• Army base Fort Polk in Louisiana will now be known as Fort Johnson. The new name honors Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black WWI soldier, who rescued a fellow soldier under live fire while armed with only a knife. Johnson's unit was part of the New York National Guard. The renaming is part of an effort to change the names of DoD installations named after the Confederacy. In this case, it was Confederate Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk.
  (Fort Johnson renaming ceremony hits home for Jersey guard - National Guard)
• Several agencies have experienced data intrusions as part of a global cyber attack. The Energy Department is among the victims of a hacking campaign into the popular file-sharing service MOVEit. Sources confirmed Oak Ridge Affiliated Universities and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico were both hit by the data breaches. The Energy Department said it has taken steps to contain the breaches and is working with law enforcement on the matter. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also confirmed several unnamed agencies had experienced intrusions as part of the cyberattack. A Russian-linked ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for pulling off the zero-day vulnerability to steal data from multiple businesses and government agencies. The term “Zero-Day” is used when security teams are unaware of a software vulnerability, and have spent "zero days" working to fix the problem.
  (Energy Department among ‘several’ federal agencies hit by MOVEit breach - Federal News Network)
• A plan from House Republicans calls for reining in federal employees’ pay and benefits. Leaders of the Republican Study Committee, in a fiscal 2024 budget proposal, are calling for an end to federal employees receiving annual pay raises, saying that government workers should only receive merit-based pay increases. The plan is endorsed by 14 House Republicans. It also proposes basing federal retirement benefits on an employee’s highest five years of earnings, and eliminating cost-of-living adjustments for federal retirees. The proposal also supports legislation that would bring back Trump administration executive orders that made it easier for federal agencies to fire employees.
  (House Republican plan seeks end to ‘automatic’ federal pay raises, cut workforce benefits - Federal News Network)
• The Federal Acquisition Regulations Council is preparing for a busy next year or so. It has laid out 29 proposed rules in the latest version of the semi-annual regulatory agenda. Many of the proposals have been in the works for years, such as implementing a 2020 rule from the Small Business Administration to allow size protests on set-aside orders under multiple-award contracts that were not set-aside. Other proposed rules are new, like one to increase small business participation on certain multiple-award contracts by, among other things, allowing the use of set-asides in the placement of orders.
  (Agency Rule List - OMB)

        Get tips and tactics to make informed IT and professional services buys across government in our Small Business Guide.

• Industry groups are pressing the Biden administration to take action on digital identity solutions. The Better Identity Coalition is among 10 groups urging the White House to launch a task force that accelerates the use of technology used to combat identity-related cybercrime. In a letter to the Office of the National Cyber Director and the National Security Council, the groups said digital identity tools are key to reducing fraud. They are also urging the administration to prioritize the creation of digital identity standards, and focus on ways digital identity infrastructure can save money.
  (Multi-organization letter to White House on digital identity in the national cybersecurity strategy - Better Identity Coalition)
• A new team of advocates will look for ways to improve women’s experiences serving in the Army. The first ever women’s initiatives team will look at ways to improve women’s recruitment, retention, readiness, health, well-being, empowerment and advancement. The Army selected 30 members to serve on the team out of an applicant pool of about 800. The team plans to meet for the first time in August to develop an initial agenda. The members will serve for two years with possible extensions.
  (Army selects members of the Women’s Initiatives Team - U.S. Army)
• The Defense Department tapped into a new recruitment pipeline for its acquisition workforce on June 8, as it launched its new Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC). The DCTC pilots DoD's new scholarship-for-service program, provides students with experience and training in Defense acquisition, as well as paid internships and participation in DoD challenge programs. Students selected for DCTC will receive accelerated processing for their security clearances, and direct-hire employment with DoD once they graduate. Students will be selected from applicants at four participating universities.
  (Defense Civilian Training Corps kick-off marks milestone in strengthening DoD civilian acquisition workforce - DoD)
• Federal employees submitted hundreds of technology project ideas to the General Services Administration's 10x program. The project ideas aligned with two themes: digital foundations and equity in delivery. There were 15 projects chosen, which aim to answer questions around digital technology and the public. These projects are being staffed and moved into Phase One of the program, where they'll be evaluated on whether they should be funded for Phase Two. The 10x program started in 2015 and has since supported hundreds of projects.
  (GSA’s 10x program launches 15 new good-for-people technology projects - GSA)
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s top expert in customer experience is stepping down. HUD Customer Experience Lead Amber Chaudhry is leaving federal service after holding the job for nearly two years. Chaudry recently announced HUD is working on a pilot program with its Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity to gather baseline satisfaction and trust data from individuals going through the agency’s housing-discrimination complaint process.
  (Amber Chaudhry - LinkedIn)

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