The federal government’s made huge progress in reducing security clearance processing times over the last several years. But there are some early signs of backsliding. As Federal News Network reported last week, the latest data shows top secret investigations took an average of 115 days in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 – up from 84 days during the same period last year.
Talk about joint service. A member of the Space Force has become the first guardian to receive a service medal from the Coast Guard. The guardian spent three weeks aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Arctic.
In today's Federal Newscast: Stamp prices will go up again, for the fifth time since 2021. A new IARPA program will try to expose perpetrators behind cyber attacks based on coding styles. And the Defense Department is seeking to update its acquisition regulations.
We all know military life can present challenges for a family. Having to constantly move from one city to another, can lead to child care issues, as well as trouble for the military spouse to find a job in a new location. Way above the national average, military spouses register an unemployment rate of more than 20%. Since 2009, an organization called, "Blue Star Families" has tried to help military families navigate the challenges they will undoubtedly face.
Lots of people put a neatly tied ending to their federal careers by retiring on December 31. Next year New Year's Day is a Monday, so you could wake up and have a mimosa. But in the next several weeks, you've got some serious final planning to do.
Congress is back from its Thanksgiving recess this week -- with not very much time to go before several different impending deadlines. We've talked a lot about the appropriations legislation that still needs to get done for 2024. But the deadlines for some key authorization bills are creeping up even faster. Loren Duggan is deputy news director at Bloomberg Government. He spoke with Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu.
In today's Federal Newscast: The secretaries of the Army and Air Force call the hold on the confirmation of hundreds of military officers "problematic." The Government Accountability Office reports that the federal workforce is more diverse than the nationwide labor force. And improper payments crept up in 2023.
The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) has proposed several revisions to rules concerning its duties under the Privacy Act, including duties assigned to the office of the solicitor. For more on what is going on and what you need to know, Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked with Thomas Tso, FLRA's Solicitor.