Nextgov
FCC Working on Rule for Wireless Carriers to Avert SIM Swap Fraud
More than a year after lawmakers requested such action to protect consumer data and national security, the commission’s move could help to stop hackers undermining multifactor authentication.
Defense
The Forever War is Over. Its 2001 Authorization Lives On.
Pentagon says “over the horizon” strikes in Afghanistan will be conducted under the AUMF passed two decades ago.
Pay & Benefits
The New Health Insurance Rates Can Only Mean One Thing
Open season is around the corner.
Management
Biden Signs Shutdown-Averting Stopgap Spending Bill
Lawmakers have punted the shutdown threat for nine weeks, but a potential debt default looms.
Nextgov
White House Announces 7 TMF Awards with Big Focus on Zero Trust
Half of the awards announced publicly went to zero trust cybersecurity projects, with no funding going directly to pandemic response tech. One project remains classified.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Insight on the Contractor Vaccine Mandate; Health Officials Divided on Boosters
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Defense
Defense Business Board Relaunches After Pentagon Review
Former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James named chair of the diverse advisory board.
Management
The Pandemic Has People Stuck in a Bad Mental/Physical Loop
The pandemic has created a cyclical problem by harming mental health while also making it more difficult for people to maintain physical activity.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: What Feds Need to Know About a Potential Shutdown
Erich Wagner joins the podcast to discuss pay and benefits in case a funding lapse occurs.
Route Fifty
Congress Weighs Cyberattack Reporting Legislation
Proposals under consideration would require the owners and operators of critical infrastructure, potentially including state and local governments, to report cybersecurity incidents to a federal agency.
Nextgov
NSA Cyber Chief Warns Hackers Increasingly Use Commercial Tools to Stay Hidden
Advanced persistent threat actors are becoming harder to spot and making attribution more difficult.
Management
Regulator Blasts Postal Service for 'Unachievable" Package Slowdown Plan
USPS will also begin slowing down mail delivery this week.
Pay & Benefits
Employee Groups React to Health Insurance Open Season Announcement
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Survey: Americans Have Low Trust in the Federal Government, But Believe It Has Potential To Help With Health Care and Technology
“Most believe the government’s role in improving lives will stay the same or increase over the next 10 years,” the results found.
Nextgov
Federal Employee Group Urges Congress to Avoid a Government Shutdown
Lawmakers have a little time left to pass a continuing resolution.
Pay & Benefits
Feds Will Pay 3.8% More Toward Health Care Premiums Next Year
Cost growth stems largely from specialty drugs, treatments for chronic illnesses and the COVID-19 pandemic, insurers said, although federal workers will be impacted less than employees of other large organizations.
Defense
Austin, Milley Say White House Was Advised to Keep US Troops in Afghanistan
The Afghanistan evacuation that resulted was “a logistical success but a strategic failure,” Milley said.
Defense
COVID-19 Outbreak Hits Marine Corps Officer Candidates School
Group is first to do pre-training quarantine at home instead of at school.
Oversight
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddies Tried to Get the VA to Sell Access to Veterans’ Medical Records
A congressional investigation prompted by ProPublica’s reporting found Trump’s “Mar-a-Lago crowd,” wealthy civilians with no U.S. government or military experience, pursued a plan to monetize veterans’ medical data.
Defense