Border Patrol agents say they’re getting the short end of sequestration’s stick. Customs and Border Protection’s plan to cope with the budget cuts includes furloughs and less overtime for agents. The agency says it’s focusing its limited resources on core mission areas and trying to do it in the least disruptive way possible, while not compromising security. The National Border Patrol Council disagrees. Council Vice President Shawn Moran said the plan could cut agents’ pay by 40 percent.

A watchdog group is releasing a report card on scientific integrity at federal agencies. It’s a comprehensive look at how agencies have implemented a 2009 White House mandate to protect research from political interference.

Last time we spoke with registered employee benefit consultant Ed Zurndorfer, he said furloughed feds should not borrow from their Thrift Savings Plan funds for extra cash. But what can you do instead? Ed joins us now with more planning tips for the coming furloughs.

We talk a lot on this show about how new technology is helping agencies save money or become more efficient. But for one agency, a particular recent invention has literally revolutionized its field. Mobile phones have enabled the U.S. Agency for International Development to help poor countries in ways hard to imagine only a few years ago. The agency created a Mobile Solutions team to capitalize on cell phones’ popularity in developing countries.