Oversight
Special counsels, like the one leading the Justice Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden, are intended to be independent − but they aren’t entirely
Ensuring impartiality in the Justice Department can be difficult, as the attorney general is appointed by – and answerable to – a partisan president.
Tech
Biden administration inches ahead on 'life experiences' projects
The White House shared updates on cross-agency projects designed to improve and streamline government service delivery.
Defense
Veterans discharged under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ are still fighting for justice — and benefits
The military banned openly LGBTQ+ service members — and denied thousands honorable discharges, restricting their access to federal programs designed to help veterans.
Tech
The federal government's most disliked IT help desks
A survey of more than 270,000 federal employees shows DOD at the bottom when it comes to satisfaction with IT support and equipment.
Management
Coalition of unions endorses O’Malley to lead Social Security
The Federal Workers Alliance urged senators to move quickly to confirm President Biden’s nominee to run the Social Security Administration, noting that the embattled agency has been without a permanent commissioner for eight of the last 10 years.
Management
Will a shutdown’s impact on impeachment probes compel conservatives to approve funding? GOP leaders hope so
Congress faces a tight timeline to avoid a shutdown when lawmakers return to Washington in September.
Defense
‘Quite the eerie feeling’: Navy divers complete search for remains in Lahaina Harbor
The Pentagon’s task force is now distributing fuel and potable water in Maui.
Defense
TSA proposes allowing federal acceptance of digital IDs while future requirements are crafted
The coming rulemaking would waive REAL ID Act requirements so that federal agencies can still accept mobile driver's licenses when the law’s implementation starts in 2025.
Pay & Benefits
Expanded telework, a benefit now under threat, effectively boosts pay for hundreds of thousands of feds
Working from home pinches far more than pennies.
Tech
Chinese hackers targeted government entities and thwarted recovery efforts, report says
The cybercrime group evaded remediation efforts by installing persistent backdoors and deploying “new and novel malware.”
Workforce
Pence ‘Day 1’ plan includes a telework rollback, spending freeze and ban on gender affirming care
The former vice president and Republican presidential candidate on Tuesday unveiled a laundry list of executive actions he would take immediately upon assuming office to reverse the Biden administration’s policies.
Management
Feds pre-deploy to Florida in anticipation of major hurricane
FEMA looks to manage workforce shortages as it responds to multiple crises at once.
Defense
US offers rare preview of upcoming spy-satellite launch
Officials talked about Tuesday’s launch of NROL-107 in a bid to “deter the adversary.”
Management
Taxpayer advocate highlights challenges for legit taxpayers tagged as fraudsters by the IRS
The only online remediation option for people whose tax returns have been flagged as potential identity theft is through vendor ID.me.
Management
USPS eyes expansion of a potentially major insourcing initiative
The program is in its infancy, but could lead to many thousands of jobs going from external contractors to internal agency employees.
Pay & Benefits
IRS announces two-year delay to TSP catch-up contribution changes
New rules requiring high-income 401(k) participants to make catch-up contributions only to Roth accounts will not take effect until 2026.
Management
Federal call center workers join March on Washington call attention to workplace inequities
A 2023 report found only 2% of managers with frontline customer service experience were internally promoted.
Tech
NBIS says it will deliver continuous monitoring for all customers by December
The National Background Investigation Services system was initially scheduled to be up and running in 2019.
Tech
Government websites are loaded with misinformation, and that’s a big problem for AI
Sometimes information that looks reliable because it’s from a federal agency website has not in fact been vetted, and AI systems are only as trustworthy as the data they’re fed.
Pay & Benefits