The Defense Department has suspended payments to some of the biggest names in Defense contracting. BAE and Boeing are two of the companies that fail to meet DoD standards for internal business systems. Tony Capaccio has covered this story for Bloomberg News.

It may be a compelling idea, but cloud computing is coming slowly to the federal government. Security concerns, inertia and a short list of contract vehicles are some of the reasons.

The Interior Department wants to help change that. It’s launching a governmentwide cloud hosting service contract. The Interior’s chief information officer, Bernie Mazer, has more.

The Census Bureau wants to revolutionize the way it takes the pulse of America, but it needs more money first. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker says the bureau already has the technology to make the 2020 census more cost-efficient, but it needs funds to test the gear.

“You have to spend money to save money,” she says, according to a NextGov story about Pritzker’s speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.

For an inside look at the bureau’s dreams and realities, Tom and Emily talked to Burton Reist. He is chief of the Census Bureau’s 2020 Research and Planning Office.

Is he crooked, or just extravagant? A former federal appeals court judge is under investigation for receiving $140,000 in travel expenses during his time on the bench. Judge Boyce Martin has appealed. But the Justice Department’s public integrity section is continuing its investigation. Attorney Debra Roth of Shaw Bransford & Roth discusses how often judges come under legal crosshairs.

A new set of recommendations aims to change federal acquisition culture. The Defense Department and the General Services Administration offer six ideas for addressing cybersecurity issues at the beginning of any procurement. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller has details on how DoD and GSA want to ensure cybersecurity is no longer bolted on after the fact.

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The new secretary of the Air Force says it’s already clear to her that there are “systemic” problems in the service’s nuclear workforce. Federal News Radio’s Jared Serbu has more on her assessment so far, and the Air Force’s search for fixes.

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