Management

How $37 billion in federal funding is being used to improve at-home caregiving

Shared first by Vice President Kamala Harris, new data on American Rescue Plan funding for home and community-based service highlights successes and underscores the need for more.

Management

What HUD’s annual homelessness count misses

Rather than relying on a single metric, communities need to develop a data infrastructure they can use to track, reduce and end homelessness.

Exclusive Management

TSA survey reveals 93% of travelers satisfied with passenger experience

Even more travelers were confident in the Transportation Security Administration’s ability to keep air travel safe.

Pay & Benefits

Biden signs order finalizing 5.2% pay raise for feds in 2024

The measure confirms that the federal workforce will see its largest pay increase in more than 40 years.

Pay & Benefits

End of the year retirement: Now what?

As OPM readies for its influx of new retirement applications, here are some insights on the early ins and outs of the retirement process.

Management

DHS warns it’s running low on funds and borrowing personnel to manage border

As the number of migrants arriving at the border climbs, federal personnel are becoming overwhelmed.

Tech

IRS direct file participants will have to use ID.me for identity verification

The agency still isn't ready to field the government-provided Login.gov for digital access to taxpayer services.

Tech

Experts warn that OMB’s AI guidance could slow federal adoption of the emerging tech

Commentators say proposed definitions of “rights-impacting” and “safety-impacting” use cases could wind up saddling low-impact AI programs up with high-impact controls.

Oversight

Conservatives bemoan disappearance of OPM official time docs

Officials at the federal government’s HR agency said a webpage housing sporadic reports on agencies’ official time use did not survive a recent website redesign, but suggested tweaks are ongoing.

Management

Seven agencies join forces in hopes of quickly implementing Biden's Climate Corps initiative

Many details of the program still must be sorted, though the Biden administration is promising 20,000 participants will be enrolled by the summer and receive a suite of benefits.

Pay & Benefits

That’s a wrap? Congress kicks it without passing fed pay bill, so White House’s 5.2% pay boost on deck

COMMENTARY | The lack of appropriations legislation before the Christmas recess means that federal employees could get their largest pay raise in decades.

Management

Feds tout pedestrian, cyclist safety measures in new road design rules

The Federal Highway Administration released long-awaited updates to its manual for traffic signs and road design. The newest edition comes as the country is in the throes of a major upswing in roadway deaths.

Tech

AI is a rising priority for federal chief data officers

Nearly all CDOs surveyed by the Data Foundation reported thinking about adopting the emerging technology.

Management

Acting Social Security chief highlights recent successes ahead of exit

Despite a series of challenges throughout her tenure, Acting Social Security Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi sought to tout advances made under her watch ahead of the installation of former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley following his confirmation Monday.

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.

Workforce

Who is an AI worker? The Pentagon needs a better definition, GAO says

The Pentagon “can't fully identify who is part of its AI workforce or which positions require personnel with AI skills,” according to a new congressional watchdog report.

Management

Martin O’Malley confirmed as Social Security commissioner

The Senate voted 50-11 Monday to confirm the former Maryland governor, officially ending a multi-year period where the agency struggled under acting leadership.

Oversight

Senate committee wants VA to ensure providers work to prevent opioid abuse

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and other Senate Veterans Affairs Committee members sent a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough calling for action after audits found oversight lapses in opioid prescriptions from non-agency providers. 

Workforce

State Department restores passport processing to pre-pandemic levels

A hiring surge and mandatory overtime has brought passport processing down to its lowest level in years.