Pay & Benefits

Mileage reimbursement rate to drop 4 cents

Decrease will bring the rate for federal employees in line with that set by the IRS.

Defense

New Preparedness Directorate at DHS up and running

Programs and offices are moved under new chain of command, but remain physically dispersed around the Washington area.

News

White House issues deadlines for FOIA improvement

Agencies must choose chief FOIA officers by Jan. 13 and submit improvement plans by June 14.

Tech

IG: Homeland Security CIO lacks necessary power

Technology chief is poorly positioned to manage departmentwide IT projects, report says.

News

Veterans Affairs ahead of game on bulk purchases

Burial flags, headstones and pharmaceuticals are among the items the department has targeted for strategic sourcing.

Management

Damage Control

Early warning system for troubled IT projects isn’t tamper-proof.

News

Foresight vs. Flexibility

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News

Setting a Civil Tone

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News

Happy New Count!

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Defense

New documents may influence Patriot Act debate

Papers delivered so far show that the FBI’s office of general counsel lodged complaints about agents’ use of powers.

Defense

Homeland Security unveils 2006 strategy for awarding urban grants

Regions must pull together, submit spending plans and compete for funding.

Defense

Training credited for reducing sexual misconduct at Air Force Academy

Cadets at the Colorado institution report fewer incidents than students at the Military and Naval academies.

Defense

Congress follows executive branch lead on 2006 spending cuts

Final appropriations bills incorporate more of President Bush’s proposed program cuts than last year.

Pay & Benefits

December marks another winning month for TSP

International stocks are biggest performers, gaining 4.64 percent.

Management

Senate approves limited VA job competitions

Legislation would allow some public-private competitions, but prevent full resumption of effort to put federal jobs up for bid.

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Redefining National Security

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Pity the Program Managers