Management
Carp, Cars and COVID: Czars Can Cover Any Issue
Tom Shoop joins the podcast to discuss how a Russian loanword came to be applied to American government officials.
Oversight
A Top House Republican Accuses the Labor Department of Avoiding Oversight
The department “consistently makes a good faith effort to be responsive to their questions,” said a Labor Department spokesperson.
Nextgov
OPM’s Event to Attract Laid Off Tech Workers Was Popular, But Will It Yield Results?
Despite widespread interest in a recent recruitment event, clear data on the number of hires remains unavailable to assess the immediate success of such career fairs to fill currently available roles.
Tech
White House Mulls Scaling up Login-dot-gov to Reach Every American
A draft of a long-awaited executive order covering digital identity includes a push to make government-owned Login-dot-gov an option for most federal benefits programs.
Management
Beyond Czars: Meeting Bureaucracy-Spanning Challenges
We need a cadre of career professionals to take a whole-of-government approach to addressing key priorities.
Tech
Going Paperless Is Harder Than It Seems For Agencies
Iron Mountain Government Solutions' Melissa Carson joins the podcast to discuss how agencies are progressing in compliance with moving away from paper records in accordance with directive M-19-21.
Pay & Benefits
Feds Driven Away By Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Could Return or Get Payouts, Under a New Bill
Few if any were ever fired, but the bill would also apply to those who left voluntarily after Biden demanded vaccination against COVID-19.
Workforce
OPM Launches a New Web Portal for Federal Internships
The federal government’s HR agency describes the new section of USAJOBS as a “one-stop shop” for students seeking to explore a career in public service.
Management
Biden Administration Misses Its Own Deadline to Detail Inflation Reduction Act Spending at IRS
The plan will spell out how the tax agency will spend its $80 billion cash injection, including its hiring proposals.
Defense
Americans are Disturbingly ‘Ill-Informed and Naive’ on China, Navy’s Intel Chief Says
Recent balloon incident brought some attention to the possible threat, but not enough, says Rear Adm. Michael Studeman.
Management
Coronavirus Roundup: Labor Secretary Leaving His Post; Vaccine Access Updates
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s a list of this week’s news updates and stories you may have missed.
Tech
VA Announces Winners of $20M Challenge to Prevent Veteran Suicides
The 10 winners of the VA’s Mission Daybreak challenge developed innovative solutions that leveraged technology, artificial intelligence and mobile apps to help reduce the number of veteran suicides.
Management
Biden’s Annual Physical Shows He Is ‘A Healthy, Vigorous, 80-Year-Old Male’
The evaluation of the president's health comes as he weighs whether to run for reelection in 2024.
Oversight
What Is a UFO? The U.S. Shot down Three Mysterious Objects as Interest and Concern Increase Over Unidentified Craft
There are thousands of sightings of UFOs – or "unidentified aerial phenomena" as government prefers to call them – every year.
Management
A Broken Civil Service System Could Break Government
Jeffrey Neal joins the podcast again to talk about the pace of change in modernizing the federal workforce.
Oversight
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Joe Biden Over Signing Federal Spending Package
The attorney general argued the House unconstitutionally passed its federal spending bill because not enough members were physically present to vote. Both Republicans and Democrats voted by proxy throughout the pandemic.
Pay & Benefits
Federal Prisons Employees Aren’t Entitled to COVID Hazard Pay, Appeals Judges Rule
In a 10-2 decision, the appeals court said OPM regulations around hazardous duty pay only address the handling of “virulent biologicals” in a laboratory setting, not “ambient” exposure to infected individuals.
Pay & Benefits
VA Docs Are One Step Closer to Earning More than $400K Annually
A Senate committee advanced a sweeping compensation overhaul for VA health care workers that would create a more market-based pay system.
Management
President Biden Doubles Down on Advancing Equity Throughout the Federal Government
A new executive order builds on earlier efforts by the Biden administration.
Pay & Benefits