Cyber agencies warn critical industries about Russia-linked hackers

• Cybersecurity agencies are warning critical industries, including government contractors, about Russia-linked hackers targeting insecure routers and other devices. In an alert this week, the National Security Agency and 18 domestic and international partner agencies urged organizations to secure their networking devices. They say the targeted sectors include communications, the defense industrial base, energy, financial services, government services and healthcare. The hackers have spent years quietly extracting configuration data from poorly configured routers across critical infrastructure.
  (CISA warns of Russian cyber threat activity targeting routers - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)
• Federal HR professionals have a new resource to help them process personnel actions more quickly. A digital tool that the Office of Personnel Management launched this week, called the GPPA Navigator, digitizes vast numbers of human resources documents and makes them searchable. The new platform includes documentation on employee leave, promotions, transfers, retirements and much more. OPM said the digital navigation tool will help HR staff more easily access the codes, authorities and guidance they need, leading to faster and more accurate processing.
  (GPPA Navigator tool - Office of Personnel Management)
• New Pentagon data shows the military is on pace to meet its active-duty recruiting goals for fiscal 2026 as of the end of May. The Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force have all hit their year-to-date targets, while the Navy is just short of its goal. New data also shows active-duty retention is improving as the services offer more incentives and target hard-to-fill jobs. On the Reserve side, the Army National Guard, Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve are beating their recruiting goals.
  (Military recruiting stays on track through May - Defense Department)
• The White House is facing mounting pressure after finalizing Schedule Policy/Career. Democrats are calling for more transparency from the Trump administration on which federal employees were reclassified and why. A letter sent to the White House this week comes after President Donald Trump officially moved 8,000 career feds to Schedule Policy/Career, making those employees easier to remove from their jobs. Lawmakers this week are saying the administration has not given enough information on how the policy is taking shape, compounding Democrats’ concerns about how it could politicize and undermine the federal workforce.
  (Democrats demand transparency from White House on Schedule Policy/Career - Federal News Network)

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• Military medical providers will begin routinely screening older troops for low testosterone during annual health assessments, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday, saying the move is intended to improve troops’ health, resilience and battlefield readiness. The test will be added to yearly health assessments for service members age 30 and older, and troops under 30 can also opt in. It's up to the patient whether to start treatment if recommended by a doctor. Service members may be required to get a medical waiver to continue taking testosterone while deployed.
  (Military to screen troops for low testosterone - Federal News Network)
• Two senators are pushing to restore governmentwide language access requirements. The Language Access for All Act would require agencies to ensure that people with limited English language skills can meaningfully access critical government services and programs. That was the standard until last year, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order repealing the 25-year-old policy and establishing English as the “official” language of the U.S. government. The bill, introduced by Sens. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), comes as some agencies over the past year have started stripping alternative language communications from their websites.
  (Senate bill would codify language accessibility standards targeted by Trump - Federal News Network)
• The Trump administration’s latest nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drew frustrated reactions from some senators yesterday when they pressed her on whether she would protect the agency from political meddling. Dr. Erica Schwartz appeared for her confirmation hearing Wednesday. Her career has largely been spent in military uniform, including in a leadership position at the Coast Guard, where she oversaw the service's 41 clinics and 150 sick bays. She later served as deputy surgeon general.
  (Dr. Erica Schwartz testifies at confirmation hearing to be CDC director - Associated Press)
• House Republicans have unveiled a $95 billion budget reconciliation plan focused on boosting defense, aiding farmers and enacting stricter voter registration rules. The legislation would be a sequel to the massive tax and spending cut bill President Donald Trump signed last year. It’s a long-shot undertaking that was narrowed to address concerns from some GOP members about paying for it and adding to the deficit. The House is expected to vote on a budget resolution as soon as next week, but debate and votes on a final package are still months away. Democrats say the GOP's budget plan would lead to tens of billions of dollars in additional debt.
  (House Republicans unveil a $95 billion dollar budget reconciliation plan - Associated Press)

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