Mike O'Connell is a web editor and general assignment reporter for Federal News Radio.

Technology no longer a barrier to telework, experts say

Panelists at Wednesday's Telework Town Hall Meeting said the technology is there to make the federal workforce more mobile.

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Changes will 'burnish prestige' of Fellows program, OPM director says

OPM Director John Berry detailed changes coming to the Presidential Management Fellows Program in a recent letter to Congress, obtained by Federal News Radio. The program came under criticism earlier this year for mistakenly sending out 300 letters of acceptance to applicants who had not been chosen for the program.

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Feds rank leadership low in annual survey

The Partnership for Public Service took a closer look at the data from the 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and discovered that feds aren't too happy with their leaders. Senior leaders especially received low rankings from federal employees.

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DATA aims to save money by making spending easier to track

The House is expected to vote on — and pass — the bipartisan Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, which aims to save taxpayer money by tracking spending by federal agencies.

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Political pressure influenced FHA contract decision, court says

Virgin Island Paving Co. successfully sued the Federal Highway Administration, which had rejected the company's low bid for a road contract. The court found that FHA may have been under political pressure not to choose the company.

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NASA's latest space telescope on track for 2018 launch

NASA is currently building the James Webb Space Telescope and expects delivery of all of its scientific instruments this year.

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Open government advocates seek greater access to congressional data

Sunlight Foundation Policy Counsel Daniel Schuman is leading the campaign to improve the Library of Congress website that reports congressional data.

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FBI fitness instructor guides students down the 'Yellow Brick Road'

For seven years, E.J. O'Malley has been a health and fitness instructor at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. Four times a year, he instructs law enforcement personnel from across the U.S. and around the world at the FBI's National Academy - a 10-week course that includes a comprehensive physical training program. Read O'Malley's story as part of our "Cool Jobs in Government" series.

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Hackers attack websites of cybersecurity bill backers

Tech America and USTelecom said the Anonymous hacker group targeted their Internet sites in denial-of-service attacks.

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IT executives see telework storm on the horizon

Forty-five percent of the IT executives polled in for the 2012-2013 Telework/Mobile IT Almanac expected to see an increase in part-time mobile workers over the next two years and 59 percent anticipated more regular teleworkers.

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Commerce renovation project called 'precedent setting'

The Commerce Department has big plans for its headquarters in downtown Washington, and it could lead a revolution in public-building planning.

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USDA takes direct approach to managing workforce, reducing costs

Billy Milton, chief human capital officer at the USDA, tells The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp about the Agriculture Department's successful approach to managing its workforce in tough budgetary times.

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Analysis: Further actions against GSA commissioners remain a possibility

Although scandal rocked the General Services Administration's leadership this last week, it remains unclear whether the four regional commissioners out on leave would face criminal prosecution.

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Army calls for proposals on protective underwear

The Army issued a request for proposals to develop protective underwear for warfighters. The boxer-style briefs would provide projection from improvised explosive devices.

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Government already in cybersecurity regulation business, report says

While Congress debates several new cybersecurity bills, a Congressional Research Service reports shows the government is already involved in regulating cybersecurity.

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Analysis: Cybersecurity bill not needed, expert says

Jim Harper, senior policy analyst at the conservative Cato Institute, says that some of the cybersecurity bills Congress is considering are overreaching and may be unnecessary in the long run.

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New tool will help Air Force speed up civilian hiring process

The Air Force is hoping that its USA Staffing Onboarding Manager tool can help it slash the time it takes to hire civilians.

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Senate bill seeks to reform Senior Executive Service

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced the Senior Executive Reform Act, which would link the General Schedule with the pay system for senior executives and let senior executives include their performance bonuses in their retirement calculation.

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Three agencies fall short in assessing IT supply chain risks

Gregory Wilshusen, GSA's director of information security issue, discussed a recent report about IT supply chain risks with The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp

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Analysis: Lots of budget talk, no action until lame duck

Mike Lillis of the Hill newspaper told The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp that lawmakers are just jockeying for campaign fodder with all this budget talk. Don't expect anything big to happen until after the election.

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