Energy Department takes the title owning the fastest computer in the world

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• 86% of federal workforce say the commute is a large problem for office reentry. In an unique Federal Information Network survey, traveling to and from work was the most widespread worry for feds returning to the workplace. Quite a few also reported they are fearful about office environment security measures and do the job-lifestyle equilibrium. With additional flexibility, no commute and minimal interruptions lots of say remote function is *additional* successful than likely into the place of work. Lots of study respondents also say they want to improve telework every time probable. (Federal Information Community)

• A federal watchdog suggests the National Security Company left alone susceptible to contractor fraud for the duration of the height of the pandemic. The NSA Inspector Standard audited the spy agency’s dealing with of contractor reimbursements underneath the CARES Act. The IG identified inadequate documentation in a lot of scenarios, top it to problem $16.4 million in fees. That represented 40% of the CARES Act invoices sampled by the IG. The NSA reported a overall of $917 million in CARES Act invoices.

• A previous journey clerk with the Department of Veterans Affairs pleads responsible to stealing nearly $500,000 from the agency. Prosecutors billed Bruce Minor of Philadelphia with theft government resources, immediately after they say he made fraudulent journey reimbursement claims in the names of at least three other VA workforce. Prosecutors say he then diverted the cash into lender accounts he managed. This occurred amongst December 2015 and September 2019. The VA inspector general’s business office performed this investigation.

• The Transportation Protection Administration is grappling with a lack of diversity amongst its senior ranks. TSA expects to provide on a main range equity and inclusion officer in just the following thirty day period. The specific will be a member of the senior government service and report directly to TSA Administrator David Pekoske. While much more than 50 % of TSA’s workforce are individuals of color, 53 out of the agency’s 66 federal stability administrators are white. The new DEI officer is anticipated to get a tricky seem at that disparity and spearhead tips from TSA’s Inclusion Action Committee. (Federal Information Network)

• A federal AI job pressure outlines ‘equitable future’ for exploration and development means. The process pressure driving the National AI Investigate Resource (NAIRR) concerns an interim report outlining how the AI details-and-investigate hub can set federal AI assets in the palms of more U.S. scientists. A remaining report is predicted this November. Lynne Parker, the deputy U.S. main technologies officer and director of OSTP’s National AI Initiative Office environment, suggests the interim report marks the “first move towards a a lot more equitable upcoming for AI R&D in America, it’s a potential wherever innovation can flourish, and the promise of AI can be understood in a way that added benefits all Us citizens.” (Federal News Network)

• Starting off tomorrow, the Thrift Price savings Program will make 5,000 mutual resources offered to contributors. But some lawmakers are anxious about the implications of growing investment selections. Republican senators connect with on the Federal Retirement Thrift Financial investment Board — the agency that manages TSP — to both terminate or postpone the mutual fund window. The senators talk to the board to assure no money commit in “dangerous, noncompliant or opaque Chinese securities.” The board says no TSP participant is necessary to invest in any of the mutual money.

• There’s a new internet site that provides collectively all technologies procedures and legal guidelines in a person position. The intention of the web site is to support industry and federal staff members become a lot more well-informed on these subject areas and know the place to look for responses. The portal breaks down the laws and procedures by matter like cybersecurity or info, and by precise identify of the mandate. It also gives speedy information about the plan or law like identify, who it applies to and a link to the formal supply document. This web site was formulated by a federal IT executive on his have time and is not affiliated with any one particular company.

• The Energy Department’s Oak Ridge Nationwide Lab is dwelling to the world’s quickest supercomputer. The lab’s Computing Facility can reach exascale computing on their Frontier System, meaning they can complete a quintillion calculations for each next, that’s one billion, billion. Congressman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) praised the accomplishment contacting exascale the subsequent era of computing ability and that it’s crucial that the U.S. qualified prospects the way in this room. The U.S. is household to various other supercomputers in the top 10, which include another at the Oak Ridge Lab, 1 at Lawrence Livermore Nationwide Lab and a person at the Lawrence Berkeley Countrywide Lab.

• 4 key themes emerge about GSA’s industrial system initiative. The next methods for the Typical Products and services Administration’s commercial system initiative have not but occur into concentration, but a several trends came to light. GSA introduced a ask for for facts earlier this year trying to find comments on what other approaches could be analyzed. The RFI arrived just after Congress mandated GSA think about other approaches to make it less complicated for companies to buy products and expert services from commercial platforms. A person of the conclusions highlighted industry’s means to present unique operating models that satisfy ambitions like well timed item shipping with actual-time obtain monitoring and immediate response buyer assistance.

• The Centers for Sickness Manage and Avoidance says 87% of people who drank drinking water contaminated by the Red Hill Bulk Gasoline Storage Facility in Hawaii professional new or worsening indicators. The self-reporting survey exhibit people today struggling from problems, stomach challenges, respiratory issues and skin difficulties. Red Hill leaked jet gasoline into Hawaii’s consuming drinking water late final fall.

• After a yr of history suicides, the Protection Office is on the lookout for methods to beef up its mental health and fitness assets. The Pentagon’s top rated well being official states the armed forces is beginning a new system that will match psychological well being staffing with need. The Defense Section wishes to include mental health counselors, therapists and other experts to its ranks in the coming yrs. DoD desires to noticeably boost its telehealth visits and lessen the approvals for people today on TRICARE to get mental wellbeing services. People are waiting a tiny less than two weeks for psychological wellness evaluations, while some waits can be more time than a thirty day period.