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

GovExec Daily: Innovation, the Commercial Sector and the Pentagon

Defense One's Bradley Peniston discusses Defense modernization with Art Trevethan, Director of Corporate Ventures at the Army Applications Lab.

Employee Policy

Big win: TSA employees secure appeals rights

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union representing the nation's more than 45,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) this week announced a huge win: After two decades of effort, these long-underappreciated feds have secured the right to appeal termination and other adverse actions taken by management.

Employee Policy

How feds can access TSP loans during shutdowns

During the 35-day shutdown in 2018, the government's retirement savings system saw a spike in withdrawals from federal employees looking to make ends meet without regular paychecks.

Nextgov

Congress Gets First Look At Upcoming TMF Awards

The federal CIO offered a few details of the project proposals received and upcoming award announcements.

Pay & Benefits

Biden Administration Appears to Take a Furlough Approach Similar to Trump's as Shutdown Nears

The White House has yet to say if it will employ the same drastic tactics to keep some agencies fully operational during a funding lapse.

Workforce

TSA, Merit Board Reach Deal to Provide Appeal Rights to Airport Screeners

As the Biden administration moves to provide full civil service protections to the TSA workforce, lawmakers say Congress must codify screeners’ rights.

Workforce

Coronavirus Roundup: VA Offers Booster Shots; Biden Receives His Booster 

There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.

Management

Tax-Wise Savings and Distribution Strategies for Feds

With the national debt roaring towards $29 trillion dollars, it would be prudent to plan for higher future tax rates.

Nextgov

Audit: IRS Needs to Improve How It Wipes Taxpayer Data  from Devices

Computer and laptop hard drives that aren’t properly scrubbed could allow exposure of private taxpayer data.

Management

A Daily Pill to Treat Covid Could Be Just Months Away, Scientists Say

At least three promising antiviral treatments for COVID-19 are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as soon as late fall or winter.

Management

GovExec Daily: Analyzing Immigration Statistics

Dr. Austin Kocher joins the podcast to discuss trends in immigration enforcement data.

Employee Policy

Fed orgs, unions hope to avert shutdown

Major federal employee unions and advocacy organizations are pressing Congress to get on with passing a spending bill before the Thursday night deadline, to avoid the chaos of a shutdown that still looms over federal agencies and the whole country.

Employee Policy

Funding bill fails in Senate

The federal government is up against approaching deadlines for avoiding a partial government shutdown and hitting its debt ceiling.

Management

Shutdown in Sight as Senate Rejects Stopgap Spending Measure

Republicans block short-term funding bill that would have also paused the debt ceiling.

Workforce

Judges to Labor Authority: When Does a Contract End, Anyway?

Federal employee union's effort to challenge a controversial FLRA decision allowing agencies to unilaterally implement regulations may hinge on centuries-old common contract law.

Nextgov

IRS’ Criminal Investigators Want Help Breaking into Physical Crypto Wallets

The agency’s digital forensics unit is looking for a small business to help make routine processes out of some nascent research into related hardware hacking techniques.

Oversight

Watchdog Considers Review of Equal Employment Opportunity Complaint Process for Feds

House Democrats sent a request to the Government Accountability Office last week.