The bill forbids federal officials from asking a contractor to retaliate against someone else. A companion bill passed the Senate in May.
Michele Sandiford
- Federal contractors will gain broader whistleblower protections under legislation passed by the House on Monday. The bill blocks retaliation against contractors who refuse to violate laws, rules or regulations in the course of their work, and for sharing evidence of mismanagement, waste, abuse or danger to public health and safety. It also protects whistleblower rights in case of a non-disclosure agreements and forbids federal officials from asking a contractor to retaliate against someone else. A companion bill passed the Senate in May.
- Federal employees can once again download the popular streaming app TikTok on their government devices. It had been banned under the No TikTok on Government Devices Act of 2022. That law aimed to address risks surrounding the platform’s China-based parent company. But the Justice Department said that ban no longer applies after a January agreement transitioned TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American-owned entity. Still, DoJ said agencies can still independently ban the app for workforce management reasons, such as boosting productivity.
- Workforce overhauls at the Office of Personnel Management are putting the agency at high risk of increased skills gaps. The Government Accountability Office warned that a recent 35% staffing decrease at OPM will likely make things tougher for the agency. But because OPM declined to provide more documentation or hold a meeting with GAO, the watchdog said it’s unable to paint a complete picture of the changes OPM made, and why. The limited information also means GAO can’t fully document the expected costs, benefits or effects on OPM’s mission. GAO’s report shows that a majority of employees who have left OPM each took 11-plus years of service out the door with them. On top of having a much smaller staff, OPM also decided to shutter and consolidate several internal offices last year.
- Two airports have opted into the Transportation Security Administration’s new private airport screening initiative. International airports in Des Moines, Iowa, and Tampa Bay, Florida, have elected to participate in TSA’s “Gold+” initiative. TSA employees at those locations were informed of the decision on Monday. They were told TSA staff will get the opportunity to join the to-be-determined private contractors that will run airport security at those airports. TSA said its Gold+ initiative will bring innovation to airport screening by allowing contractors to manage both the staff and technology.
- The FBI said a former U.S. Army soldier started a fire and fired a pellet gun outside a New York federal building housing an immigration court and other government offices yesterday. Officials say suspect Andrew Arrabaca was taken into custody Monday. No charges have been announced yet against Arrabaca, and it wasn’t immediately clear if he has a lawyer. The building has become a focal point for demonstrations against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Three people sustained minor injuries.
- The Army has revamped its career engagement survey, giving leaders near real-time insight into why soldiers stay in or leave the service. For the first time, the Army is able to aggregate exit data at scale, which service leaders say will help inform retention policies and quality-of-life initiatives. The Department of the Army Career Engagement Survey has evolved into a mobile-friendly platform that captures soldier feedback at multiple points throughout their careers. Army officials said the changes have already improved participation rates. The sixth annual DACES report is expected to be delivered to Army leaders this fall, but these reports are not available to the public.
- The Pentagon’s inspector general said the Defense Department’s overall information security program was ineffective in fiscal 2025, for the fifth year in a row. In a new management advisory, the Office of the Inspector General said officials couldn’t demonstrate effective performance for 14 of 20 core security metrics under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act. The public version of the report is heavily redacted and doesn’t specify exactly where the department fell short. But auditors say the department also lacks a comprehensive governance structure to address longstanding cybersecurity shortcomings.
- The Space Force is now offering a $25,000 enlistment bonus to recruits who commit to eight years of active-duty service. A temporary enlistment bonus pilot program, running from July through November, is open to all incoming enlisted Guardians regardless of career field and is limited to 100 participants. Guardians often spend their first two years in training, leaving little time to apply those skills under traditional four- and six-year enlistment contracts. The $25,000 bonus will be paid after recruits successfully complete technical training.
- The Navy is launching a new retention initiative with the goal of keeping more midlevel enlisted sailors in uniform longer. Starting Aug. 1, sailors in grades E-4, E-5 and E-6 who are considering whether to end their military service can directly connect with retention specialists to discuss their future career options. Officials say Full Power Navy 2.0 is more personalized, speeds up career counseling and reduces paperwork compared to the previous mass-processing approach.
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