FCW Insider: June 9

Army to probe the economics of modernization

Bruce Jette, the Army's acquisition chief, said at an AUSA virtual event June 8 the Army is working on a "holistic economic model" that extends beyond the current two-year budget planning cycle, which can impede modernization efforts. Lauren C. Williams reports.

Software glitch, mismanagement cost OSHA $92 million

A whistleblower accused Treasury and Labor Department officials of failing to address an error in debt processing software that wiped out $92 million in uncollected workplace safety fines. Derek B. Johnson has more.

Federal prison riot squads deployed to D.C.

A former union official says crisis management teams have historically been deployed outside prison walls for crowd control and protecting federal buildings. Lia Russell explains.

Growing pains, successes in remote work during COVID-19

Despite plans to incrementally push workers to return to the office, federal agencies still plan on allowing some employees to continue to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lia takes a look.

Quick Hits

*** Capitol Hill Democrats introduced a sweeping bill to change policing and police culture in the United States in response to the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis law enforcement officers. The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 mostly covers tactics and workplace culture but also includes a section that would require uniformed federal law enforcement personnel to wear body cameras and would impose limits on the real-time use of facial recognition technologies on those cameras.

*** Longstanding technology problems in Florida's unemployment system infrastructure are partially to blame for the state's slow pace in distributing Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding to the nearly 2 million residents who have applied for benefits amid the pandemic, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) The two are urging Labor Department Inspector General Scott Dahl to investigate. In a June 8 letter, Schumer and Wyden note that auditors have reported on "widespread, system problems" with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's public facing benefits system.