Tuesday federal headlines – April 26, 2016

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

• Two Florida residents have pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to defraud more than 10 federal agencies. According to court documents, the pair received payments from government contractors for issuing fraudulent bonds from 2008 to 2013. The federal agencies affected, including the Army and Department of Energy, reimbursed contractors more than $4.3 million for the fraudulent bonds. (Justice Department)

• The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee has approved the renomination of Carolyn Lerner to head the Office of Special Council, the agency that decides whistleblower cases. The committee also voted yes on the renomination of Carol Waller Pope and Patrick Pizzella as members of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, which settles agency labor disputes. The nominations head next to the full Senate for confirmation. (Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee)

• Four-star officers could see the chopping block if certain reforms pass in the new National Defense Authorization Act. Military Times reports a requirement in the bill would eliminate at least five of the 38 four-star posts across the armed services in coming years. The reform would cut back on what some congressional leaders call a “top heavy” command headquarters. (Military Times)

• The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s MyUSCIS program received the top award in the annual Igniting Innovation 2016 Showcase and Awards from ACT-IAC. MyUSCIS was one of five overall winners out of 40 finalists. ACT-IAC’s Igniting Innovation showcase and awards celebrates the best and brightest innovators working to improve the business of government. MyUSCIS  is an online service that lets users find up-to-date information about their application for immigration benefits, tools to help immigrants prepare for naturalization and other resources to move toward citizenship. (ACT-IAC)

• The Defense Department wants an encrypted messaging platform so troops and officers can communicate remotely. A request for proposals from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency asked suppliers to build an app using blockchain technology. This technology would help DoD speed up communications while making it more secure. (SBIR.gov)

• A loophole in the global cell phone network may have allowed spies to monitor government employees, The Hill reports. Specialists said foreign hackers who exploit the vulnerability could have scooped up contacts, recorded calls, and tracked people’s movements. The government’s known about the loophole since 2014. (The Hill)

• The Thrift Savings Plan board says it expects to run out of money before the fiscal year ends. That’s because it’s spending more than it expected on cybersecurity upgrades. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board said it might need to ask Congress for more. The agency said it’s also enrolling more participants than ever before. (Federal News Radio)

• The Defense Department will likely take another decade to reform the way it buys services. That’s according to  Ken Brennan, DoD’s deputy director of services acquisition. He said under policy issued this year, the Air Force has made the most progress. The policy gives armed services chiefs more said in how they craft service contracts. (Federal News Radio)

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