Army declines to explain firing of 1st Infantry Division commander

In today's Top Federal Headlines, the Government Accountability Office finds the Defense Department still does not have conclusive research on the what effect f...

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

  • The Army fired the commander of its 1st Infantry Division, saying he was the target of an unspecified investigation. The branch declined to elaborate on its reasons for removing Maj. Gen. Wayne Grimsby, saying only that he was relieved of command for loss of confidence, and that his replacement would be named in the coming days. The move came just four days after officials announced they were suspending Grigsby because he was the subject of an investigation. There too, officials would not say what wrongdoing he was suspected of. Until Monday, Grigsby was also the top general at Fort Riley, Kansas. Before that, he was the commander of the military’s Combined Joint Task Force for the Horn of Africa.
  • More research is needed to determine the long-term health effects of exposure to burn pit emissions. The Government Accountability Office said the Defense Department needs more specific research in order to fully understand the health impacts. The pits are used to manage waste generated by U.S. forces overseas, but GAO said they also produce toxic fumes. (Government Accountability Office)
  • The Defense Department found a little spare change for military intelligence cyber programs. It moved nearly $20 million to cyber and space programs. Some went toward the Army Intelligence and Security Command’s cyber abilities. The movement of funds signals a continued push toward cyber and space technologies at the Pentagon. (Federal News Radio)
  • The reported theft of hacking tools from the National Security Agency may have stemmed from poor cyber hygiene. Reuters reported sources close to the investigation that said the hacking group responsible may have gotten access to the tools after a former NSA operative left them available on a remote computer. The FBI is leading the investigation. U.S. officials believe the hackers have ties to Russia. (Reuters)
  • The government is turning to the private sector for help in going green. The General Services Administration and the Energy Department issued a joint request for information on new and underused technologies to improve efficiency and environmental performance in federal buildings. The RFI asked for technologies that dealt with fans, chillers and refrigerants. (FedBizOpps)
  • A major software vendor will stop selling through the GSA schedules. Oracle is leaving the General Services Administration’s schedules program altogether. It’s not going to just stop selling directly through the IT schedule, but the software giant will no longer use third-party resellers either, according to multiple sources. Sources said Oracle decided the GSA schedules just weren’t worth the hassle any longer because of all the compliance requirements. Sources cited the aggressive use of lawsuits under the False Claims Act as one potential reason for Oracle leaving the GSA schedule. Oracle declined to comment. (Federal News Radio)
  • The National Treasury Employees Union is pushing for Congress to retrain 7,000 employees at the IRS instead of outsourcing work to private tax collection agencies. The IRS said it contracted with four private agencies to collect unpaid debt. Earlier this month, it said employees at three sites across the country would be affected. The plan is to phase out their jobs over the next eight years. (National Treasury Employees Union)
  • Maria Roat is leaving the Transportation Department to become chief information officer of the Small Business Administration. Roat confirmed to Federal News Radio she would start at the SBA Oct. 3. Roat replaces Renee Macklin who left SBA in 2015 to work at the Commerce Department. Keith Bluestein has been the acting CIO since then. Roat has been DoT’s chief technology officer since August 2014. She also worked at the Homeland Security Department and was the first director of the cloud cybersecurity program called FedRAMP. (Federal News Radio)
  • Citizen privacy would get a boost in a bill that passed the House. The Social Security Fraud Prevention Act, sponsored by Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), would curb federal agencies’ practice of mailing documents that include Social Security numbers, which is a source of identity theft. Valadao said the bill was inspired by a constituent who complained of receiving a letter from Social Security with her number visible. The billed passed on a voice vote with bipartisan support. (Rep. David Valadao)

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