News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

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The following news summaries are from OPM AM, the daily newsletter of the Office of Personnel Management. OPM AM is available on OPM Mainstreet, the agency's electronic bulletin board, at 202-606-4800.

THE FEDERAL DIARY--"According to a 1996 Congressional Budget Office report, the government has experienced a net decrease of 150,000 civilian workers, or 7 percent,' from 1985 through 1996. Almost all of that reduction has taken place in the last several years" (The Washington Post, 8/24/97)...This October, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board will notify participants who, because of their age, must begin taking withdrawals from their TSP accounts (The Washington Post, 8/25/95).

FBI--The FBI is seeking an exemption from the standard pay schedules for federal workers so it can compete for and recruit top scientists for its troubled crime lab (The Washington Post).

ETHICS--A former federal employee is in trouble for possibly violating the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 that had banned federal workers from accepting fees for teaching, writing or lecturing (The Washington Post).

REGULATORS--A new study shows that the major regulatory agencies have never had bigger budgets or larger staffs (The Washington Times).

OF INTEREST--Technology means we are never truly out of touch with our work (The Washington Post)...Succeeding at work and coping with mourning must be kept separate (The New York Times)...Chief executives are being replaced more frequently than before, causing anxiety among employees at all levels (The Washington Post).

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Access America Conferences

The National Performance Review (NPR), will launch a series of informational conferences aimed at providing government employees and private industry IT officials with techniques and strategies for implementing the goals of Access America, an NPR report outlining steps to increase access--via the Internet--to government services. The first conference will be held September 25 in Baltimore, Md. and then will travel to other cities across the country. Expert panels will discuss IT topics, including Internet/Intranet successes, the future of Distance Learning and collaboration, IT acquisition and procurement reform, and privacy and security.

DTIC Annual Conference

The Defense Technical Information Center is presenting its Annual Users Meeting and Training Conference on Nov. 3-6, 1997 at the DoubleTree Hotel, National Airport, Arlington, Va. The conference theme is Information in the New Millenium. Contact Ms. Julia Foscue at 703-767-8236 or by e-mail at jfoscue@dtic.mil.