Acquisition
Senate votes to extend pandemic relief for contractors
A Senate amendment to the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Act extends pandemic relief authorities to government contractors for paid leave through the end of the fiscal year.
Cybersecurity
White House Is Developing a Plan to Secure Industrial Control Systems
An upcoming executive order in response to the hacking campaign that involved SolarWinds will include standards to improve software transparency.
Policy
Interior Reverses Trump Science Policy, Vows to Free Career Staff From Political Interference
Biden administration announces its latest move to reverse Trump-era science policies.
Cybersecurity
DHS Wants Help Restructuring Pay and Bonuses for Cybersecurity Pros
The agency is looking for a vendor to help lay out a plan to recruit and retain top talent needed to meet its cybersecurity missions.
Digital Government
Bill Aims to Counter China with International Technology Partnership
The bill aims to imbue democratic values in technologies like artificial intelligence and 5G.
Digital Government
TMF money, more leave in Senate's take on COVID relief
The $1.9 trillion relief package could give federal employees up to 15 weeks of pandemic-related paid leave.
Emerging Tech
HHS Aims to Accelerate Technologies for Combatting Lyme Disease
The often-overlooked illness radically disrupts hundreds of thousands of lives each year.
Ideas
It’s Time for a Cybersecurity Quid Pro Quo
Require companies to disclose breaches to the government in exchange for legal liability limitations.
People
OPM tells agencies to restart union talks to uproot Trump-era orders
The Office of Personnel Management is looking to remove vestiges of workforce executive orders from the Trump administration from federal agency contracts with employee unions, including restrictions on official time and union use of agency facilities.
Acquisition
House GOP urges increase in defense spending
House Republicans are urging the Biden administration to seek an increase in defense spending in the upcoming budget request to better compete with China and "fill ongoing readiness gaps."
Digital Government
FCW Insider: March 5
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Ideas
Social Media Checks Can Bring Bias into Hiring
“One of the things that cropped up repeatedly was that cybervetting not only judges people’s behavior, but how that behavior is presented,” said a researcher.
Cybersecurity
Under new law, NIST looks to map out vulnerability disclosure policies for government
Lawmakers in December tasked NIST with to developing processes that would ensure software vulnerability reports flow to the appropriate government offices and the issues are promptly fixed.
Cybersecurity
NIST Planning Workshop to Comply with Law on Federal IoT Procurement
Comments on draft documents required under the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act raise concerns of both fragmentation and a lack of flexibility.
Cybersecurity
Biden’s Pick For Defense Policy Chief Outlines Cyber Deterrence Position
In a contentious nomination hearing, Colin Kahl called for a whole-of-government approach to technology.
People
No new OMB pick yet, White House says
In her daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Shalanda Young could serve as budget director on an acting basis if confirmed as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Digital Government
DHS Launching Voluntary COVID-19 Contact Tracing Program
Employees will be able to self-report a positive diagnosis through the ServiceNow help desk and official contact tracers will follow up with anyone who might have been exposed.
Digital Government