• The Merit Systems Protection Board is officially transitioning away some of its authority over adverse action appeal decisions. A new final rule from MSPB removes all references to the board’s prior jurisdiction over appeals due to firings or demotions during a reduction in force, probationary period or for a suitability-related reason. The adjustments at MSPB come after the Office of Personnel Management finalized rules to take over decisions in those three categories of workplace disputes. The change takes full effect in early September.
• The Army is facing a new challenge with its Marketplace for Acquisition of Professional Services (MAPS) contract vehicle. The Army's decision not to allow teaming of contractors on its MAPS professional services contract vehicle violated the Small Business Act. That's what the Government Accountability Office determined in sustaining part of a protest by Intelligence Consulting Enterprise Solutions. The small business fell short in three of its four protest areas, but GAO found the Army's prohibition of teaming arrangements is unduly restrictive and the law mandates that when agencies engage in contract consolidation, they also take steps to maximize participation by small business concerns. GAO recommends the Army reopens the solicitation to allow for teaming and joint ventures.
• The Department of the Air Force will fast-track the process of reinstating airmen and guardians who were booted from military service after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The department, which oversees the Air Force and Space Force, will conduct medical certifications and record correction boards in parallel to cut down on processing time, and appoint dedicated case managers to help applicants fill out the necessary forms. Reinstatements had been delayed by 30 days on average due to the medical clearance process.
• The intelligence community now has its own top-secret jobs portal. ICJobs is just like USAJobs, but only available to people with top-secret security clearance. Speaking at an intelligence summit in Tampa, Florida, this week, IC Chief Information Officer Doug Cossa said the goal is matching the right people to the right job. “If you look at the AI race right now, particularly with China, our biggest risk is acquiring the right talent to get us where we need to go,” Cossa said. The ICJObs portal launched a few weeks ago. So far, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office are the first two agencies to adopt the platform.
• Federal employees traveling for work and using their own car will receive a higher rate of reimbursement for the rest of the calendar year. The General Services Administration increased the mileage reimbursement rate for privately owned automobiles to 76 cents per mile up from 72.5 cents a mile. GSA made the decision to increase the rate to stay inline with the IRS's midyear adjustment. These new rates took effect on July 1.
• Lawmakers are pushing forward a slate of bills that would impact federal employees. Those efforts include one bill offering lifetime identity protection coverage to feds impacted by a major 2015 data breach. Another bill, if enacted, would give feds 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. And a third bill seeks to root out poor air quality across federal facilities — as just a few of many efforts on Capitol Hill looking to reshape benefits and employment laws for the federal workforce.
• The Transportation Security Administration’s number two official is stepping down. Ha Nguyen McNeill said her last day as TSA deputy administrator will be Sept. 3. For much of the last year and half, McNeill served as the agency’s acting administrator. But David Cummins was sworn in as TSA administrator on Aug. 7 after he was confirmed by the Senate. In a LinkedIn post, McNeill said she plans to return to the private sector.
• The Pentagon wants to steer hundreds of millions of dollars to Palantir, with the prospect of more in the coming years, without specifying how the money will be used. An Aug. 4 draft memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg told the Pentagon’s acquisition boss and comptroller to spend up to $244 million on Palantir’s services until the end of March. The memo also tells the military services to find ways to fund the data analytics giant’s work. A DoD official described the memo as a planning directive that reflects the work of Business Operators for National Defense, the initiative Feinberg created in February to give private-sector leaders a hand in defense acquisition reform.

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