NewsBrief May 3, 2019

DOD to Release 2019 Report on Military and Security Developments in China

(U.S. Department of Defense) The 2019 edition of the Department of Defense’s annual report, Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, is scheduled to be publicly released the afternoon of May 2, 2019, and will be found at https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/, under “Publications.” This report informs Congress of the Department of Defense’s assessment of military and security developments involving China. Read More

Lockheed Says It Can Fit 2 More Missiles In F-35 Bay

(Breaking Defense) WASHINGTON: Critics have long pointed at the F-35’s weapons load of four missiles in stealth mode and said it’s just not enough. That argument seemed to gain weight when the F-15X was recently praised by senior defense officials for its ability to carry many bombs and missiles and work with the F-35’s targeting sensors to rain death and destruction on the enemy. Now I’ve confirmed with Lockheed that they’ve proven out a way for the F-35 to carry two more missiles in its internal bay. Read More

New US European Command leader will take over amid NATO worries and tensions

(MilitaryTimes) WASHINGTON — The United States is installing new military leadership in Europe at a moment of heightened worries about Russian aggression, doubts about the future of arms control and rising tensions among NATO allies. These pressures are reflected in stepped-up U.S. military maneuvers in Europe, including the unusual simultaneous deployment last week of two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups in the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, the Russians are rattling nerves with talk of fielding new “doomsday” weapons such as a nuclear-armed undersea drone and making moves seen by some as risking escalation of the war in eastern Ukraine. Read More

White House seeks input on AI technical standards

(fedscoop) The Trump administration wants to lead the world in the development of AI technical standards and currently is seeking wide-ranging advice on how to begin. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology published a request for information (RFI) to the Federal Register on the matter Wednesday. The solicitation seeks information on “the current state, plans, challenges, and opportunities regarding the development and availability of AI technical standards and related tools, as well as priority areas for federal involvement in AI standards-related activities.” Read More

Guidance on Information Quality Act Updated

(FEDweek) OMB has issued updated guidance on agency responsibilities for complying with the Information Quality Act to address “changes in the information landscape and to incorporate best practices developed” since that law was enacted in 2000. Memo M-19-15 notes that under guidance issued in 2002, agencies are to “embrace a basic standard of quality and consider quality in their information dissemination practices”; “develop information quality assurance procedures that are applied before disseminating information”; and “develop an administrative mechanism for affected parties to request that agencies correct information of inadequate quality.” Read More

Is the Census Bureau financially ready for 2020?

(Federal Times) The U.S. Census Bureau is less than one year away from its decennial count of people living in the country, and some members of Congress have expressed concerns that the agency is not fully prepared to handle the volume of work required in 2020 and the potential challenges a new citizenship question could add to the process. Read More

Agency approaches vary widely, as federal telework participation dips governmentwide in 2017

(Federal News Network) Federal employees spent less time teleworking in 2017 than they did during the previous year, according to the most recent annual report on the topic from the Office of Personnel Management.For eligible employees, federal telework participation went down from 51% to 48% in 2017, according to OPM’s latest telework status report from fiscal 2017 to Congress. Participation also dropped slightly across government from 22% to 21% of the federal workforce. Read More

In the Hunt for Top Talent, Don’t Overlook Older Workers

(Kellogg Insight) With U.S. unemployment near its lowest rate in 50 years, companies are adopting creative strategies for pursuing talent, from hiring people with criminal records to recruiting high school students. Apple, Google, and IBM are among the companies that claim to have changed their hiring practices, stressing skills over credentials. But one segment of the population remains relatively untapped: older adults. Read More

How Introverts Can Learn to Love Networking

(Kellogg Insight) For introverts, networking events can be a source of dread. The format itself—a crowd full of strangers hoping to make a strong impression—is anathema to those who flourish in environments that are quieter or feel less transactional. But, according Holly Raider, a clinical professor of management and managing director of executive education at the Kellogg School of Management, introverts can be just as skilled at networking as extroverts if they learn to ignore the crowd and focus on shaping individual conversations. Read More