The Biden administration has approved a new $500 million arms sale to Taiwan as it ramps up military assistance to the island despite fervent objections from China. The State Department said Wednesday it had signed off on the sale of infrared search tracking systems along with related equipment for advanced F-16 fighter jets. Although the deal is modest in comparison to previous weapons sales, the move is likely to draw fierce criticism from Beijing, which regards self-governing Taiwan as a renegade province and refuses to rule out the use of force to reunify it with the mainland. The announcement came just hours after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen renewed a pledge to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense as she visited a war memorial from the last time Taiwan and China battled.

The post US approves new $500M arms sale to Taiwan as tension from China intensifies first appeared on Federal News Network.

A White House official says President Joe Biden will nominate a longtime aide who once worked for the first lady to represent the United States at the United Nations agency devoted to education, science and culture. Courtney O'Donnell is Biden's choice to become the U.S. permanent representative to the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO. O'Donnell would have the rank of ambassador. O'Donnell is a longtime Biden aide who once worked for Jill Biden. She currently is acting chief of staff for second gentleman Doug Emhoff. The U.S. recently rejoined UNESCO after a five-year absence.

The post Biden will nominate longtime aide who worked for the first lady to become US ambassador to UNESCO first appeared on Federal News Network.

After weeks of testing, an electronic system for filing returns directly to the IRS is now available for taxpayers from 12 selected states.

The post The IRS launches Direct File, a pilot program for free online tax filing available in 12 states first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Office of Management and Budget told agencies in a new memo to proactively manage AI risks, promote a competitive market and manage business processes.

The post OMB’s new memo details new requirements for buying AI technology first appeared on Federal News Network.

New lawsuits claim that the U.S. Defense Department and the Department of Veteran Affairs are making it difficult and sometimes impossible for veterans to get infertility treatments. Multiple lawsuits were filed Wednesday in federal courts in New York and Boston seeking to hold the United States accountable for creating obstacles to health care access for a population that advocates say has a higher rate of infertility than the population at large. The lawsuits seek to obtain in vitro fertilization coverage for military service members and veterans who don't fit the Veterans Affairs definition of infertility as pertaining solely to married, heterosexual couples.

The post Veterans sue US Defense and Veterans Affairs departments to get access to infertility treatments first appeared on Federal News Network.

Next week the U.S. military plans to begin draining fuel from World War II-era underground fuel tanks in Hawaii. Work to drain the 104 million gallons remaining in the tanks is scheduled to begin on Monday. 

The post US military to begin draining leaky fuel tank facility that poisoned Pearl Harbor drinking water first appeared on Federal News Network.

A trial for a mass environmental injury is starting more than two years after a jet fuel leak in Pearl Harbor's drinking water poisoned thousands of people.

The post More than a dozen military families in Hawaii spark trial over 2021 jet fuel leak that tainted water first appeared on Federal News Network.

Rising inflation is expected to lead to a sizeable increase in Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for the year 2022

The post EXPLAINER: Why Social Security COLA will jump next year first appeared on Federal News Network.

A months long Federal News Network investigation found the Navy’s new electronic procurement system is facing similar challenges as previous failed efforts.

The post Navy’s journey to new procurement system remains in peril first appeared on Federal News Network.

Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback hopes the Senate will confirm a three-star in spring to lead the newly established A6, and the A2 will "go back to the A2."

The post Air Force is restructuring its headquarter-level intel, cyber directorate first appeared on Federal News Network.

Along with the new command, the service stood up the Integrated Development Office as part of its sweeping set of plans announced in February.

The post Air Force launches provisional Integrated Capabilities Command first appeared on Federal News Network.

John Berlau, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, discusses the Fair Access Rule by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

The post Does banking fairness come at a fair price to consumers? first appeared on Federal News Network.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg is sitting for a second day of grilling on Capitol Hill, this time at the Senate Banking Committee,

The post FDIC chair is grilled on Capitol Hill after report outlines agency’s toxic workplace culture first appeared on Federal News Network.

President Joe Biden will nominate Christy Goldsmith Romero to replace Martin Gruenberg as head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The announcement from the White House Thursday came after Gruenberg’s tenure became marred by allegations of workplace abuse that led to him to resign. Goldsmith Romero is currently a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the nation’s financial derivatives regulator. Gruenberg last month said he would resign from the FDIC after an independent report by a law firm found incidents of stalking, harassment, homophobia and other violations of employment regulations, based on more than 500 complaints from employees.

The post Biden to nominate Christy Goldsmith Romero as FDIC chair after abrupt departure of predecessor first appeared on Federal News Network.

President Joe Biden giving up his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris makes her the prohibitive favorite to be nominee in November.

The post Democrats promise an ‘orderly process’ to replace Biden. Harris is favored, but questions remain first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Secret Service's director says the roof where a shooter opened fire at Donald Trump's rally was identified as a potential vulnerability before the event.

The post Secret Service director, grilled by lawmakers on the Trump assassination attempt, says ‘we failed’ first appeared on Federal News Network.

Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, faced growing calls to resign.

The post Secret Service director steps down after assassination attempt against ex-President Trump at rally first appeared on Federal News Network.

“We're going to be in great shape for the election. I'm pretty confident about everything that were doing,” DeJoy said.

The post Postmaster general is confident about ability to process mail-in ballots first appeared on Federal News Network.

Shrupti Shah, the managing director of government and public service practice at Deloitte, said by using AI, agencies can improve citizen services more quickly.

The post 3 ways agencies can start experiencing the impact of AI first appeared on Federal News Network.

Adita Karkera, the managing director of the government and public services practice at Deloitte Consulting, said having high-quality data is a must for AI.

The post Agency CDOs creating the bond between data, AI tools first appeared on Federal News Network.

Learn how AI is reshaping government operations and what lies ahead for its responsible adoption

The post Future forward: Building trustworthy AI in government first appeared on Federal News Network.

New benchmarking report details how companies are — or could be — using AI to strengthen proposals, fill pipelines and generate revenue.

The post AI emerging as a not-so-secret business development weapon for government contractors first appeared on Federal News Network.

Together, we can make sure that as veterans transition to civilian life, it opens doors to new opportunities and ways to thrive. 

The post Servicemember comes full-circle: Serving our nation as an Army sergeant, VA training specialist on the Digital GI Bill first appeared on Federal News Network.

In the first three weeks of October, USPS delivered 97.8% of mail-in ballots on time within its one-to-five-day standard for first-class delivery.

The post USPS delivers millions of mail-in ballots, resumes normal operations in hurricane-struck states first appeared on Federal News Network.

Among the core TSP funds, the C Fund showcased the most movement with a 2.13% return in September, bringing its YTD performance to just over 22%.

The post TSP funds posted continued modest gains in September first appeared on Federal News Network.

On this week's Your Turn, financial advisor Arthur Stein will talk about the future course of your TSP account, and FNN reporter Drew Friedman will talk about the very latest on the federal pay raise. Then we’ll get into the prospects for a large retiree COLA and the issues TSP investors are having with the new system.

The post Pay Raise, COLA, TSP troubles and the G-fund first appeared on Federal News Network.

If you choose the invest-for-the-long haul course you may, as 112,000 rank-and-file federal and postal workers have done, become a TSP millionaire. But the keys are long-term investing and doing what the proven winners have already done.

The post Wanna be a TSP trillionaire? Ask one! first appeared on Federal News Network.

For some, TSP (with its generous government match) will provide one-third to as much half the money they have to spend in retirement. Regardless of the percentage, it’s a lot. So how do you become a TSP millionaire?

The post Wanna be a TSP millionaire: Have you got the right stuff? first appeared on Federal News Network.

The VA expects to grow its health care workforce to approximately 404,000 total employees next year, if Congress approves supplemental funding.

The post VA to remain ‘very discerning’ on health care hiring, calls on Congress to address $12B shortfall in December first appeared on Federal News Network.

A newly formed Disinformation Governance Board remains shrouded in secrecy a week after the Biden administration’s announcement of the new effort was met with widespread criticism

The post DHS disinformation board’s work, plans remain a mystery first appeared on Federal News Network.

During this exclusive webinar, moderator Jason Miller and agency leaders will explore how organizations are approaching supply chain risk management and the data strategy behind this management.

The post How to develop actionable information to protect federal supply chains first appeared on Federal News Network.

Join moderator Tom Temin and technology experts from civilian and defense agencies in this exclusive two-day webinar as they discuss AI-powered automation for IT. IBM's Melissa Long Dolson will follow with an industry analysis.

The post Exploring AI-Powered Automation for IT Operations first appeared on Federal News Network.

During this exclusive CISO Handbook webinar, moderator Justin Doubleday and guest Ross Foard, ICAM subject matter expert with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will explore how ICAM factors into zero trust and other modern security practices. In addition, Bryan Murphy, senior director at CyberArk, will provide an industry perspective.

The post CISA aims to provide agencies with dashboard of capabilities for identity management first appeared on Federal News Network.

As civilian and defense agencies work through the nuances of incorporating zero trust strategies, the question becomes: How can this process be sped up? During this exclusive webinar, moderator Justin Doubleday will discuss tools and techniques accelerating the move to zero trust with agency and industry leaders.

The post Cyber leaders aim to embed zero trust principles in systems first appeared on Federal News Network.

We are talking about “The Customer Journey”.  If you strive for a customer-centric culture, you must understand your customer’s journey—every step of the way. 

The post Episode 14: How to leverage customer experience as a tool for government marketing (and gain customer loyalty) first appeared on Federal News Network.

In this episode of Market Chat!, a top artificial intelligence (AI) official at the General Services Administration discusses how the federal AI marketplace is maturing, and a panel of three senior marketing officials discuss how their companies are tuning their AI marketing messages to address evolving government needs and challenges.

The post Episode 18: Marketing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to federal agencies first appeared on Federal News Network.

Agencies are embracing sustainability on multiple fronts as they work to mitigate climate risks and meet the administration’s environmental goals. This ebook takes a look at efforts across government to hit net-zero milestones and how OMB will measure success.

The post Agencies Lean Into Sustainability first appeared on Federal News Network.

The new Chief Digital and AI Office has plans to make AI development and buying more agile at DoD. Get details on these efforts and also learn about use cases in the Army, the U.S. Special Operations Command and Veterans Affairs.

The post Shifting AI into high gear first appeared on Federal News Network.

How can agencies take advantage of containers securely? We find out by talking with software development experts at FAA, NASA, Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute and Rancher Government Solutions for our exclusive ebook on securing containerized applications. | Download it now!

The post How to secure containerized applications first appeared on Federal News Network.

The House has passed a defense policy bill that authorizes the biggest pay raise for troops in more than two decades. Supporters overcame objections from some conservatives concerned it didn’t do enough on cultural issues, such as restricting the Pentagon’s diversity initiatives and gender-affirming health care for transgender service members. The Senate had already overwhelmingly passed the bill on Wednesday, so now it goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. One of the most divisive aspects of the bill is a short-term extension of a surveillance program aimed at preventing terrorism and catching spies. Opponents of the extension wanted changes designed to boost privacy protections for Americans.

The post Big pay raise for troops in defense bill sent to Biden. Conservatives stymied on cultural issues first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Pentagon has completed its review of Defense Secretary’s Lloyd Austin’s failure last month to quickly notify the president and other senior leaders about his hospitalization for complications from prostate cancer surgery.

The post Pentagon finishes review of Austin’s failure to tell Biden and other leaders about his cancer first appeared on Federal News Network.

Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira is expected to face a military court-martial for leaking highly classified military documents.

The post Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira to face a military court-martial, Air Force says first appeared on Federal News Network.

The added training will begin in October and comes as the Army tries to reverse years of dismal recruiting when it failed to meet its enlistment goals.

The post As recruiting rebounds, the Army will expand basic training to rebuild the force for modern warfare first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Navy will meet its goal to sign up 40,600 recruits by the end of September thanks to several new recruiting programs. But the crush of last-minute enlistments means the service won’t be able to get them all through boot camp by next month, falling 5,000 sailors short of its target. The gaps are hurting the Navy’s ability to fully staff its warships. Navy Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman tells The Associated Press that the Navy has “not gotten to the point where we can’t do things." All of the military services have struggled in the past several years to attract recruits in a tight job market.

The post Navy recruiting rebounds, but it will miss its target to get sailors through boot camp first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Smithsonian said in a statement that its “top priority is to protect the health and safety of its visitors and staff.” No reopening date is scheduled.

The post Smithsonian closing museums and zoo again amid virus spike first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Senate has given final approval to a bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The post Senate approves bill to aid vets exposed to toxic burn pits first appeared on Federal News Network.

ChatGPT blocked 250,000 AI image requests of US election candidates

Why buy a controller that everyone has when you can customise your own?

With fuel prices soaring, I tried an affordable (relatively speaking, of course) electric car for a weekend.