Quick Hits

*** Many federal employees will notice a change in their withholding on their paychecks starting in September. Employees making less than about $104,000 annually won't have their social security taxes automatically deducted, as part of an executive order encouraging employers to defer social security deductions to put more cash in employee paychecks because of the economic crisis. Employees will still be obligated to pay their social security contributions in the future. The National Finance Center, the payroll shared service operated by the Department of Agriculture, announced the move in an Aug. 21 customer notification memorandum.

*** Tianna Spears, a former State Department employee who traveled frequently between Mexico and the U.S., writes of targeting and harassment she endured at the hands of Customs and Border Protection law enforcement officers. Spears, in an account published in Politico, says she was subject to frequent examination and car searches despite her diplomatic passport, and suspects she was singled out because of her race.

*** A commentary in War on the Rocks argues that the U.S. Army should create a Digital Corps modeled on its storied Medical Corps, and that Army technology workforce efforts like its Digital Service and software factory constitute "piecemeal" efforts. "Talent management is an investment, not a cost, and the effort to execute a bold vision for uniformed technologists will pay off over the long term. Efforts," the authors write.