Monday federal headlines – July 6, 2015

In today's news, security clearance applicants will be cutting down a few trees to keep their applications moving along, Congress returns to work today followin...

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive and In Depth radio shows each day. Our headlines are updated twice per day — once in the morning and once in the afternoon — with the latest news affecting federal employees and contractors.

  • Agencies have new guidelines for evaluating their own workplace wellness and health programs. They now have the tools to survey their employees on workplace factors and can make changes to their programs based on the results. (Federal News Radio)
  • Federal authorities have figured out how to keep applications for security clearance moving along after shutdown of the online system because of cybersecurity worries. With the system known as e-QIP down for at least a month, the Office of Personnel Management and the Director of National Intelligence had to do something. So they’re going the old fashioned route. For the time being, they’re telling applicants to submit their forms in hard copies. Paper, that is. They’ll hand the forms in to the agency sponsoring their clearance application. Once e-QIP is up and running again, applicants will have to re-enter the information. (Federal News Radio)
  • Congress returns to work today following the July 4 break. It gets into the same old arguments as last week. Tomorrow, the debates start again in earnest over federal funding for the 2016 fiscal year. Also high on the agenda: Reauthorizing transportation funding to send highway aid to states in the prime roadbuilding season. Otherwise funding ends July 31. And re-authorizing the Export-Import Bank. Its authorization expired last month. (Federal News Radio)
  • This week, the Office of Personnel Management is expected to reveal more about the breach on background investigations of current, former and prospective federal employees and contractors. Their personal information was compromised as a result of a hack on security investigations. The breach comes on top of a separate intrusion in which personally identifiable information on over 4 million federal workers was stolen from OPM databases. (Federal News Radio)
  • Pentagon contractors ranked below retailers and banks for cybersecurity last month in an industry-developed ranking system. Next Gov reports the median cyber score for defense contractors on a 900-point scale was 650. Financial institutions earned a score of 710.
  • Retailers came in at 670. This came after findings revealed procedures for database logging for Office of Personnel Management contractors were not properly followed. Federal officials say they cannot confirm the extent of national security-sensitive data breaches at OPM, because the logs to databases holding personal information were insufficient. (NextGov)
  • The Pentagon’s new agency in charge of recovering and identifying remains of U.S. war dead has a new strategy. It will rely more on external groups with experience and knowledge in the MIA effort. That’s according to the head of the POW-MIA Accounting Agency, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Linnington. He took over last month and vows a complete re-organization by the fall. He said he’s aware of criticism the effort has received from veterans groups and Congress. Linnington wants to work more extensively with groups like History Flight, which has already worked with the Pentagon in finding World War II Marines killed in the Pacific. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Office of Personnel Management is cracking down on personal web use on its computers. Federal Times reports that OPM employees were unable to browse social media sites or log into personal email accounts on Thursday. OPM officials confirmed the new Internet policy is a direct result of actions being taken in the wake of last month’s security breach. OPM has said it will monitor and make adjustments to its web security policies, meaning there could be more restrictions in the future. The massive breach in June exposed personal information on millions of current and former federal employees. (Federal Times)
  • Another government shutdown is on its way, according to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. In a news report from Gov Exec, Pelosi stated that spending measures recently approved by the House “will cost the country good-paying jobs” because of a compromise budget deal with the Senate. The deal includes $496 billion in budget cuts to non-Defense discretionary funding over 10 years. The House has already approved six of the 12 required appropriations bills for fiscal 2016. Pelosi called those bills “deeply destructive.” (Gov Exec)
  • The Navy is tripling its amount of paid maternity leave to 18 weeks for female sailors, effective immediately. The new policy change makes the Navy the first military service to provide more than six weeks of leave. According to the Navy, about 5,000 women would be eligible for the benefit each year, including 500 officers. (Federal News Radio)
  • Eric Fanning starts his new appointment today as acting Under Secretary of the Army. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the personnel change on Friday. The position has been vacant since Brad Carson became acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Fanning will provide vital support to Army Secretary John McHugh as he prepares to retire. Eric Rosenbach takes Fanning’s place as Carter’s Chief of Staff. (DoD)

 

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Related Stories