Pay & Benefits
Getting ready for tax season
Some tax tips to consider as you plan for life after your federal career.
Workforce
‘Unprecedented’ indictment of federal firefighter leads employees to question their liabilities
A workforce is panicking after a local sheriff arrested a federal supervisor doing his job.
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.
Tech
Biden to sign executive order boosting cybersecurity of ports, maritime vessels
The order empowers the Coast Guard to shore up cyber protections for maritime systems and harden current cyber incident reporting rules.
Tech
USDA seeks fellows for its new digital service team
The tour-of-duty positions will “act as firefighters” to address pressing challenges across the Department of Agriculture, according to the agency’s CIO.
Pay & Benefits
The Postal Service Health Benefits program, prescription coverage and Open Season 2025
The federal health care enrollment period is months away, but you can start preparing now.
Tech
NSA cyber director to step down after 34 years of service
His departure comes amid heightened security fears in 2024 and debate over whether to renew a controversial spying power.
Tech
Lawmakers urge VA to tread carefully with AI
The Department of Veteran Affairs’ 2023 inventory of AI use cases listed over 100 instances where VA is working to use emerging technologies, with at least 40 of those examples in an operational phase.
Management
OPM announces survey to analyze AI in government jobs
The move marks the second step in a years-long process to prep federal agencies for working with artificial intelligence.
Workforce
Anti-vaccine feds still fighting for damages over Biden's federal employee mandate
After the Supreme Court's dismissal, a group of 8,500 federal employees is trying a new approach to score a win against the administration.
Management
Federal permitting hampers climate goals and natural disaster mitigation, counties say
Officials, who are calling for reforms, say environmental regulations shouldn’t lead to yearslong waits to build transmission lines or impede their ability to respond to natural disasters.
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
Amid budget squeeze, FLRA panel regs encourage electronic documents filing
Less physical paper taken in by the board that settles bargaining-table disputes between unions and agencies will help streamline workloads as its parent agency reduces its office footprint due to budget woes.
Workforce
Navy leaders want more code-loving sailors at sea
One wants to take ad hoc data science efforts and fold them into a formal training cycle.
Management
The new FAFSA was supposed to be easier to use. Technical glitches have made it anything but
Marginalized students may have the most to lose as the Education Department’s rollout of the new college financial aid application has hit several bumps.
Tech
FTC cracks down on AI impersonation scammers
The Federal Trade Commission is looking to extend its authority to target fraudsters impersonating individuals in scams. The proposed rule covers the misuse of generative artificial intelligence and other technologies.
Management
White House launches federal spending inventory
The new online information service was mandated in 2010 legislation.
Management
County officials lobby for internet subsidies
The FCC is currently turning away hundreds of thousands seeking assistance. If Congress doesn’t soon approve more funding, rural and urban county officials warn, millions will be plunged into “digital darkness.”
Workforce
OPM’s 2024 equity goals aim to expand data-based approach
The federal government’s HR agency plans to expand the use of data to analyze recruitment barriers for underserved communities as well as outreach at minority-serving educational institutions in the coming year.
Management