- A new bill would require federal agencies to improve air quality and make upgrades to properties to reduce “heat islands.” Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) said the bill is inspired by the efforts his Virginia district made over the summer to carry out heat-island reduction plans. The bill specifically targets federal properties and facilities across the country that are in areas that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone. Under the bill, agencies would need to create a plan to reduce surface temperatures and building cooling demand along with identifying opportunities that decrease temperatures. -- Silvia Oakland
- The Department of Veterans Affairs processed more claims in fiscal 2026 than ever before. The results are in and VA said it set a new record by processing more than $3.1 million in compensation claims last year. That was 100,000 more than it processed in 2025, which also set a record. VA said these efforts have helped reduce the claims backlog by 70% since 2024. Additionally, VA said claims processing accuracy has improved despite an increased workload and is currently at 94%. All of this progress comes as VA also said it has enrolled more than 300,000 new Veterans in VA healthcare in 2026. --Jason Miller
- The Army is standing up another cyber warfare battalion. Lt. Gen. Christopher Eubank, the head of Army Cyber Command, said the new unit will be “an exact replica” of the 11th Cyber Battalion, also known as the Leviathans, which trains and deploys expeditionary cyber and electromagnetic activities teams. The second battalion is expected to reach its initial operational capability within a year. The 11th Cyber Battalion has grown to more than six operational teams, and the Army plans to expand that capability. -- Anastasia Obis
- Another company is challenging the Defense Information Systems Agency’s decision to expand Leidos’ $11 billion Defense Enclave Services contract to include combatant commands. Competitive Range Solutions, LLC, filed a bid protest with the Government Accountability Office earlier this month. The company argues that the agency should have competed the combatant command network migration work instead of adding it to Leidos’ existing contract. The company said the sole source is the result of the agency’s lack of adequate advanced planning and that DISA unreasonably bundled additional work. The protest was filed after the agency determined once again that Leidos was the only company capable of transitioning all combatant commands to the Defense Department Network. -- Anastasia Obis
- Federal employees may soon see opportunities for faster promotions. The Office of Personnel Management has finalized the elimination of a longstanding “time in grade” rule. While feds used to have to wait at least a year to get a promotion, agencies will now be able to grant one in a matter of months. OPM said eliminating time-in-grade will boost flexibility and performance. But critics say there’s more potential for favoritism and subjectivity in promotion decisions. -- Drew Friedman
- The Bureau of Prisons’ attempt to re-terminate its collective bargaining agreement has been voided. A federal judge has ruled that BOP cannot cancel its union contract while a preliminary injunction is holding that contract in place. The ruling comes in a lawsuit from the American Federation of Government Employees, which alleges that BOP violated the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act when it terminated its union agreement last fall and then re-terminated the agreement earlier this month. The latest ruling in the case orders BOP to abide by the court’s injunction and reinstate the contract. -- Drew Friedman
- House lawmakers are calling for a review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s artificial intelligence-enabled air traffic software. More than 20 members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are asking the Government Accountability Office to audit the deployment of two platforms: the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, or SMART, and Flow Management Data and Services, or FMDS. This is the second letter to the FAA from lawmakers in the past month expressing concerns about cybersecurity and AI after recent reports of AI models going rogue. Members of Congress are also asking for a review of the lack of training provided to air traffic controllers to use FMDS and SMART. -- Sylvia Oakland
- Federal contractor Cloudera is barred from participating in the Permanent Labor Certification, or PERM, program for two years. The ban is part of a settlement between the Santa Ana, California, company and the Justice and Labor departments over allegations that Cloudera discriminated against qualified U.S. workers during recruitment conducted under PERM. The PERM program lets employers sponsor foreign workers for permanent residence only after demonstrating that qualified U.S. workers were provided a genuine opportunity to apply and that no qualified, willing and available U.S. workers could be found. Cloudera also will establish a back-pay fund of $1.4 million to compensate qualified U.S. workers who tried to apply for the jobs at issue but were not given fair consideration. Cloudera also will pay $600,000 in civil penalties. -- Jason Miller
- ACT-IAC’s Institute of Innovation is seeking feedback on a new resource to help agencies balance artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. The AI and Cyber Playbook will offer more technical guidance on adopting AI while following multiple frameworks and maturity models. The playbook will be a living document and will receive routine updates to keep pace with AI. ACT-IAC teased the playbook at the 2026 Cybersecurity Summit on Wednesday. The playbook will be released in the coming weeks on ACT-IAC’s website. -- Silvia Oakland
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