The deviation comes on the heels of a letter from GSA to AbilityOne seeking more information about the products they are selling through the schedule contracts.
Michele Sandiford
- The General Services Administration has removed the AbilityOne Commission and National Prison Industries’ exception from the Trade Agreements Act for all of its contracts. In a deviation to GSA’s acquisition regulations, the agency will now require the commission and all of its non-profits like SourceAmerica and the National Industries for the Blind, to only use products from countries that have existing trade agreements with the U.S. This means there are 78 countries, including China, Vietnam and Thailand, that the AbilityOne Commission and NPI can no longer import products from. This deviation comes on the heels of a letter from GSA to AbilityOne seeking more information about the products they are selling through the schedule contracts.
- Federal employee organizations have been quick to react to the Trump administration’s plans for a pay freeze next year. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association warns that not giving feds a pay increase in 2027 will further degrade recruitment and retention. And the Federal Managers Association argues that the freeze will deflate employee morale and lead to lower quality services. The organizations both point out that a civilian pay freeze will be especially harmful, considering that military members and law enforcement officers are set to receive larger pay raises next year.
- Financial holdings of the Office of Personnel Management director are catching the attention of advocacy groups. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is urging an inspector general investigation into Scott Kupor’s personal financial investments in Robinhood. The company is one of several private sector partners involved with OPM’s Tech Force hiring initiative. CREW has filed a complaint alleging that Kupor’s investments pose a potential financial conflict of interest for the recruitment program.
- The Defense Department has filled a key technology role. Sonu Shankar is the new principal deputy chief information officer for DoD. In that role, Shankar will help oversee the department’s IT, cybersecurity and digital modernization initiatives. DoD CIO Kristen Davies named Shankar to the principal role last week. Before joining the CIO’s office, Shankar served as a strategic advisor in the Business Operators for National Defense or BOND program. Prior to this federal service, he served as president and chief operating officer of Phosphorus Cybersecurity and held senior roles at Arctic Wolf Networks and Cisco Systems. He also conducted research at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
- Grand Canyon National Park is cutting visitor services today after flooding seriously damaged the park’s infrastructure. Officials say flash flooding damaged the sole pipeline that delivers water to the canyon’s most popular visiting areas on the south rim. The park will stay open, but starting today, overnight stays at the south rim’s lodges and campgrounds won’t be allowed. The floods also damaged trails and bridges in the canyon, forcing the National Park Service to airlift about 50 visitors from the bottom of the canyon.
- The Justice Department was among several agencies hit by the China-linked hacking group known as QTFY. In a press release last week, the DoJ announced the FBI had executed court-authorized domain seizures targeting platforms allegedly used by the hacking group. In addition to the DoJ, the other named victims include NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Energy Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Senate. DoJ says the group has also broadly targeted U.S. critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks.
- The Coast Guard is establishing an Office of Maritime Cybersecurity Policy. In a Friday bulletin, the Coast Guard said the new office will report to the Director of Inspections and Compliance. The organization will serve as the Coast Guard’s central contact for policies and guidance governing cyber safety and security of the Marine Transportation System. The Coast Guard recently introduced new regulations for operators in U.S. ports and waterways.
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