Democratic senators ask GAO to develop investigation of MBDA shutdown

Six senators are asking the GAO to additional examine whether or not the division broke the legislation when it dismantled the Minority Enterprise Improvement Company.

• Six Democratic senators are asking the Authorities Accountability Workplace to additional examine whether or not the Commerce Division broke the legislation when it dismantled the Minority Enterprise Improvement Company. They are saying they’re involved that Commerce defied federal court docket orders when political leaders terminated the funding for at the very least 9 MBDA enterprise facilities and despatched reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to terminate the final 24 workers nonetheless working on the company. The lawmakers have already requested GAO to look into Commerce’s preliminary actions to shutdown MBDA over the summer season.
• A 3rd-party determination this week ordered HUD to revive telework for roughly 7,000 federal workers in a matter of days. That’s after the company applied a return-to-office mandate final 12 months, following orders from President Donald Trump. However the precise restoration of telework for HUD workers will not be probably within the quick time period. “We do expect the agency to appeal the arbitrator’s decision,” stated Antonio Gaines, president of the American Federation of Authorities Workers’ Council 222. “We are ecstatic, but we are measuring our enthusiasm.”
• After shedding greater than 1 / 4 of its workers final 12 months, the IRS is in search of alternatives to remove and consolidate workplace house.
  The company’s chief monetary officer stated a number of IRS services have turn out to be underutilized following staffing cuts and the company is seeking to shrink its actual property footprint as a part of an agency-wide effectivity agenda. The CFO stated the IRS gained’t want as many services, as a result of the company is launching initiatives that can make it simpler for taxpayers to get help on-line, relatively than name or search in-person assist. Regardless of current staffing cuts, the present IRS workforce is roughly the identical dimension because it’s been in recent times.
• The Trump administration has cemented a recruitment possibility to assist companies rent school college students for paid positions. A remaining rule from the Workplace of Personnel Administration this week confirms that companies can recruit sure college students for non permanent roles, lasting between one and 4 years. It additionally permits the scholars to probably convert to a everlasting place as soon as they earn their diploma. The ultimate laws this week construct on a rule initially revealed in 2021 below the Biden administration.
• The Air Pressure launched certainly one of its largest workout routines this week to emphasize check the command-and-control “nervous system” wanted to coordinate joint and coalition forces throughout huge, contested distances. Commanders will depend on a large dwell, digital, and constructive surroundings to grasp inherent command-and-control complexities of coordinating missions globally. The final word objective is to offer a data-driven evaluation of the “C2 nervous system’s health.” The outcomes will provide perception into the resilience and velocity of these methods.
  
• The “No Sailor Lives Afloat” initiative goals to offer housing to sailors when their ships are in port. As of February, roughly 4,500 Sailors have transitioned from residing afloat to housing on shore. Vice Adm. Scott Grey, the top of Navy Installations Command, stated residing aboard ships ought to be reserved for “operational necessity, not day-to-day life.” A number of short- and long-term tasks are underway throughout all main homeports to extend availability of unaccompanied housing.
• Along with being the federal CIO and the federal chief AI officer, Greg Barbaccia now’s main the Expertise Transformation Companies at GSA on an interim foundation. Thomas Shedd, the present director of TTS, is shifting into a brand new position as senior advisor for fraud prevention at GSA. Shedd has been main TTS and has been deputy commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service for the previous 12 months. Throughout his time as director of TTS, Shedd led the growth of login.gov and enhancements to the SAM.gov platform. “By serving in this dual capacity, we’re ensuring continuity of leadership and a strong focus on delivering value to the taxpayer through smart, mission-aligned technology transformation,” Barbaccia said in a statement.
• The State Division is seeking to get US-made synthetic intelligence merchandise into the palms of allied nations. The division stated roughly 270 diplomatic posts world wide will present “concierge” providers to nations to purchase U.S.-made AI merchandise. That is the newest step within the State Division rolling out its “Pax Silica” initiative centered on rolling out safe provide chains for AI merchandise.

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