Route Fifty
Ransomware Attacks Demanding Larger Payouts from Local Governments
The average ransom demanded of a local government in a cyberattack grew from $30,000 to $380,000, according to one cybersecurity firm.
Management
Condensed Schedule and Counters Not Showing Up to Work Have Put the Census at Risk
Census has just a month to complete its count and GAO says it still faces significant challenges in collecting accurate data.
Management
Social Security Denies Lake Charles Employees Weather and Safety Leave Despite Category 4 Hurricane
Just hours after Hurricane Laura made land fall along the western Louisiana coast, employees at the agency’s Lake Charles, La., field office were expected to work from hotel rooms after evacuating ahead of the storm.
Nextgov
Federal Agencies Must Boost the Brand in Order to Attract Tech Talent, Report Says
Two of the top reasons the federal government struggles to attract talented tech workers are lack of awareness and a lengthy hiring process, according to a new report.
Nextgov
Pentagon Plans Single-Award $11B IT Contract
The Defense Enclave Services contract could go out for bid as soon as late September.
Pay & Benefits
What You Need to Know About CSRS Offset
For those feds covered by the Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security, calculating retirement benefits can get complicated.
Oversight
Feds Can Be Prosecuted for Hatch Act Violations, Though Pompeo and Wolf Are Likely in the Clear
Prosecutions would be possible for the Cabinet officials' non-appointed aides if they were deemed to have acted inappropriately.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Concern Over Political Interference and Whether Troops Have Been Adequately Protected
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Management
Hurricanes and Wildfires Are Colliding with the COVID-19 Pandemic – and Compounding the Risks
Disaster preparation and evacuation procedures weren't made for social distancing. The pandemic means response decisions are now fraught with contradictions.
Oversight
FDA Is Departing from Long-Standing Procedures to Deal with Public Health Crises, and This May Foreshadow Problems for COVID-19 Vaccines
The rushed emergency approval for a treatment that might help COVID-19 patients has raised questions: Is the FDA abandoning its own guidelines?
Defense
Vindman Twin Alleges Retaliation to Defense Department IG
Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman says he reported “legal compliance and ethics violations” by National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.
Employee Policy
Special Counsel outlines its Hatch Act limits
In an Aug. 26 statement, Office of Special Counsel noted that though it has responsibility to enforce the Hatch Act, it “has no statutory authority to enforce or advise on criminal provisions…. That task belongs solely to the U.S. Department of Justice.”
Employee Policy
OMB to pilot data science reskilling program
The Office of Management and Budget is developing another technology reskilling pilot, this time aimed at fostering data science talent.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: The Postmaster General's Appearances on the Hill
GovExec's Eric Katz joins the podcast to discuss Louis DeJoy's two recent appearances before Congress.
Route Fifty
Teenager Charged With Homicide After Shooting at Kenosha Protest
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Hurricane Laura, pushing ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge, makes landfall in Texas and Louisiana … Former New York assembly speaker begins serving prison sentence … Idaho House votes to revoke Covid emergency declaration.
Route Fifty
New Unemployment Benefits Could Take Weeks to Distribute
Thirty-two states have been approved for the federal unemployment program, but only four states have begun issuing the $300-a-week benefits.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Announces Annual Giving Drive, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
New Executive Order Seeks to Put Federal Buildings in Disadvantaged Areas
The General Services Administration will develop a plan to implement the directive.
Oversight
Many U.S. Workplaces Required to Report Injuries Flouted New Labor Department Rule
A federal magistrate judge’s ruling has freed OSHA records from large employers across the country. Access to this data will help the public identify America’s most dangerous companies
Nextgov