Thursday federal headlines – July 2, 2015

In today's news, a tiny White House program will have a big impact on how agencies work and the Office of Management and Budget is giving agencies less than two...

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.

  • The White House is launching a leadership development program so small the whole thing could fit around a conference table. Just 10 career federal employees will be chosen for the program. It will get underway in October. The 10 feds must be at the GS-15 level or equivalent. They’ll spend a year helping the White House and agencies work on the government’s 15 cross-agency priority goals. The program builds on a pledge President Barack Obama made to SES members in December, when he said it would help good ideas cross-pollinate across agencies. (Federal News Radio)
  • Customs and Border Protection needs to more than double its staff of internal affairs investigators to ensure the agency is free of corruption. That’s one recommendation from the Homeland Security Department’s CBP Advisory Council. The council urged CBP to hire another 300 investigators. That would speed up the slow pace of work and better ensure its 44,000 field agents use force properly. DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson established the Council in 2014, following a series of reports of misuse of force by Border Patrol agents. New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and former Drug Enforcement Administration head Karen Tandy head the council. (DHS)
  • It’s terse and devoid of detail, but the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team warns federal employees that hackers might try to fool them by mimicking emails related to the Office of Personnel Management data breach. Emails are being sent both by OPM and contractor CSID. The messages give instructions following data thefts of millions of employees’ personal information. U.S. CERT advised people to go directly to OPM’s website for more information and to read U.S. CERT’s online guidance for avoiding phishing attacks. (U.S. Cert)
  • Federal employees after years of tiny or zero pay increases might be wondering whether they would receive overtime pay under a proposed new rule from the Obama Administration. The answer is yes, according to Cecelia Muñoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council. Federal Times reports, the Office of Personnel Management would be expected to revise its policies in accordance to the rule once it’s final. Obama will propose doubling the wage threshold at which employees are eligible for overtime, to slightly more than $50,000 a year. The American Federation of Government Employees endorsed the measure. (Federal Times)
  • A petition is asking the government to offer lifetime identity protection for all current and former feds impacted by the data breaches at OPM. The petition is posted to the White House’s We the People website.  In order for the White House to respond to the request, 100,000 signatures are needed by July 19. Earlier today, the petition had collected 152 signatures. (Federal News Radio)
  • Lt. Gen. Robert Neller was tapped to be the Marine Corps’ top general. Neller is currently the head of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll replace Gen. Joseph Dunford, the administration’s top choice for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Defense)
  • The Office of Management and Budget is giving agencies less than two weeks to implement smart I.D. cards for network and computer access for privileged users. All other employees have a deadline for the end of August. This is the fifth time in 10 years OMB has told agencies to comply with HSPD-12 using smart identity cards for logical access. And this time, the agency means it. Several government sources confirmed the hard deadlines are part of the 30-day Cyber Sprint announced earlier this month.  (Federal News Radio)
  • The Navy’s EA-6B Prowler was officially retired last weekend after 45 years of service. The Electronic Attack Wing of the U.S. Pacific Fleet hosted the three-day celebration, which concluded with the last Prowler flying off from Whidbey Island’s Ault Field. More than 1,000 registered guests attended the ceremonies. Retired Capt. Fred Wilmot, who tested the original Prowler in 1971, rode in the formation for the fly off. The Navy is now transitioning to the EA-18G Growler. (Navy)

 

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