Federal Times

04/02/2022

Money Minute — Understanding the differences between a debit card and a credit card

Personal finance expert Jeanette Mack explains the important differences between debit cards and credit cards.

03/26/2022

Money Minute – What are some tips for building and rebuilding my credit?

Personal finance expert Jeanette Mack explains how to build and protect your credit.

03/19/2022

Money Minute — Fraud calling scams are on the rise. How can you protect your personal information?

Fraudsters are targeting you through your phone. Personal finance expert Jeanette Mack tells you how to recognize and to avoid fraud.

03/10/2022

Congress passes bill to shore up Postal Service, delivery

Congress mustered rare bipartisan support for the Postal Service package, dropping some of the more controversial proposals to settle on core ways to save the service and ensure its future operations. Last month, the House approved the bill, 342-92, with all Democrats and most Republicans voting for it. On Tuesday, the Senate sent it to Biden’s desk on a 79-19 vote.

Congress mustered rare bipartisan support for the Postal Service package, dropping some of the more controversial proposals to settle on core ways to save the service and ensure its future operations.

03/10/2022

Congress passes bill to shore up Postal Service, delivery

The long-fought postal overhaul has been years in the making and comes amid widespread complaints about mail service slowdowns. Many Americans became dependent on the Postal Service during the COVID-19 crisis, but officials have repeatedly warned that without congressional action it would run out of cash by 2024.

Congress mustered rare bipartisan support for the Postal Service package, dropping some of the more controversial proposals to settle on core ways to save the service and ensure its future operations.

02/26/2022

Money Minute: How to spot and avoid tax scams

Tax season is upon us. Now is the time to be on the lookout for tax scams. Personal finance expert Jeanette Mack explains.
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Sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union

02/19/2022

Money Minute: Sending cash by mobile apps — convenient, but be careful

Jeanette Mack discusses the convenience — and pitfalls — of using mobile apps to send someone money.
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Sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union

02/17/2022

FAA head resigns after effort to rebuild agency’s reputation

Stephen Dickson, a former pilot and executive with Delta Air Lines in Atlanta, had led the FAA since August 2019. He citied separation from his family during the pandemic, saying he told President Joe Biden, “It is time to go home.”

02/16/2022

Senate confirms Biden’s FDA pick despite political divisions

The 50-46 vote means Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist and prominent medical researcher, will again lead the powerful regulatory agency, which he briefly headed during the end of President Barack Obama’s administration.

02/15/2022

US judge strikes down Biden climate damage cost estimate

US judge strikes down Biden climate damage cost estimate

U.S. District Judge James Cain of the Western District of Louisiana sided with Republican attorneys general from energy producing states who said the administration’s action to raise the cost estimate of carbon emissions threatened to drive up energy costs while decreasing state revenues from ener...

02/14/2022

Bigger bonuses, more child care aid for VA employees under new workforce plan

Along with plans to lobby Congress for better salary scales for VA workers, the moves include some executive orders by the secretary to immediately provide more money and support to employees who may be eyeing private-sector openings.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough outlined the changes in a department-wide speech on Wednesday.

02/14/2022

US judge strikes down Biden climate damage cost estimate

The judge issued an injunction that bars the Biden administration from using the higher cost estimate, which puts a dollar value on damages caused by every additional ton of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

U.S. District Judge James Cain of the Western District of Louisiana sided with Republican attorneys general from energy producing states who said the administration’s action to raise the cost estimate of carbon emissions threatened to drive up energy costs while decreasing state revenues from ener...

02/12/2022

Money Minute | How much money do you need before you start investing?

If you’re not investing for retirement or the future, ask yourself why not? Even the smallest savings habits can help you finish big.
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Sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union

02/10/2022

Federal and military users can now track potential terrorist activities with an app

Need "one stop shop" for tracking potential terrorism activities? The intelligence community has an app for you.

Need a “onestop shop for counterterroism analysis”? There's an app for that, and it's called aCTknowledge.

02/10/2022

Bigger bonuses, more child care aid for VA employees under new workforce plan

Here are the highlights of the VA's new workforce plan.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough outlined the changes in a department-wide speech on Wednesday.

02/09/2022

Federal and military users can now track potential terrorist activities with an app

Need "one stop shop" for tracking potential terrorism activities? The intelligence community has an app for you.

Need a “onestop shop for counterterroism analysis”? There's an app for that, and it's called aCTknowledge.

02/09/2022

New White House report promotes collective bargaining for federal employees

The Office of Personnel Management is taking the lead on several of the recommendation from the report, which was produced by the Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment and approved by the president.

The Office of Personnel Management has taken several actions over the last year that it claims have helped reset labor-management relations in the executive branch.

02/09/2022

Justice Dept. signals it may allow safe injection sites

Some other arms of the federal government also have signaled some willingness at least to explore safe injection facilities, if not yet embrace them. Asked about the New York sites, White House drug czar Dr. Rahul Gupta told CNN in December he was “interested in looking at the science and data behind all of the emerging harm reduction practices.”

The Justice Department is signaling it might be open to allowing so-called safe injection sites, or safe havens for people to use heroin and other narcotics with protections against fatal overdoses.

02/08/2022

New White House report promotes collective bargaining for federal employees

President Joe Biden Biden established the task force in April 2021 via an executive order. With over 20 federal agencies, offices and organizations represented, the task force was charged with identifying policies, practices and programs within the executive branch that could be used to support worker organization and collective bargaining.

The Office of Personnel Management has taken several actions over the last year that it claims have helped reset labor-management relations in the executive branch.

02/08/2022

Justice Dept. signals it may allow safe injection sites

The position is a drastic change from its stance in the Trump administration, when prosecutors fought vigorously against a plan to open a safe consumption site in Philadelphia.

The Justice Department is signaling it might be open to allowing so-called safe injection sites, or safe havens for people to use heroin and other narcotics with protections against fatal overdoses.

02/08/2022

Fewer veterans were in homeless shelters last year. Was COVID the reason?

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual assessment of those experiencing homelessness — which is based on data collected in January 2021, 10 months into America’s coronavirus pandemic — about 19,750 veterans were experiencing “sheltered homelessness” one year ago.

Federal officials saw a 10 percent decrease in sheltered homeless veterans in January 2021.

02/08/2022

White House considers expanding limits on ‘no-knock’ warrant

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that President Joe Biden was looking at whether to further limit federal agents’ use of the tactic after a local SWAT team in Minneapolis fatally shot Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man.

A “no-knock warrant,” as its name implies, is an order from a judge that allows law enforcement officials with a search warrant to enter a home without announcing their presence first. It’s an exemption to usual practice; in most cases, the law requires that officers must knock and announce th...

02/08/2022

VA needs more money to keep pace with veterans’ needs, advisory group warns

The Independent Budget — an advisory spending plan compiled by Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Veterans of Foreign Wars — calls for a 23 percent increase in VA program spending over the latest White House request in order to boost money for priorities like mental health services, caregiver support, and homeless veterans assistance.

The Independent Budget for fiscal 2023 calls for a hefty increase in department program spending over current levels.

02/07/2022

White House pushing to get more veterans into the trucking industry

Officials from the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor and Transportation in coming days will be touting an array of existing programs to help separating service members get careers in the trucking industry. The effort is expected to start Monday, with an announcement from the White House highlighting the programs.

Officials met with veterans groups last week to tout job training programs to put veterans behind the wheel for moving freight.

02/05/2022

Money Minute: Tax tips for military families

The New Year means it's tax season. If you’re an active duty military family, there are some tax benefits that can help put some extra cash back in your pocket.
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Sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union

02/04/2022

$400M VA program to help COVID-unemployed vets has produced few new jobs

Eight months into the program, only about 3,400 veterans have taken part in the program, and only about 700 have graduated from the training.

VA's rapid retraining program has helped just a small fraction of the veterans that officials expected.

02/03/2022

Biden steps up fight against ‘iron pipeline’ of illegal guns

Biden has proposed a large increase in dollars for local community policing programs, and if his social spending agenda were to pass, even more funds would be made available — but that effort is stalled in Congress.

But his modest announcements — expanding on initiatives already underway and offering suggestions for localities on how to spend federal dollars — demonstrate the limits to what he can do when there is no appetite in Congress to pass gun legislation.

02/03/2022

EPA: New mail-delivery fleet needs more electric vehicles

In a sharply worded letter, the EPA says the Postal Service plan to make 10% of its next-generation fleet electric “underestimates greenhouse gas emissions, fails to consider more environmentally protective feasible alternatives and inadequately considers impacts on communities with environmental justice concerns.”

In a sharply worded letter, the EPA says the Postal Service plan to make 10% of its next-generation fleet electric “underestimates greenhouse gas emissions, fails to consider more environmentally protective feasible alternatives and inadequately considers impacts on communities with environmental ...

02/02/2022

OPM enables special hiring authorities to support infrastructure law

The Office of Personnel Management hopes the action will enable a surge of new employees to implement the new infrastructure law.

In a Feb. 1 memo, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja told federal agencies they can use excepted service Schedule A appointments to fill positions for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

02/02/2022

Why aren’t more agencies using the personnel mobility program?

The Government Accountability Office wants more data on a program that allows federal agencies to bring in outside workers to meet critical needs.

The personnel mobility program allows federal agencies to temporarily bring in outside workers to address critical skills gaps, but a government watchdog report finds the program is underutilized.

02/02/2022

Like action and adventure? The Diplomatic Security Service is hiring.

“You get to travel the world on the government’s dime,” said Angela French, deputy director of public affairs for the Diplomatic Security Service. “If you still have that restlessness in you, this is the job.”

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security — the arm of the U.S. Department of State tasked with securing diplomacy — is actively seeking veterans to fill overseas positions.

02/01/2022

OPM enables special hiring authorities to support infrastructure law

In a Feb. 1 memo, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja told federal agencies that they can use excepted service Schedule A appointments to fill positions for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

In a Feb. 1 memo, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja told federal agencies they can use excepted service Schedule A appointments to fill positions for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

02/01/2022

Cyberattacks increasingly hobble pandemic-weary US schools

Cyberattacks like the one that canceled classes for two days in Albuquerque’s biggest school district have become a growing threat to U.S. schools, with several high-profile incidents reported since last year. And the coronavirus pandemic has compounded their effects: More money has been demanded, and more schools have had to shut down as they scramble to recover data or even manually wipe all laptops.

Public school systems – which often have limited budgets and cybersecurity expertise -- have become an inviting target for ransomware gangs.

02/01/2022

Why aren’t more agencies using the personnel mobility program?

The personnel mobility program allows federal agencies to temporarily bring in outside workers to address critical skills gaps, but a new report finds several factors prevent it from being used more widely.

The personnel mobility program allows federal agencies to temporarily bring in outside workers to address critical skills gaps, but a government watchdog report finds the program is underutilized.

02/01/2022

FBI chief: Threat from China ‘more brazen’ than ever before

The speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library amounted to a stinging rebuke of the Chinese government just days before Beijing is set to occupy the global stage by hosting the Winter Olympics.