Marine Corps Reserve accidentally releases personal information of over 21,000 people

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• The Marine Corps may have inadvertently breached sensitive personal data involving more than 21,000 Marines, sailors and civilians. A spokesman told the Marine Corps Times the spillage happened when a document was sent over unencrypted email to the wrong distribution list, which included at least some recipients outside the Marine Corps. The personal details included bank and credit card information, home addresses and partial social security numbers. (Marine Corps Times)

• All three top leaders at the Office of Management and Budget are now in place. The Senate confirmed Russ Vought to be OMB’s deputy director. Vice President Mike Pence had to break a 49 to 49 tie on the nomination vote. OMB deputy director for management Margaret Weichert was confirmed on February 14. She was officially sworn in yesterday as well.

• The much anticipated IT modernization guidance is finally out. Agencies have a new roadmap to set up working capital funds to help pay for modern technology systems and services. The Office of Management and Budget released its Modernizing Government Technology Act implementation guidance earlier this week. The memo detailed how the new approach to finding money to move off legacy systems will work. The guidance also addressed how agencies would compete for additional money from the yet-to-be funded $228 million IT modernization central fund. Agencies should notify OMB by March 27 if they plan on setting up an IT modernization working capital fund. (White House)

• The Navy picks its next top cyber official. The president nominated Rear Admiral Timothy White to be the next commander of Fleet Cyber Command, which means he would become a Vice Admiral. White currently serves as the commander of U.S. Cyber Command’s National Mission Force. He would replace Vice Admiral Michael Gilday, who’s led Fleet Cyber Command for the past two years. (Department of Defense)

• The head of the Marine Corps suspends a top adviser accused of creating a hostile work environment. Marine Corps Commandant Robert Neller suspended Brigadier General Norman Cooling pending the outcome of a review by the Defense Department. Cooling served as Neller’s legislative assistant since July. The Senate Armed Services Committee had asked Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to look into the hostile workforce claims against Cooling. An official said Cooling is alleged to have made disparaging comments about women. Cooling is a former deputy commander of Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa. (Federal News Radio)

• Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) wants GSA’s inspector general to look into the agency’s new plan for the FBI headquarters. Connolly said he isn’t getting any answers from GSA or the FBI. Earlier this month, GSA scrapped its plans for a consolidated FBI headquarters, instead choosing to put a new headquarters on the site of the J Edgar Hoover building in D.C. A spokesman for the IG’s office said it received Connolly’s letter and will give it full consideration. (Federal News Radio)

• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee leaders want the Homeland Security Authorization Act to remain as non-partisan as possible. They urged colleagues to not add any partisan amendments. Both committee Chair Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said they want a clean bill so they can get it to the Senate floor quickly. As the committee begins a mark up hearing, the reauthorization bill has already passed the House. It would be the first Congress has reauthorized DHS if the legislation passes. (Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee)

• Two lawmakers want the Education Department and the Labor Department to receive the same expedited removal authorities Congress recently granted to the Veterans Affairs Department. Congressman Lloyd Smucker (R-Penn.) and Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) introduced legislation similar to new VA accountability laws. Both bills would eliminate the Merit Systems Protection Board as an avenue of appeal for Labor and Education senior executives. (Federal News Radio)

• A federal whistleblower gets a boost from the U.S. Court of Appeals. The ninth circuit sided with the Office of Special Counsel, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief, supporting a whistleblower whose retaliation case had been barred by the Merit Systems Protection Board. Civilian Michael Johnen claimed he’d been wrongfully fired by the Army for disclosing nepotism. His court appeal concerned whether his oral statements to Army brass were sufficient. The court remanded his case back to the Board. (U.S. Court of Appeals)

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