Federal Newscast

You may have to disclose if you own any Bitcoins when applying for a security clearance

In today's Federal Newscast, the Defense Security Service said it's considering whether or not to provide guidance on asking about cryptocurrency ownership duri...

Eric White@FEDERALNEWSCAST

February 6, 2018 8:06 am

3 min read

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You may need to disclose if you own any sort of digital currency when applying for a security clearance in the future. The Defense Security Service said its working with other Defense policy offices to determine whether or not it should issue guidance on requiring applicants to report cryptocurrency ownership. (Defense Security Service)

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said he’s confident DHS will eventually get its first reauthorization since the agency was created. McCaul introduced reauthorization legislation last year which the House voted and passed. McCaul said the Senate has been slow to take up the bill, but he believes the chamber will come through. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will begin to discuss the topic at a hearing this week.

After a record year for natural disasters, the General Services Administration wants to know how it can best protect federal real estate. GSA said its making its environmental sustainability requirements more explicit in its requests for proposals. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said 2017 was the most expensive year of disaster recovery for the U.S. costing more than $306 billion to rebuild after wildfires and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. (Federal News Radio)

The General Services Administration is looking for its next Deputy Chief Information Officer. It’s searching for someone who will bring about strategic change and has experience leading complex, enterprise-level IT projects and programs. Potential applicants have until February 20 to submit materials. (USAJobs)

The results are in from the CIO Council’s first ever governmentwide job fair. Agencies made more than 50 tentative job offers, requested more than 100 certificates of eligible candidates and overall were satisfied with the CIO Council’s first-ever governmentwide hiring fair. The council recently released details of the November event that focused on hard-to-fill IT and cyber positions. The two-day hiring event included more than 30 agencies and attracted more than 5,000 applicants, including more than 18 hundred in person attendees. For 2018, the council said it will continue to collaborate with the Chief Human Capital Officer’s Council to identify ways to attract top IT and cyber talent. (CIO.gov)

Veterans broke a new record last year. The veteran unemployment rate hit a new low of 3.7 percent in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The low is a continuation of a decrease in unemployment that started in 2010. As of 2018, the veteran unemployment rate has risen slightly back up to 4 percent. The veteran unemployment rate is below the national unemployment rate, which currently stands at 4.1 percent. The government has put together multiple programs to cut back veteran unemployment, including transition services and resume help.

Airmen who are transitioning back from deployment get a break. The Air Force will let reservists coming home from deployments of 180 days or more skip transition program training if they’ve completed it in the last five years. Airmen will also be able to skip veteran benefits training if they completed it in the last three years. (Federal News Radio)

A showdown of sorts has developed between the Army and the Office of Special Counsel. OSC said it’s alarmed over an Army action in a whistleblower case. Civilian Teresa Gilbert had disclosed filthy conditions at the Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. Officials retaliated against her, including trying to fire her. OSC sided with Gilbert. The Army said her supervisor had *not* committed a prohibited personnel practice. Special Counsel Henry Kerner urges the army to reconsider. (Office of Special Counsel)

Railway workers turned off automated signals which could have prevented Sunday’s Amtrak crash in South Carolina. National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt said the signals were out while crews were installing a safety system. Two Amtrak employees, a conductor and an engineer, were killed, and more than 100 passengers were injured. It’s the third fatal Amtrak train crash in less than two months. (Federal News Radio)