u.s. government

Donald Trump Hires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to Bring 'Drastic Change' to the U.S. Government — And Gives Them a 2 Year Deadline

Musk and Ramaswamy have to find ways to cut down on government spending and overall bureaucracy.




u.s. government

Teller Law Helps the U.S. Government Recover $430K in Qui Tam Lawsuit

BidBuy accused of undervaluing light trucks imported from Canada in order to avoid higher import duties.




u.s. government

U.S. Government Hits Goal for Women Owned Small Businesses

After almost two decades, the federal government for the first time has been able to meet its goal of awarding five percent (worth $17.8 billion) of all contracts to women-owned small businesses.

complete article




u.s. government

U.S. Federal Rating: Standard & Poor Lowers Lowers Rating of the U.S. Government from AAA to AA+

Earlier today, Standard & Poor's rating agency lowered the long-term rating of the U.S. government and federal agencies from AAA to AA+. With regard to this action, the federal banking agencies are providing the following guidance to banks, savings associations, credit unions, and bank and savings and loan holding companies (collectively, banking organizations. U.S. Federal Rating: Standard & Poor Lowers Lowers Rating of the U.S. Government from AAA to AA+




u.s. government

Correction: U.S. Federal Rating: Standard & Poor Lowers Rating of the U.S. Government from AAA to AA+

Earlier today, Standard & Poor's rating agency lowered the long-term rating of the U.S. government and federal agencies from AAA to AA+. With regard to this action, the federal banking agencies are providing the following guidance to banks, savings associations, credit unions, and bank and savings and loan holding companies (collectively, banking organizations. U.S. Federal Rating: Standard & Poor Lowers Lowers Rating of the U.S. Government from AAA to AA+ 




u.s. government

Famed spy catcher warns of foreign penetration of U.S. government happening now

A veteran spy catcher who helped bring down one of the most notorious Russian spies in American history thinks a mole is burrowed in the U.S. government.




u.s. government

Milestone's XProtect Available as a VMS Cloud Service for U.S. Government

The company's signature software, Milestone XProtect, is now available as part of the FedCloudIA cloud service offering, a FedRAMP Ready video management solution.




u.s. government

U.S. Government Should Help Close Gaps In Research on Policing

Police officers are perhaps the most visible faces of the law, and one of the few groups authorized to use force when dealing with the public. But despite the pivotal role that officers play in preventing and controlling crime, and in promoting justice, the science base is often inadequate regarding the value, fairness, and legitimacy of police practices and policies.




u.s. government

New Report Assesses Illnesses Among U.S. Government Personnel and Their Families at Overseas Embassies

Government personnel and their families at the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, in late 2016 and the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou, China, in early 2017 began suffering from a range of unusual — and in some cases suddenly occurring — symptoms such as a perceived loud noise, ear pain, intense head pressure or vibration, dizziness, visual problems, and cognitive difficulties, and many still continue to experience these or other health problems.




u.s. government

Marquis Who's Who Honors Marshall A. Martin for Success in Military and U.S. Government Security Services

Marshall A. Martin is noted for his work as a retired chief petty officer and overseas security officer




u.s. government

Easy Dynamics and Beruku Identity Forge Partnership to Enhance U.S. Government Identity Proofing

Easy Dynamics and Beruku Identity have teamed up to help U.S. federal agencies on identity proofing for international users.




u.s. government

Supreme Court Determines When the U.S. Government May Dismiss an FCA Action Over a Relator’s Objection

  • According to the Supreme Court, in False Claims Act “qui tam” suits, the federal government can move for dismissal of a case over the relator’s objection even outside of the “seal period.”
  • A key factor considered for government dismissal post-seal period may include burdensome discovery, which means employers facing qui tam actions should strategically consider this and other pressure points in the course of litigation.




u.s. government

Trump appoints Elon Musk to DOGE, a new U.S. government department

President-elect Donald Trump announced Elon Musk will head a new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency ("DOGE").




u.s. government

A DNS Investigation of the 32 Doppelganger Websites Seized by the U.S. Government

The U.S. Office of Public Affairs issued a statement on 4 September 2024 regarding the seizure of 32 websites that are believed to be part of the so-called "Doppelganger" campaign.




u.s. government

Summer of the military draft: What the U.S. government and think tanks are planning and why

[Originally published by Responsible Statecraft, the journal of the Quincy Institute]

How did this suddenly become the summer of “the draft”?

There are a number of proposals in the annual defense policy bill (National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA) that deal with the subject. There is one to expand Selective Service registration to women. Another that would make Selective Service registration for American men "automatic."

Still another proposed amendment to the NDAA, which has also been introduced as a freestanding bill, S. 4881, would repeal the Military Selective Service Act entirely. Meanwhile, the Center for a New American Security just published an exhaustive blueprint for modernizing mobilization, including readiness to activate conscription.

All this talk has compelled “fact checkers” to insist that no, the U.S. government isn’t suddenly "laying the groundwork" for a draft.

But saying the U.S. isn’t preparing for a draft is like saying it isn’t preparing for nuclear war. Just as the Department of Defense is tasked with maintaining readiness to initiate nuclear strikes whenever the Commander-In-Chief so orders, the Selective Service System has the sole mission of maintaining readiness to hold a draft lottery within five days and start selecting draftees and sending out notices to report for induction whenever Congress and the President so order.

As such, there are currently ten thousand draft board members who have been appointed and trained to adjudicate claims for deferment or exemption. As recently as this month, states have been openly seeking volunteers to fill empty slots. And both the SSS and hawkish think-tanks have been war-gaming the government’s contingency plans to activate a draft.


[Timeline for a draft, counting from “Mobilization Day” (M=0), from SSS Agency Response Plan (ARP) Workshop (September 7, 2023)]

There’s room for argument about how likely it is that the U.S. would launch nuclear missiles or activate a draft. But there’s no question that it’s planning and preparing for both, as it has been for decades. It would seem that after years of atrophy, the government is stepping up its attention to military mobilization and readiness for a draft.

Maybe it’s time to ask whether more easy and efficient ways of tapping into human capital for war make it easier to get into one and whether it is in our best interest to do so.




u.s. government

TikTok creators sue U.S. government in a bid to stop potential ban

TikTok creators sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, alleging a new law that could ban the app violates their free speech rights under the 1st Amendment. The legislation is meant to force Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the service.




u.s. government

U.S. Government Extends Baby Formula Waivers, Rebates for WIC Families

Title: U.S. Government Extends Baby Formula Waivers, Rebates for WIC Families
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2022 12:00:00 AM




u.s. government

5 super-cool energy projects being backed by the U.S. government

It's worth keeping tabs on some of the super-cool clean tech projects being backed by ARPA-E. Here are some of our favorites.




u.s. government

Watch Dog Website Thwarts U.S. Government Agency's Attempts to Stifle Scrutiny by Journalists

U.S. Federal government agency set-up to promote media freedom abroad tried to misappropriate domain names to stifle journalistic scrutiny by American reporters and limit exposure of its failures.




u.s. government

Prominent Florida Foreclosure Defense Firm Oppenheim Law Announces Deferred Payment Plan for U.S. Government Employees Affected by Historic Government Shutdown

Fort Lauderdale Foreclosure Defense Attorneys look to ease the government employees affected by the current shutdown by helping them with their foreclosure and housing needs, and deferring payment for such services until they return to work.




u.s. government

Washington Post: In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. government turned down an offer to manufacture millions of N95 masks in America

Washington Post: In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. government turned down an offer to manufacture millions of N95 masks in America. “It was Jan. 22, a day after the first case of covid-19 was detected in the United States, and orders were pouring into Michael Bowen’s company outside Fort Worth, some from … Continue reading Washington Post: In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. government turned down an offer to manufacture millions of N95 masks in America




u.s. government

U.S. government plans to urge states to resist 'high-risk' Internet voting




u.s. government

Early missteps, transparency questions dog U.S. government's remdesivir rollout: reports

When Gilead Sciences scored a groundbreaking FDA emergency use authorization for COVID-19 therapy remdesivir, the company made the unusual move of handing distribution rights to the U.S. government. But the federal rollout has gotten off to a rocky start. 




u.s. government

Five Individuals Charged in Scheme to Defraud U.S. Government Agency Related to $9.4 Million Loan

Donald Daniels, Martin William Washburn, Irina Rebegeneau and Tapani Koivunen have been charged in conjunction with a scheme to defraud the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a government lending agency.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

U.S. Government Intervenes in False Claims Lawsuit Against Kellogg Brown & Root Services Inc.

The government has intervened in a lawsuit against Kellogg Brown & Root Services Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

U.S. Government Offers up to $5 Million Reward for Information Regarding Shootings of Two Ice Agents

The Departments of Justice, State and Homeland Security today jointly announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of individuals allegedly responsible for the murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE HSI Special Agent Victor Avila.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

Former U.S. Marshals Service Employee Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Theft of $104,000 in U.S. Government Funds

A former U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) employee was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for theft of $104,000 in U.S. government funds.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

U.S. Government Intervenes in False Claims Lawsuit Against Nurses’ Registry and Home Health Corporation

The United States has intervened in a lawsuit against Nurses’ Registry and Home Health Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

Former Co-Owner of Contracting Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Government

Jill Ann Charpia, 33, formerly of San Antonio and currently of Colorado, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Bemporad in San Antonio to a criminal information charging her with one-count of false statements to a government agency.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

U.S. Army Master Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Government

Julio Soto Jr., 52, of Columbus, Ga., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Chief Judge Margaret B. Seymour in the District of South Carolina to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to accept illegal gratuities.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

U.S. Government Intervenes in False Claims Suit Against CH2M Hill Hanford Group

The government has intervened in a lawsuit against CH2M Hill Hanford Group Inc. (CH2M Hill) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

Former Co-Owner of Contracting Company Sentenced in San Antonio to 30 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Government

A former co-owner of a U.S. civilian contractor company was sentenced today in San Antonio to serve 30 months in prison for falsifying official documents in connection with Iraq reconstruction government contracts.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder on the U.S. Government’s Filing in Hollingsworth v. Perry

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the U.S. government’s filing in Hollingsworth v. Perry.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

Independent Contractor in Afghanistan Pleads Guilty for His Role in Offering $54,000 in Bribes to a U.S. Government Official

Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., Akbar Ahmad Sherzai, 49, of Centreville, Va., an independent contractor for a trucking company operating in Afghanistan that was responsible for delivering fuel to U.S. Army installations, pleaded guilty to his role in offering a U.S. Army serviceman $54,000 in bribes to falsify documents.



  • OPA Press Releases

u.s. government

Punching Below Its Weight: The U.S. Government Approach to Education in the Developing World

Summary

Global education plays an important role in contributing to U.S. foreign policy objectives. In a recent speech, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton highlighted education, along with health, agriculture, security, and local governance as the core areas for U.S. international development investment. She emphasized the importance of education, particularly of girls and youth, in improving global stability, speeding economic growth, and helping global health, all of which advance U.S. interests in the world.

But how effective has the U.S. government been in supporting global education? Unfortunately, its many good education activities and programs are not leveraged for maximum impact on the ground, especially in situations of armed conflict and state fragility. Challenges of U.S. foreign assistance—for example, fragmentation across multiple agencies, lack of policy coherence, diminished multilateral engagement—generally affects its work in education. Luckily some of the core strengths of U.S. assistance have an impact as well, specifically the large amount of resources (in total terms, if not relative terms) devoted to education and the vast breadth and depth of American academic, philanthropic and NGO partners engaged in pioneering work on education in the developing world.

This report analyzes the effectiveness of U.S. government education work specifically in relation to conflict-affected and fragile states. Findings across five domains—global reach, resources, technical expertise, policy and multilateral partnerships—show that U.S. education aid falls critically short of what it is capable of achieving. The U.S. government has substantial strengths in this area, especially in global reach, resources, and technical expertise, demonstrating a real comparative advantage in the field of education in situations of conflict and fragility. However, its fragmented policy across agencies and its limited multilateral engagement prevent it from maximizing its strengths, leaving it punching below its weight on this important issue. In this sense, the U.S. government is a classic underachiever, failing to efficiently deploy its many capabilities and potential for maximum impact.

There has never been a better time for looking at the aid-effectiveness of U.S. government education work. The Obama administration is bringing increased focus on the Paris Principles for Aid Effectiveness to its development initiatives. The U.S. Congress is actively engaged with pending legislative action to modernize foreign assistance and improve U.S. support for universal education. Two major reviews of foreign assistance are underway: the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review led by the Department of State and USAID, and the Presidential Study Directive on U.S. Global Development Policy led by the White House.

Questions about foreign assistance reform asked in these two reviews can be applied to the education sector. For example, how can the U.S. government improve its education assistance by using a “whole-of-government” approach, by focusing on comparative advantages and strengths, and by improving coordination and by increasing multilateral engagement?

Careful analysis and answers to these questions can help propel the U.S. from its current position as an underachiever to being a leader in global education, specifically in contexts of conflict and state fragility.

This report makes nine specific recommendations, many of which could be achieved without any substantial increase in funding, that would enable the U.S. government to greatly increase the effectiveness of its education aid to populations living in contexts of conflict and state fragility.

Downloads

      
 
 




u.s. government

Children take U.S. government to court over climate change

The health of young people is disproportionately harmed by climate change, and the government has failed to keep them safe.




u.s. government

Patagonia urges U.S. government to protect Arctic Refuge from oil drilling

The Gwich'in people have been fighting this battle for decades, and now they need broader public support. Learn how you can help.




u.s. government

Children sue the U.S. government over climate change, and how mice inherit their gut microbes

A group of children is suing the U.S. government—claiming their rights to life, liberty, and property are under threat from climate change thanks to government policies that have encouraged the use and extraction of fossil fuels. Host Meagan Cantwell interviews news writer Julia Rosen on the ins and outs of the suit and what it could mean if the kids win the day.    Also this week, host Sarah Crespi talks with Andrew Moeller of Cornell University about his work tracing the gut microbes inherited through 10 generations of mice. It turns out the fidelity is quite high—you can still tell mice lineages apart by their gut microbes after 10 generations. And horizontally transmitted microbes, those that jump from one mouse line to another through exposure to common spaces or handlers, were more likely than inherited bacteria to be pathogenic and were often linked to illnesses in people. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Download a transcript of this episode (PDF) Listen to previous podcasts. About the Science Podcast [Image: Bob Dass/Flickr; Music: Jeffrey Cook] 




u.s. government

Tampa, Fla. U.S. Government Building and Post Office