- A new bill to supercharge customer service at the IRS made it through the Senate. The bipartisan Taxpayer Assistance and Service (TAS) Act would require the agency to create an online dashboard for tax filers and improve other online features like the Where’s my Refund tool. The measures are intended to cut down on the number of calls and letters employees have to respond to. The bill is based on previous legislation co-sponsored by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). If passed by the House as is, the bill would also recommend that IRS provide a call-back option for all calls that go unanswered for five minutes. -- Sean Davis
- In his first major address to the force on Monday, Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle talked about what’s next for the Army. Speaking at one of the biggest military conferences in Washington, he emphasized that the Army is the “foundation of the Joint Force.” “That sounds like good marketing. It is, but it’s also undeniably true. I’m going to take it back to the basics, back to the dirt. My thesis is centered on the immutable aspects of being a human. I hope it's revolutionary in its simplicity. It's this: controlling and securing land is fundamental to human flourishing and fulfillment,” Telle said. Telle also reiterated the goals for the Army set by his predecessor Daniel Driscoll, such as streamlining acquisition. --Anastasia Obis
- The National Science Foundation’s new office of Metascience will modernize how federal research is funded and conducted. NSF says the office will serve as a testbed for studying how scientific communities respond to new review and funding opportunities. The agency plans to name a new leader in the coming months. NSF will work with the United Kingdom's Research and Innovation Unit to support an international network of metascience units. --Silvia Oakland
- Agencies are continuing to offer alternative work schedules despite recent news that SSA is ending it. Alternative work schedules remain a viable option for many federal employees. A new Federal News Network survey found 78% of the more than 592 respondents say their agency offers AWS and 47% believe the benefit isn't going anywhere in the near future. Respondents say that despite their agency offering AWS, some options are being limited like only the 5/4/9 schedule. More than 88% of all respondents say alternative work schedules are a very valuable benefit for federal employees. The most common themes as to why include helping with work-life balance as well as recruitment and retention. You can find the full survey results on federalnewsnetwork.com. --Jason Miller
- A Republican House member wants to bring more oversight to artificial intelligence. A bill from Congressman Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) would create the Office of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Threats in the White House. The new organization would lead the development and implementation of federal AI policy and other emerging technologies. Barrett is modeling the office after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the head of the office would require Senate confirmation. Currently there is no companion bill in the Senate. --Silvia Oakland
- Some veterans have an opportunity to register for VA.gov accounts in a matter of moments under a new pilot program the Department of Veterans Affairs launched. VA worked with technology and security company CLEAR to create pods that let veterans create their account in a few minutes with the help of a VA staff member. CLEAR uses scanning technology, also used at airports, to quickly create participating accounts for veterans. VA says this will let veterans access services and benefits more easily, especially if they’re facing challenges with mobility or internet access. VA kicked off the pilot program at six hospitals and said it could expand to more if successful. --Stephanie Wright
- The Transportation Security Administration is considering next steps in advancing its private airport screening model. TSA cancelled the Gold-Plus program in August. But the agency is still considering how to evolve its current private model, the Screening Partnership Program or SPP. TSA officials are considering establishing a tiger team to look at how to evolve the SPP model beyond the current 20 airports that participate in it. The Trump administration’s privatized screening push has generated concern among rank-and-file transportation security officers and has been highly criticized by their union, the American Federation of Government Employees. --Justin Doubleday
- The Army has launched a task force to improve heating and cooling infrastructure for its soldiers. The team will bring together engineers, contractors and facility operations leaders to ensure projects are funded and awarded before heating and cooling systems break down. The task force will utilize regional contracting approaches, utility energy service contracts and commercial best practices. Army officials said HVAC issues are the number one quality of life complaint from soldiers. --Anastasia Obis
- The National Security Agency is detailing 84 activities to help organizations improve the cybersecurity of operational technology systems like those that run fire alarms, elevators and power plants. A new cybersecurity information sheet highlights 26 high-impact activities that organizations can implement now as part of moving toward a zero trust architecture. NSA says by prioritizing key measures to secure remote access, harden smart controllers, enhance visibility and enforce micro-segmentation, organizations can disrupt attacks on industrial control systems. The information sheet comes as attacks by nation-state actors and hacktivist groups on OT environments have increased over the past few years. NSA says implementing zero trust principles such as complex passwords, multifactor authentication and the continuous verification of users and devices can disrupt attackers. --Jason Miller
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