Author Archive

William Matthews

Features

Bio Fleet

The Navy is pursuing one of the most ambitious alternative energy programs in government.

Features

The Greenhouse Effect

EPA wins a long-fought battle over industry fuel standards, but hits roadblocks on other environmental regulations.

Features

High Flier

Gen. James Amos is the first fighter pilot to lead the Marine Corps.

Features

Mapping Human Terrain

Intelligence analysts are tracking the potential for poverty, extremism and pandemic disease to predict the next national security crisis.

Features

Tweaking Technology

Chief information officers face tight budgets and apprehension in the push toward public access, data transparency and cloud computing.

News

Chief of the Year: Information

Christopher Smith, chief information officer, Agriculture Department.

Trends

Oil and Water

A new regulator is caught between industry and safety.

News

Tough summer ahead in Afghanistan, says Joint Chiefs chair

Mullen says U.S. will not send troops to Libya and vows to avoid ‘hollow’ military in times of tight budgets.

News

From Nextgov.com: New tools calculate your tax dollars at work

The White House joins Google contest winners to offer Web-based ways to gauge your federal contribution.

Tech

Transparency websites hit by budget ax

The deal struck to avoid a shutdown would endanger sites as Data.gov, which have enjoyed bipartisan support.

News

From Nextgov: Agencies scamble to define critical functions

OMB warns employees not to use BlackBerrys, laptop computers and other devices during a shutdown.

News

White House says critical websites won’t be affected by shutdown

Confusion remains over which sites are vital and who are the ‘essential’ employees required to keep them operating.

News

From Nextgov.com: Furloughed feds cannot telework or use BlackBerrys

In a shutdown, Hill staffers can say goodbye to government-issued laptops, cellphones and other devices, new guidelines say.

On Defense

Pentagon Prophecies

When military spending leans more toward supply than demand.

Managing Technology

Doctors Go Digital

Stimulus payments are putting e-records within reach for many health care providers.

Pay & Benefits

Facebook-using federal managers “surge,” survey finds

Most of the government respondents who use the social networking site use it for work, the study says.

News

From Nextgov.com: Spending on geothermal technologies is riddled with improper payments, IG says

Audit of economic stimulus projects shows Energy paid companies for unauthorized expenses and travel.

Defense

Japanese radiation levels could have triggered larger evacuation area under U.S. guidelines

The U.S. rules call for “protective action,” and while that can mean “sheltering indoors” during a small event, it likely would involve evacuation for a prolonged radiation release, nuclear agency says.

Oversight

Interior approves first Gulf oil exploration plan since BP spill

Company’s approach relies on untested oil containment technology.