Management

Biden taps former Maryland governor for Social Security commissioner

Martin O’Malley served two terms as governor before a failed presidential campaign in 2016.

Pay & Benefits

Military Survivor Annuity Program finally offers long-promised open season to choose new beneficiaries

Some retired service members say they are either outright denied or given an impossible runaround when they try to update their elections, but Defense agency pushes back on those allegations.

Workforce

Measure to hasten firing of VA employees advances

The Biden administration has warned the new procedures are unnecessary and would only complicate the disciplinary process.

Defense

Biden selects NSA veteran as national cyber director nominee

White House officials named former National Security Agency official Harry Coker Jr. as the nominee to replace former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis amid the ongoing implementation of the new National Cyber Strategy.

Oversight

‘We should not fear a government shutdown’: Far-right House members slam spending bills

Freedom Caucus members are urging more support from Speaker McCarthy and GOP leaders.

Pay & Benefits

Dental and vision benefits are now open to many part-time, temporary and seasonal federal employees

A rule finalized Tuesday makes nearly 200,000 additional federal employees, including postal workers, eligible to enroll in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program.

Tech

IRS needs better documentation for its cyber threat hunts, watchdog says

A new report noted that a lack of “established policies and procedures” could prevent the tax agency from meeting federal requirements.

Workforce

IRS announces the end of most surprise taxpayer visits

The change, effective immediately, comes due to concern for the safety of IRS employees and to make it easier for taxpayers to identify potential scammers.

Workforce

FDA Head Robert Califf Battles Misinformation — Sometimes With Fuzzy Facts

Efforts to respond to or regulate misinformation are becoming a political problem.

Workforce

Biden asks Supreme Court to salvage a president’s right to issue federal workforce mandates

The White House’s vaccine mandate is no longer in effect, but the Biden administration is worried about precedent.

Workforce

65 years of NASA – an astrophysicist reflects on the agency’s legacy

NASA’s missions have inspired generations of young people to pursue the sciences.

Oversight

This little-known federal regulator could crack down on fraudulent carbon offsets

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is "uniquely situated" to stop carbon market manipulation.

Tech

How Ben Franklin’s paper money outwitted counterfeiters

The founding father’s innovative way of making money kept him one step ahead of counterfeiters.

Oversight

A Scientist Said Her Research Could Help With Repatriation. Instead, It Destroyed Native Remains.

Federal agencies have awarded millions of dollars to scientific studies on Native American human remains, undermining the goals of NAGPRA as tribes fight for repatriation.

Management

Federal agencies plan to spend $770M ramping up their electric vehicle usage this year

The Biden administration has ambitious goals to electrify the federal fleet, but many obstacles remain.

Workforce

Agencies would have more flexibility in the hiring process, under new OPM rules

Regulations implementing a provision of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act would give hiring managers more information—and options—as they evaluate job applicants.

Defense

US power grid faces escalating cyber threats, infrastructure experts warn

The power grid is experiencing heightened threats from foreign adversaries and domestic extremist groups that can pose devastating consequences for the nation’s supply of electricity, experts told a House subcommittee on Tuesday.