Whistleblower Network News

JUNE 24, 2024

On June 20, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announced it is advocating for July 30 to be permanently recognized as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day. In a letter to congressional leaders, Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger calls for making this recognition permanent. “The establishment of a permanent Whistleblower Appreciation Day reinforces the longstanding bipartisan consensus that whistleblowers serve an invaluable role in our government,” Dellinger said.

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FedTech Magazine

JUNE 24, 2024

Civilian agencies teaming up with defense agencies on IT modernization efforts and sharing systems to improve efficiency are experiencing compliance challenges due to the latter’s higher-level security framework. As a result, civilian agencies may struggle to support the necessary security protocols and data encryption. Agencies may also encounter process disruptions; if the civilian-side workflows don’t align with those on the defense side, interoperability can be difficult to achieve.

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

Quantum computing company IonQ has named Dean Kassmann as senior vice president of its newly formed engineering and technology division. The College Park, Maryland-based firm said Friday that Kassmann previously served as vice president of engineering.

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GovCon Wire

JUNE 24, 2024

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index inched lower Friday but the substantial gains in three of four trading sessions averted a fourth straight weekly loss. The index, which tracks the stock performances of 30 major government contractors, advanced 1.89% week-on-week to finish higher at $4,979.17. The S&P 500 (+0.6%) and Nasdaq Composite (+0.

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Speaker: Jeff Dickinson - President and CEO of Railgistixs Transport, Supply Chain and Logistics Thought Leader

Despite the ongoing transformation of the supply chain and logistics landscape, the steadfast importance of carrier safety remains a core principle. From prioritizing preventative maintenance to optimizing fleet utilization, the fundamentals persist. If you’re overlooking and neglecting essential safety precautions today, this could result in expensive repairs and potential safety hazards in the future. 🚧 Join Jeff Dickinson for a conversation on how to mitigate risk, enforce compliance,

Logistics

ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

V2X has received a $265 million contract to ensure safe training for astronauts at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The company said Monday that under the contract, it will work to provide technical support for the hardware and software systems of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

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FedScoop

JUNE 24, 2024

The Department of Homeland Security has released its long-awaited report focused on reducing the ways artificial intelligence could exacerbate chemical and biological threats. The document, which was finalized in April but only made public after apparent suggestions from presidential advisers , details several new recommendations focused on AI safety, including encouraging the use of additional credentialing for high-risk scientific databases and the creation of standards for “unacceptably dange

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Public Procurement Intl

JUNE 24, 2024

Click for Free registration click for program information

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

Service-disabled veteran-owned small business Expansia, a provider of strategy and integration consulting services, has joined the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. MSEP is a Department of Defense initiative that works to connect military spouses with partner employers for recruitment purposes, Expansia said Thursday.

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GovCon Wire

JUNE 24, 2024

The U.S. Space Force has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a potential five-year, $977.6 million contract modification from Space Systems Command to continue providing development, operational testing and interim contractor support for two future missile warning satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The Department of Defense said Friday the Phase 2.

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, has secured a potential $300 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for sustainment services in support of the DB-110 and MS-110 Reconnaissance Pod program.

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GovCon Wire

JUNE 24, 2024

The Department of the Treasury is soliciting public comments on a proposed rule to implement a 2023 executive order that seeks to prevent U.S. outbound investments from being exploited by foreign countries of concern seeking to build sensitive technology products that pose national security risks.

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index bounced back from a losing streak last week, rising by 1.86%. This increase elevated the average to $4,979.17. GovCon Index is an aggregate index that offers real-time insights into the stock market performance of 30 staple government contracting enterprises.

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Government Contracts

JUNE 24, 2024

BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

Palantir Technologies will provide support for the Starlab commercial space station as a strategic partner to Starlab Space, a joint venture involving Airbus, MDA Space, Mitsubishi Corporation and Voyager Space. Starlab Space said Monday that it will work with Palantir to enhance the space station’s operations using digital twins and artificial intelligence technologies.

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FedInsider

JUNE 24, 2024

Thursday, August 1, 2024 | 2:00PM EDT | 90 Minutes | 1.5 CPE As all levels of government seek ways to harness the benefits of artificial intelligence ( AI ) and mitigate its potential risks, the need for an overall national strategy to foster innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth becomes clearer. At the federal level, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo in March providing guidance for agencies to establish AI governance and risk management techniques while implem

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

As technology capabilities have evolved, sensor-to-shooter times, or the rate at which military intelligence gatherers are able to equip warfighters with the necessary information to engage in the mission at hand, have been condensed. While this has meant that soldiers have increased connectivity at remote locations, it has also forced the U.S.

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Federal News Network

JUNE 24, 2024

Data management tools, like pricing algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), are playing an ever-larger role in Federal procurement as agencies look to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and improve contract outcomes. Just last month, at the Coalition’s Spring Training Conference, a panel of government and industry practitioners engaged in a fascinating discussion on how AI supports agency procurement operations.

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

Carahsoft Technology will distribute the anti-phishing offering of New York-based firm PIXM to the public sector under a partnership agreement. PIXM Phishing Protection features an artificial intelligence-powered browser plug-in that protects against phishing attacks in real-time and a dashboard that offers user behavior and emerging phishing threat insights, Carahsoft said Thursday.

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AWS Public Sector

JUNE 24, 2024

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance and find applications across various domains, the responsible development and use of AI systems has become a top priority for the US government. The 2023 Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (EO 14110) aims to promote the responsible use of AI while mitigating potential risks and ensuring the protection of civil rights and liberties.

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ExecutiveBiz

JUNE 24, 2024

Northrop Grumman has delivered the two satellites for Space Norway‘s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission, or ASBM, to Vandenberg Space Force Base, where they are scheduled for launch as soon as mid-July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

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AWS Public Sector

JUNE 24, 2024

Governments encourage public sector organizations, businesses, and citizens to embrace digital technologies and practices through a range of incentives. These incentives standardize processes and motivate behaviors that achieve the objectives of these initiatives in a way that can be sustained over time. They create an enabling culture for innovation and promote transparency and trust in digitized services.

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GovCon Wire

JUNE 24, 2024

The U.S. Air Force has begun seeking information on technologies and concepts related to a counter-small unmanned aircraft system capability that could be integrated onboard fixed-wing airborne platforms.

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Government Contract Insights

JUNE 24, 2024

The first decision, Kearney & Co. v. U.S., explores the ability of contractors to use labor mapping to bridge differences between an agency's stated needs and a contractor's offerings under its U.S. General Services Administration federal supply schedule contracts.

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GovCon Wire

JUNE 24, 2024

David Thompson, a retired U.S. Space Force general, has been elected to the board of trustees of The Aerospace Corp. In this capacity, he will share insights and provide guidance for Aerospace’s activities, particularly those related to the space enterprise, the nonprofit corporation said Thursday. “I’m thrilled to welcome Gen. Thompson to our board.

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Redstone Government Consulting

JUNE 24, 2024

Cost Accounting Standard (CAS) 409 provides the criteria for assigning costs (i.e., depreciation) of tangible capital assets to cost accounting periods and allocating those costs to contracts in an objective and consistent manner.

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WashngtonExec

JUNE 24, 2024

AMERICAN SYSTEMS won a prime contractor spot on the FBI’s blanket purchase agreement to provide IT supplies and support services to the FBI and other Department of Justice components. Under task orders issued through the potential 8-year, $8 billion BPA, the agency will purchase a range of IT products and services, standardize how it buys [.

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Government Contracts

JUNE 24, 2024

Connecticut architectural firm Silver Petrucelli & Associates Inc. asked a state judge on Monday to strike a cross-claim by a builder it accused of impermissably using blowtorches to attach flashing to a school roof, setting fires in December 2021 and July 2022 that caused an alleged $17.6 million in damage.

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Government Contracts & Global Trade

JUNE 24, 2024

The third revision of NIST Special Publication 800-171 brings substantial changes across several key areas: the structure of control families has been expanded to better address new threats, individual security controls have been updated to enhance overall system security, and the criteria for tailoring these controls to specific organizational needs have been clarified, all in an effort to adapt to the dynamic landscape of information security.

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Government Contracts

JUNE 24, 2024

Two brothers who own several New York pharmacies will each have to pay over $18 million in restitution in addition to jail time for submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for pricey cancer medication and funneling illicit proceeds through several shell companies, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.

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Government Contracts & Global Trade

JUNE 24, 2024

Hugh Murray, Chair of McCarter’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, discussed with Law360 the recent affiliation of the Amazon Labor Union members with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He said the merger is a sign that the unions are not shrinking away. ”It’s going to raise the stakes,” Hugh said. “The Teamsters will continue to push extremely hard, and Amazon will continue to oppose really hard.

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Government Contracts

JUNE 24, 2024

The D.C. Circuit has backed a ruling that a former senior technical manager for government contractor Apprio Inc. breached a proprietary information agreement giving the rights of certain software he created over to the company.

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Government Contracts Legal Forum

JUNE 24, 2024

On May 30, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a final rule implementing Section 844 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Section 854 of the FY 2024 NDAA by amending DFARS 225.7018-2 and accompanying DFARS clause 252.225-7052, which restrict DoD from acquiring certain metals and magnets from “covered countries” of Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China, to prohibit even earlier inputs in the supply chain from occurring in these countries.

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Government Contracts

JUNE 24, 2024

A Texas federal judge on Monday blocked parts of a U.S. Department of Labor rule changing how prevailing wages are determined for federally funded construction projects from going into effect, saying the department had overstepped its authority under the Davis-Bacon Act.

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Government Contracts Legal Forum

JUNE 24, 2024

Special Edition of the Fastest 5 Minutes Federal Circuit Protest Ruling in Percipient.ai, Inc. v. United States This special edition covers the Federal Circuit’s June 2024 protest decision in Percipient.ai, Inc. v. United States , and is hosted by Yuan Zhou and Anuj Vohra. Crowell & Moring’s “Fastest 5 Minutes” is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be wi

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Government Contracts

JUNE 24, 2024

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. General Services Administration and an aviation company have struck a $34.4 million settlement ending litigation over canceled deportation flights, according to a filing at the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.

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GovLoop

JUNE 24, 2024

There’s no easy way to explain how quantum computing works without getting deep into the kind of math that only quantum physicists can understand. But here is a brief overview that draws on numerous efforts to make quantum computing accessible to the rest of us. Click on the hyperlinks for a deeper dive. Classical vs. Quantum Computing As many of us have learned along the way, a computer runs on binary code: It converts information into ones and zeros, making it incredibly efficient at running c

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