is “leveraging its significant technology assets and dedicated personnel” to protect the Feb. 11 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Oversight
Key federal agencies mostly followed procedure on Jan. 6, IG finds
The National Park Service could have taken more steps to prevent risks, auditor says, though organizer's lies made the planning more challenging.
Management
House Oversight members take aim at former GSA official in request for FBI headquarters investigation
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., called on the General Services Administration’s acting inspector general to investigate potential political influence in the agency’s decision to select Greenbelt, Md., for the FBI’s main office.
Management