Oversight

Senators disappointed with stimulus-tracking site

Watchdog pledges to gather advice for improving recovery.gov through an electronic town hall meeting and independent review.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Prosecutors charge former IRS employee with filing false tax claims

Indianapolis worker allegedly used information from the Integrated Data Retrieval System to prepare six fraudulent income tax returns .

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Obama CIO goes on leave after scandal at former office

Vivek Kundra has not been implicated, but will remain on leave until more is known about his former colleagues’ alleged schemes to defraud the D.C. government.

Oversight

From Nextgov.com: Virginia takes a lead role in the stimulus plan's push for health IT

A Q&A with Aneesh Chopra, Virginia's secretary of technology and CIO, on how the commonwealth will use funds to help build a nationwide electronic health records system.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Defense urged to develop warfighting systems quicker to keep up in cyberspace

Lengthy software development cycle fails to account for rapidly changing requirements , official says.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Obama proposes big increase in cybersecurity spending at DHS

Fiscal 2010 budget proposal is vague on IT spending, but officials believe the administration will target education, grid computing and health care for significant increases .

Defense

From Nextgov: Homeland Security secretary promises more information sharing

Janet Napolitano says collaborating with state and local governments is crucial to counterterrorism.

Oversight

Bill aims to rein in bloated Defense contracts

Legislation would require reexamination of all Defense contracts more than 25 percent over budget.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Most federal CIOs have direct line to agency leaders

The majority report to top executives, survey shows , but they seek more influence over strategic direction.

Oversight

House omnibus totals more than $400 billion

Package could be considered by the House as soon as Wednesday and includes the nine spending bills Congress has not approved.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Group unveils security controls to thwart cyberattacks

Guidelines designed to offer protection against known attacks on agency systems.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Study says public needs to know more about benefits of health IT

Trade-off between privacy and improving medical care is biggest hurdle for consumers.

Oversight

Agencies test new waters in social media

Government officials are exploring outlets from YouTube to Twitter.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: SSA takes lead on joining electronic health records program

Agency will use national network to retrieve medical information on disability applicants in Virginia.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Final stimulus bill preserves IT spending, with some exceptions

Electronic health records, broadband and agencies' modernization projects receive big money , while some projects hit the Hill's cutting room floor.

Defense

From Nextgov.com: Lawmaker denies online messaging compromised Middle East trip

"Twitterversy" underscores how social networking is outpacing federal guidelines for releasing information.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Bush's cyber chief calls national security initiative too secret

Greg Garcia says plan to protect major networks was coordinated and effective, but admits DHS could have done more to share information.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Feds and YouTube close to reaching a deal to post video

Government officials are negotiating terms of service for popular social media sites.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: Agencies used social media to manage salmonella outbreak

Federal health officials relied on widgets, blogs, Twitter, podcasts, mobile alerts and videos to keep public up to date on tainted peanut butter.

Tech

From Nextgov.com: D.C. technology chief would bring innovative approach to e-gov, observers say

Some warn that Kundra will find change in federal government more difficult than at the city level.