Management

Even Mild Cases of COVID-19 Can Leave a Mark on the Brain, Such as Reductions in Gray Matter – a Neuroscientist Explains Emerging Research

New research offers insights into the brain after COVID-19 that may have implications for our understanding of long COVID-19 and how the disease affects our senses of taste and smell.

Nextgov

Biden Executive Order Takes Major Steps Toward Regulating Cryptocurrencies

The president will sign an executive order regulating the growing industry, announcing the exploration of a possible government-backed currency and addressing national security and equity concerns.

Tech

White House Reminds Agencies to Adopt NIST's Software Supply Chain Security Framework

The Office of Management and Budget pressed federal agencies on a deadline to adopt the software supply chain best practices as directed under last year's White House cybersecurity executive order.

Workforce

GovExec Daily: Federal Employees and the Ukraine Crisis

Courtney Bublé and Eric Katz join the podcast to discuss the ways feds are responding to the situation in Europe.

Management

Lawmakers Face a Tight Deadline to Pass Funding Bills

Although appropriators still had not released the text of a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package Tuesday afternoon, they insisted they would not resort to passing another stopgap measure to keep the government open.

Management

Experts Recommend Creating a New White House Position for Pandemic Response

COVID-19 may transition from pandemic to endemic status, but there will still be a new normal, they said.

Tech

The Technology Modernization Fund Announces Two New Awards

The U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission and the Selective Service System are in line for IT modernization funding boosts.

Pay & Benefits

Ahuja Appoints Former OPM Director to Oversee the Federal Blue Collar Job Panel

Janice Lachance will chair an advisory committee governing the Federal Wage System, a pay scale that has long been criticized by employee groups for its outdated map of locality pay areas.

Management

Charts Paint a Grim Picture 2 Years Into the Coronavirus Pandemic

The on-off nature of the pandemic "has led to a lot of the confusion and grumpiness," says one expert. Another compares it to the exhaustion of the American public when hearing body counts during the Vietnam War.

Management

GovExec Daily: What Managers Can Learn From Anthropologists

Steven L. Katz joins the podcast to discuss how managers can learn to lead better during the pandemic.

Nextgov

Insurance Policies May Tighten Amid U.S.-Russia Tensions, Cyber Pros Warn

What a recent court decision means for insurers’ attempts to avoid payouts associated with “acts of war” and breaches where nation-state actors may have played a role.

Tech

Native American Health Agencies Struggled to Access Federal Data Amid Pandemic

A new report outlines the steps health agencies, including the CDC and IHS, need to improve tribal epidemiological centers’ access to public health data.

Management

The Secretary of State Has One Overarching Message for U.S. Embassy Personnel in Europe: ‘Thank You’

The secretary is abroad for five days continuing the Biden administration’s efforts to counter Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Workforce

Winning the War for Cyber – and Cyber Talent

A White House cyber director lacks budget and staff, and a cabinet-level "Department of Cybersecurity" risks alienating stakeholders, but there is a model already in place that could manage the "whole of government" cybersecurity approach.

Workforce

The IRS Announces a New Office That Will Focus on Taxpayer Experience

One of several lines of effort at the IRS to improve customer experience is digital services, which will include efforts ranging from digital signatures to expanded online payment options.

Management

Clarifying the CDC's COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines – An Infectious Disease Doc Looks at the Latest Research

The CDC’s controversial recommendation changes are based on new studies showing that most omicron transmission takes place within five days of the onset of illness

Workforce

Fed Workers Should Be Careful About Donating Directly to Ukraine’s Military

Donations to an overseas government or agent have to be reported, and federal employees are responsible for ensuring their donation goes where it should.