Sat.May 11, 2024 - Fri.May 17, 2024

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How the Biden administration is tackling diversity in federal AI hiring

FedScoop

The Biden administration’s plan to bolster the federal civilian workforce with more than 500 artificial intelligence professionals by the end of fiscal year 2025 could face a challenge when it comes to another one of its priorities: promoting a workforce that looks like America. While data is limited, the broader AI workforce and pipeline appears to have the same demographic underrepresentation issues that STEM careers experience , lacking diversity in terms of gender, race and ethnicity.

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International Anti-Corruption Groups Join in Call for DOJ Whistleblower Program to Follow Best Practices

Whistleblower Network News

Since the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it was engaging in a “90-day sprint” to develop a whistleblower awards program, whistleblower advocates in the U.S. have called on the DOJ to implement proven best practices for the program. Now anti-corruption groups from over twenty countries have joined in the call, noting that the program will have a massive transnational reach.

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Army changing the color of money used to modernize software

Federal News Network

When it comes to software development, the Army is going to stop worrying about the color of money. That’s because as part of its new approach to software modernization, the Army is rethinking what sustainment means. Margaret Boatner is the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for strategy and acquisition reform, said one of the main tenets of the policy signed by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth in March is to reform several legacy processes that is keeping the service from adopting modern so

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SAIC’s Hilary Hageman on the Intersection of GovCon, Law & Technology

GovCon Wire

SAIC’s Hilary Hageman grew up in Southeast Asia and Africa and witnessed the political instability that threatened her family’s safety in many of the countries in which she lived. She quickly gained an appreciation for the safety provided by the U.S.

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How to Create a Blueprint for Fleet Resilience

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,

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Government AI funding among priorities in Senate working group roadmap

FedScoop

A bipartisan Senate working group focused on artificial intelligence released a policy roadmap Wednesday, highlighting multiple areas where it says there’s consensus, such as increasing federal research funding. The roadmap outlines policy areas the working group believes “merit bipartisan consideration” and summarizes findings from that group’s insight forums held last year with AI leaders from industry, academia and advocacy groups.

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In a First, SEC Awards Whistleblower who Appealed Denial Before Court of Appeals

Whistleblower Network News

For the first time, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) awarded a whistleblower after the whistleblower appealed a denial before the U.S. Court of Appeals. On April 3, the SEC issued an order granting a whistleblower award of more than $2,000,000 to one whistleblower and an award of over $400,000 to another. Both whistleblowers voluntarily provided original information which contributed to a successful enforcement action.

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Airbus to Pitch Unmanned UH-72 Helicopter for Marine Corps Logistics Drone Program; Rob Geckle Quoted

ExecutiveBiz

The unmanned version of the Lakota UH-72 helicopter has been selected for inclusion in the first phase of the U.S. Marine Corps Aerial Logistics Connector program, The War Zone reported Tuesday.

Logistics 111
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NASA has a new chief AI officer

FedScoop

NASA has named David Salvagnini, the space agency’s chief data officer, as its chief artificial intelligence officer, fulfilling a requirement laid out in recent White House guidance and President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI. In a press release , NASA said that Salvagnini will help lead the agency’s work on developing AI technology, as well as its collaborations with academic institutions and other experts.

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Another One Bites the Dust: Incomplete Joint Venture Agreement Fails Once Again

SmallGovCon

Once again, an initial awardee has had its award revoked because of a noncompliant joint venture agreement addendum. We see it happen regularly at SmallGovCon. And the decision in Colt-Sunbelt Rentals JV, LLC is yet another data point highlighting that SBA requires strict adherence to the joint venture agreement requirements in 13 C.F.R. § 125.8. Here, an incomplete joint venture agreement and its addendum resulted in a finding of affiliation which resulted in Colt-Sunbelt losing its small busin

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Justice Department expands its procurement fraud strike force

Federal News Network

Sometimes federal procurements don’t go according to the rules. Sometimes its worse, when bribes and kickbacks come into play. That’s what the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force tries to discover and prosecute. Now the strike force is expanding, with four new members. For details, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with the Dan Glad, the director of the Strike Force.

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TaxBit Public Sector Leader Nathan Jones Discusses the Evolving Digital Asset Tax Landscape

ExecutiveBiz

Digital asset adoption continues to grow exponentially, and pending Treasury regulations will establish governance for how this asset class should be reported on for tax purposes.

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NIST issues final guidance update for protecting sensitive information

FedScoop

Final versions of two publications that the National Institute of Standards and Technology issued Tuesday are aimed at helping contractors and other organizations protect and secure controlled unclassified information they handle. The guidance comes after the agency solicited feedback on drafts of the documents last year, and clarifies previous NIST guidance that included language inconsistent with the agency’s source catalog of security and privacy controls.

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Nearly $1 Million Settlement Resolves Whistleblower Allegations of Medically Unnecessary Spinal Surgeries

Whistleblower Network News

On May 7, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced that two Tacoma hospitals and a former surgeon agreed to pay nearly $1 million to settle False Claims Act (FCA) allegations of medically unnecessary spinal surgeries. The settlement resolves allegations brought forward by a qui tam whistleblower. According to the government, from 2013 to 2018, former Orthopedic Surgeon Kevin Schoenfelder billed spinal surgeries to government health programs, including Medicare, TRICARE, and Veterans Affairs, when

Demand 110
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3 Major Trends Shaping the Federal Healthcare Landscape

GovCon Wire

Advancements in digital technologies have reached every corner of the federal government, and healthcare agencies are exploring the unique benefits they offer for patient care and cutting-edge research projects.

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Concetta Yates Joins Red River as Head of Data Analytics & AI

ExecutiveBiz

Concetta Yates, an executive with 25 years of information technology sector experience, was named head of data analytics and artificial intelligence at Red River, a provider of technology transformation services for government and enterprise customers.

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‘Devastating’ NSF funding cuts present a ‘national security issue,’ officials tell House panel

FedScoop

Witnesses representing the National Science Foundation and its governing board at a Thursday House hearing underscored, in no uncertain terms, the negative impacts that decreased funding levels for science will have on the agency’s research priorities. “The more we cut, the more the ideas that are being proposed to NSF in quantum, in AI will not be funded.

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DOJ Inspector General Raises Concerns of DOJ and FBI Revoking Security Clearances of Whistleblowers

Whistleblower Network News

On May 14, Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz released a memo sent to the Deputy Attorney General outlining concerns about the DOJ’s handling of whistleblowers with security clearances and its compliance with federal law. According to the DOJ Office of Inspector General (OIG), the DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) do not have the proper policies in place to protect employees who allege their security clearance has been suspended, revoked, or denied in

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How the Army’s Project Convergence Is Driving CJADC2 Progress

GovCon Wire

Project Convergence materialized in 2020 with a goal of connecting Army sensors, command and control nodes and shooters at the tactical level. While the initiative was originally created to tackle Army-specific problems, its reach has dramatically expanded over time.

IT 105
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NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce Places New Orders for Commercial SSA Services With 5 Vendors

ExecutiveBiz

Five companies will continue providing commercial space situational awareness data and services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce through the end of June through new orders awarded by OSC to support the Consolidated Pathfinder project.

Data 105
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GSA focused on cloud procurement efforts for agencies, official says

FedScoop

As Congress works on legislation to fill in gaps regarding cloud procurement in federal acquisition regulation, a General Services Administration official said Wednesday that the agency has stepped in to help guide agencies. During the Scoop News Group-produced Amazon Web Services Innovate Day event, Skip Jentsch, cloud products manager for GSA, shared that the agency is focused on “new” special ordering procedures implemented for procuring cloud computing on a consumption basis.

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Elara Caring Agrees to Pay $4.2 Million to Settle Whistleblower Case over Hospice Billing

Whistleblower Network News

On May 1, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Elara Caring and its wholly owned subsidiaries agreed to pay $4.2 million to resolve allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations. These alleged violations involved the conscious submission of false claims and the retention of overpayments for hospice patients who were not eligible for Medicare benefits in Texas.

Demand 106
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Matt Garman to Succeed Adam Selipsky as AWS CEO

GovCon Wire

Matt Garman, senior vice president of AWS sales, marketing and global services at Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), will succeed Adam Selipsky as CEO of Amazon Web Services, effective June 3. Amazon President and CEO Andy Jassy announced the leadership transition in a message to AWS staff published Tuesday.

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BAE Systems Receives $54M Navy Contract to Develop Towed Decoy System for Super Hornet Fighters

ExecutiveBiz

BAE Systems secured a contract with the U.S. Navy to design and develop the Dual Band Decoy, a radio frequency countermeasure that shields fighter jets from enemy attacks by disrupting enemy radar and luring missiles away. The decoy has a towed unit connected by fiber-optic cable to an aircraft’s electronic warfare equipment, BAE said Wednesday.

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Contractor’s dispute over cost-accounting standards has roots dating back 17 years

Federal News Network

Sikorsky Aircraft and the Defense Department have been arguing in court for the past 17 years, over the company’s compliance with cost-accounting standards. One reason it has been running so long is the government keeps asserting violations but takes no action. For more on the importance of this case, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Haynes Boone procurement attorney Zach Prince.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 13-17, 2024

SmallGovCon

It’s Friday and time for another week in review. The kids are finishing up the school year, so get ready parents! There are lots of activities happening in town and as I drive by our local ice cream shop it seems to be constantly filled with kids as they celebrate the beginning of summer. We hope you are looking forward to a lot of fun summer activities, as well.

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V2X’s Chuck Prow Bestowed With 10th Wash100 Award by Executive Mosaic’s Jim Garrettson

GovCon Wire

Chuck Prow, the outgoing CEO at V2X, received his 10th Wash100 Award this year. Jim Garrettson, the award’s founder and CEO of Executive Mosaic, presented Prow with the plaque at an in-person meeting at V2X’s McLean, Virginia headquarters last week. The Wash100 Award annually celebrates the finest talent shaping the government contracting sector.

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Citizant Promotes Pamela Schoppert to Chief People Officer

ExecutiveBiz

Citizant, a business and IT products and services provider to the U.S. government, has promoted Pamela Schoppert, formerly the company’s vice president of human experience and quality, to chief people officer.

Quality 105
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Ten federal agencies receive ‘A+’ in annual scorecard measuring small business contracting goals

Federal News Network

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal grants can be a huge boost for small businesses. And some federal agencies do better at giving grants to small businesses than others. The Small Business Administration released its annual scorecard measuring how well federal agencies meet their small business contracting goals each year. Overall, the federal government has a goal to award 23% of contracts to small businesses.

Contract 105
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Energy and Environmental Services: Catalysts for a Sustainable Future

USFCR

Energy and Environmental Services: Catalysts for a Sustainable Future The federal government's commitment to sustainability and the environment, demonstrated through billions in investment, presents vast opportunities for businesses in the energy and environmental services sector. This comprehensive guide is designed to help your business navigate the growing demand for sustainable solutions, positioning your offerings as essential to the national agenda for a greener planet.

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GovCIO Subsidiary Awarded Spot on $1.5B US Courts Judiciary IT Services Contract

GovCon Wire

Lamb Informatics, a wholly owned subsidiary of GovCIO, has secured a spot on a potential five-year, $1.5 billion Administrative Office of the United States Courts Judiciary IT Services blanket purchase agreement.

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Noblis CEO Mile Corrigan Accepts 2024 Wash100 Award

ExecutiveBiz

Noblis CEO Mile Corrigan collected her 2024 Wash100 Award from Executive Mosaic CEO Jim Garrettson on the sidelines of a 4×24 Leadership Group dinner event last week. The Wash100 Award is the most coveted recognition in the government contracting industry, honoring leaders whose accomplishments signify they will be the drivers of the sector in the near future.

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Govology Webinar: Small Business Subcontracting Plans: What SBLOs Need to Know, May 16, 2024, 1:00pm EDT

SmallGovCon

Steven Koprince, Govology Legal Analyst and retired founder of Koprince McCall Pottroff will be presenting this webinar to help you understand when a small business subcontracting plan is required for a federal prime contractor. Additionally, the course will cover common oversights and mistakes made by prime contractors in connection with establishing and implementing small business subcontracting plans.

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DC Judge Urged To Halt Offshore Wind Project Construction

Government Contracts

Advocacy groups and a cohort of Rhode Island residents want a D.C. federal judge to halt construction on a wind farm off the coast of the Ocean State while they press claims that the federal government violated myriad environmental laws in approving the project.

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Raytheon CIO Ken Wilcox on Enabling Digital Transformation While Empowering Teams to Navigate Change

GovCon Wire

Raytheon Vice President and Chief Information Officer Ken Wilcox has built his career on curiosity, embracing change and seizing opportunities, even if the challenge was uncomfortable. Wilcox came up through the ranks, having spent most of the last 25 years at RTX and various affiliated organizations.

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Fearless Names Jacob Hsu as Executive Chair, Joe Paiva as Chief Operating Officer

ExecutiveBiz

Fearless has named two new executives to its leadership team to help enhance the company’s expertise in cybersecurity, national security and artificial intelligence and support growth efforts to achieve its 2023 vision.

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2024 Chief Officer Awards Winners Revealed

WashngtonExec

WashingtonExec on May 10 unveiled the winners of the Chief Officer Awards, an annual program that celebrates influential and innovative executives in government and industry in the C-suite. The event took place at The Hilton in McLean, Virginia, where hundreds of attendees came together for a memorable in-person luncheon. Along with the government and industry [.