Digital Government
NASA braces for solar storms that could bring critical systems to a halt
House panel calls for administration to refine space weather forecasts and develop a plan to issue public warnings.
Digital Government
Social media raises federal record-keeping, privacy concerns
Web 2.0 tools are important for agency missions but require additional guidance, officials say.
Digital Government
Telework bill could be near tipping point
House-Senate negotiators don't have many issues to reconcile before they send the measure to President Obama, staffer says.
Digital Government
Department of Homeland Security may be the place for job-seeking vets
There’s no underestimating the importance of military veterans to the federal workforce. Transitioning vets have long provided a reliable pool of high-quality candidates for civilian positions in the federal government—and not just at DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Ideas
Census Fears Spill Over the Border
What can only be characterized as a bit of a surprise, Canada, the land of good government, is having its own debate over the nation's next census, scheduled for 2011. The debate is over the "intrusive" questions on the long form, which 20 percent of Canadians receive and are required to fill out.
Cybersecurity
Assange No-Show at Hacker Conference
<a href="http://wikileaks.org/Wikileaks">Wikileaks</a> founder Julian Assange was a no-show at the annual New York City hacker conference <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_on_Planet_Earth">HOPE</a>, after five Homeland Security agents <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20010861-83.html?tag=mncol;txt">turned up the day before he scheduled to speak.
Digital Government
Real Social Networking?
Agencies have been pretty much experimenting with social media for the past two years, writing blogs (that are mostly routine), Tweeting (mostly press releases) and conducting an occasional town hall meeting (that is typically very orderly). It's understandable that many of the attempts have been carefully orchestrated offerings, given the novelty of the technology and the risk-averse nature of bureaucracies.
Digital Government
Joint Forces Command leader replaces Petraeus at CentCom
Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to take the reigns at U.S. Central Command while Army Gen. David Petraeus takes over in Afghanistan.
People
End of payroll deductions for paper U.S. Savings Bonds approaching
Deadlines are drawing near for federal employees and military service members who currently buy paper U.S. Savings Bonds through payroll deductions to transition to the new electronic system.
Acquisition
Existing procurements got bulk of Recovery Act contract dollars
Pressure to act quickly on high-priority projects drove agency officials toward existing contracts, GAO reported.
Digital Government
Nearly all major federal agencies use social media, GAO says
Federal agencies have jumped into social media, but are still wrestling with numerous problems, a GAO official told a House subcommittee today.
Digital Government
Florida in the summer
Blogger Steve Kelman explores the cultural contours of South Florida, including its interesting architecture and strange traffic patterns.
People
HHS employees, industry partners jump-start innovations
Todd Park is the go-to guy for open government at the Health and Human Services Department, where he's also involved with health reform and health information exchange.
Cybersecurity
Why no one wants DHS to play cyber mall cop
The public has repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the federal government to centralize identification management, writes Mike Spinney, senior privacy analyst at the Ponemon Institute.
People
Insourcing thicket befuddles mandate-focused agencies
The Office of Management and Budget needs to provide guidance on insourcing efforts governmentwide, writes commentator Jaime Gracia.
Cybersecurity
Federal cyber strategy gets modestly clearer
The memo that gives DHS the lead role on government cybersecurity answered some questions but raised others, writes Chris Bronk.
Digital Government
Improving First-Line Supervisors
Federal agencies are falling short when it comes to selecting, training and supporting first-level supervisors, according to a new report.
People
Defense Department creates online hub for social media
The Pentagon has set up an online social media hub to better coordinate policies and to provide online links to service sites on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like.
Digital Government
Obama ready to sign improper payments legislation
The president is expected to sign legislation today meant to crack down on $110 billion a year in erroneous federal payments.
Digital Government