Norm Augustine The National Science Foundation announced last week Norm Augustine has been appointed to lead the upcoming strategic review of U.S. science-support operations on the continent of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Augustine is the former chair of the National Academy of Engineering and previously served as chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin. According [...]
Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew issued Friday a memo to agencies that outlined the minimum security guidelines for implementing the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. The memo urged agencies to ensure that cybersecurity protections for information and information systems are used while teleworking. In the memo, Lew stated that telework “provides federal [...]
President Barack Obama will announce today his intent to nominate Richard Cordray to serve as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Cordray is a former Ohio attorney general and played a large role in overhauling the rules that govern the financial sector. “Richard Cordray has spent his career advocating for middle-class families, [...]
Officials in President Barack Obama’s administration announced yesterday their hopes in reaching a deal in Congress to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for about $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years. The leaders hope the decision can be made in time for the Aug. 2 deadline. The budget negotiations are part of an [...]
The IBM Center for the Business of Government recently released a study highlighting the progresses of government agencies’ implementation of telework opportunities. Following the passage of “The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010,” the report examines the four agencies that have most successfully implemented telework programs and offers recommendations to federal managers for the development of [...]
NASA last week named Valarie Burks as its new deputy chief information officer for information technology security. NASA CIO Linda Cureton appointed the former USDA associate CIO to replace Jerry Davis, who left NASA in July. “Valarie has a significant background and experience in IT security,” Cureton wrote in a written announcement. “However, it was [...]
White House officials today announced new online features to accompany the live stream of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. The features promise to be interactive, informative and experience-enhancing and hope to answer any questions the viewers may have during the president’s address to Congress. “As President Obama addresses the nation, WhiteHouse.gov will [...]
The Defense Department is now using online virtual reality as an alternative method of treatment for soldiers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. According to DoD, soldiers interacting in the virtual world, Second Life, are educated about dealing with PTSD and with others. Defense officials said it appeals to warfighters who may be hesitant to seek help from a therapist and [...]
The Federal Communications Commission announced yesterday it has established an Office of Native Affairs and Policy to advance its mission of bringing a modern communications infrastructure to Native communities across the nation. The new office will carry out government-to-government objectives with tribal governments and increased coordination with native organizations and work to promote the implementation [...]
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stressed the importance of adequate funding for federal partners that assist military efforts Thursday night at the Marines’ Memorial Association George P. Shultz lecture series in California. Gates explained agencies such as the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development are “woefully underfunded” and understaffed and that the [...]