The Food and Drug Administration has been striving mightily with new mandates, new public health issues, and with its own need for a more modern information infrastructure. Somehow it has to accommodate the needs of the scientific and research side of the house, the operational side, and the administrative.

Some unionized Homeland Security Department employees are vigorously opposing the immigration reform bill now progressing through the Senate. The National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council was the first to openly opposed the bill. It represents 7,000 deportation agents. Joining the battle is the National Citizenship and Immigration Services Council with 12,000 members. If the bill passes and becomes law, those members will have to carry it out. Can they?

The Professional Services Council has been saying it for awhile now and now the federal government finally agrees. A new report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction says the Afghan government has been improperly taxing American contractors to the tune of nearly $1 billion. And it has restricted the movements of companies that refused to pay the unfair levies.

Leaders may be born, but a little education never hurt. That’s where the Voyagers Program comes in. It’s cooperative program between the IT industry and mid-level government employees. The American Council for Technology and the Industry Advisory Council, or ACT-IAC, has just graduated this year’s Voyagers and is accepting applications for next year.