Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has appointed Shanna Devine to serve as the first Director of the Whistleblower Ombudsman Office of the House of Representatives. The office was created in the House Rules package passed at the outset of the 116th Congress to assist the House in developing best practices for whistleblower intake and to provide trainings to House offices on how to safely and confidentially receive information from whistleblowers.

Tune in to FEDtalk this week to hear about the impact of different presidents on black history in the United States. Joining our host, Jason Briefel, will be Matthew Costello from the White House Historical Association and Gabriel Greaves from the Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center.

Law enforcement officers know that gang members and violent criminals commit ruthless, savage, and heinous acts.  Law enforcement officers are aware that criminals and criminal acts are becoming more brazen. Law enforcement officers understand that use of force is still the most debated law enforcement issue in America. 

In honor of President’s Day, here is a look inside what it takes to protect the President of the United States.

The White House has released the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget request complete with sweeping agency cuts and some new reorganization proposals. While the budget request rarely translates into law due to compromises in Congress, it does signal the president’s priorities for the year.

As states such as New York attempt to pass laws which allow individuals living in the country illegally to obtain drivers licenses and limit department of motor vehicle (DMV) cooperation with federal immigration services, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolfe, is responding by limiting the state’s access to certain DHS programs.

The Department of Justice has announced an indictment charging four individuals serving in the Chinese military with the Equifax breach that stole sensitive information from nearly 150 million Americans. The individuals hacked into the computer systems of the credit reporting agency Equifax, stealing Americans’ personal data and Equifax’s valuable trade secrets.

Insurance can be confusing. Especially in the Federal space, where there is a sea of abbreviations for your benefits packages: TSP, FEHB, FERS, FEGLI, WAEPA, and the list goes on. To help you make sense of your life insurance options, we’ve compiled answers to your top six questions about WAEPA.

Huey and I concluded our tour of New England in the state of Connecticut back in November.  Due to a series of circumstances, including a mechanical breakdown (the RV’s), a bout of poor health (mine), and being spoiled by his grandmother for the holidays (Huey), we took a short break from The Federal Fifty.  However, we are now on the road again visiting the Southeast and back to reporting on our adventures.

Tune in to FEDtalk this week to hear about the how agencies can utilize behavioral science to better lead their teams. Leaders in behavioral and organizational sciences will join the show to discuss how managers can increase employee engagement and productivity through behavioral insights.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has secured the denaturalization of a convicted terrorist who sought to help al Qaeda destroy the Brooklyn Bridge in 2003. Iyman Faris, a native of Pakistan, was convicted in 2003 of providing material support to al Qaeda and sentenced to 20 years in prison. On Monday, a District Court judge ordered the revocation of Faris’s naturalized U.S. citizenship.

The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum is pleased to announce the 2019 Officers of the Month. These officers were nominated by their communities and law enforcement departments for actions that went above and beyond the scope of their regular law enforcement duties. They include acts of heroism and bravery, human kindness and self-sacrifice.

The Pentagon issued the final contractor standards under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) last week and explained long-term plans for implementation. The new framework is built from five levels of security standards known as Version 1.0 of the plan. The initial phase will be rolled out through requests for information this summer.

During the State of the Union, President Trump placed focus on the importance of border security and supporting federal law enforcement. The president noted the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and voiced support for legislation that combats immigration “sanctuary cities.” Law enforcement groups echoed these sentiments in response.

Four members of the United Blood Nation (Bloods) street gang were sentenced in Charlotte, North Carolina this week after pleading guilty to federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy charges. Three of the individuals were sentenced to 35 years each followed by three years of supervised release and the final individual was sentenced to 15 years followed by three years of supervised release.

On January 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in the matter of Babb v. Wilkie. The question in this case is whether the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) requires federal sector employees to show that age was a “but-for” cause of the personnel action taken. Previously, the court has interpreted the private-sector provision to require “but-for” causation.

Looming concerns over the federal government’s use of foreign unmanned aircraft systems has caused the Secretary of the Interior to call for the temporary cessation of all non-emergency unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) effective immediately. The Department of the Interior (DOI) has been using drones to carry out a variety of wildfire responses and surveillance missions.

During a White House event Monday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requested ideas from across the federal community on ways to improve acquisition and supply chain management. The summit focused on various initiatives to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of contract management. The “call for ideas” is meant to continue these conversations and pose additional questions on ways to improve the system.

Onlookers have a right to observe police-citizen interactions at a distance, and an onlooker’s refusal to provide his full social security number does not create a basis for an officer to detain him.

Law enforcement exists everywhere, even in the military. Learn more about the life and mission of police in the US Army.