On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER:
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In 2010 the General Services Administration launched Challenge.gov. The idea was simple the site would house agency contests and competitions together in one place. But no one could have predicted the success. We check with GSA’s Sheila Campbell and Karen Trembol. Click here for the full recap.
The SEVEN stories that impact your life
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President Obama’s pick for labor secretary cleared a minor hurdle in the confirmation as a Senate committee voted to clear the nomination of Thomas Perez for consideration by the full Senate. The Washington Post reports, members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee voted 12-10 along party lines, with all Republicans opposing the nomination while the Democrats supported it. Perez currently heads the Justice Department’s civil rights division.
- The inspector general for the General Services Administration expects to lose out on more than a quarter-billion dollars in potential government savings next year, as the sequester-related budget cuts force the agency to scale back on efforts to uncover waste and fraud for taxpayers, reports Federal Times. Federal IGs uncovered more than $93 billion in potential savings in fiscal 2011, resulting in a $35 return for every $1 invested in IG operations.
- The Defense Department will allow government-issued iPhones and iPads to connect to the military’s networks, the Pentagon announced Friday. The Defense Information Systems Agency approved Apple mobile devices using the iOS 6 operating system, reports Federal Times. But DISA only approved government-issued iPhones and iPads, and said that personally-owned Apple mobile devices will not be allowed on military networks. The department said the approval of Apple devices is a vital step towards creating a multi-vendor environment that allows the government to choose from several different mobile products.
- The White House says it will cut timelines in half for major infrastructure projects. President Barack Obama has issued a memo directing agencies to update their permit processes. Federal News Radio reports an interagency steering committee now has 60 days to identify the speedbumps in the process. They will have another 60 days to come up with a plan that includes revising regulations, identifying the characteristics of good infrastructure projects and digitizing steps still done on paper.
- The IRS official now running its Affordable Care Act unit headed up the tax-exempt group at the center of a major scandal. ABC News reports, some lawmakers have called for the resignation of Sarah Hall Ingram. She ran the tax exempt group from 2009 to 2012. That’s when the IRS targeted tax exemption applications from conservative groups for special scrutiny. Ingram’s successor, Joseph Grant, is resigning after only two weeks on the job. Top Treasury officials found out about the inspector general probe of the IRS in June 2012. And a source tells the Wall Street Journal, the White House legal office was informed weeks ago, reports Federal News Radio.
- The Pentagon formally recognized that there are transgender veterans. BuzzFeed reports the move represents a shift in the way transgender people are viewed within the institution of the United States military. LGBT advocates say this is a first step in the process to open transgender military service.
- And on GovLoop: Here is a staggering stat: 130 millions Americans own a smartphone, including roughly 1 out of 2 adults. That’s a technology that wasn’t even around 5 years ago. So how can government leverage this technology to connect, engage and empower government employees and the general public? Tune in to find out with the DorobekINISDER Live panel on June 26th at noon EDT. Register for the free online webinar now.
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