Did you know that before 1970, women were prohibited from being law enforcement officers in the federal government? Executive Order 11478, "Equal employment opportunity in the Federal Government," signed by President Richard Nixon on August 8, 1969, changed that former reality and provided equal opportunity in federal employment for all persons.

Watch as newly confirmed Attorney General Merrick Garland gives his remarks to DOJ employees on his first official day. In his words, “Norms require that like cases be treated alike. That there not be one rule for Democrats and another for Republicans; One rule for friends and another for foes; One rule for the powerful and another for the powerless; One rule for the rich and another for the poor; Or different rules depending upon one's race or ethnicity.”

The White House Leadership Development Program team is excited to invite you to “The Invitation”, a series of 90-minute events that invite feds to think through how they too can be impactful leaders and play a part in good government.

The most recent FEDtalk podcast episode explored the various reasons federal employee professional liability exposures have increased over the last few years. Listen in as Tony Vergnetti, the Founder of FEDS Protection, and Brenda Wilson, the Vice President of Programs, explain how the performance of your duties and the integrity with which you perform those duties may not matter if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alexander Mayorkas recently signed an Interim Final Rule (IFR) to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) implement provisions from the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act.

A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has not been able to come up with outcome-oriented measures to gauge their success when it comes to bringing small businesses into the market of security infrastructure.

Two top Department of Justice (DOJ) nominees, deputy attorney general nominee Lisa Monaco and associate attorney general nominee Vanita Gupta, attended a joint confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 9, 2021.

According to a Department of Justice press release dated March 8, 2021, a doctor, a clinic owner, and staff have been charged with falsifying clinical data.

In fiscal year 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processed over $2.4 trillion in imports and more than 238 million travelers. Learn more about the innovative methods used by CBP- even in the midst of a global pandemic.

In the middle of the night, a drunk man in his 30s took a taxi from St. Louis to Ballwin, Missouri, asked the taxi driver to stop on the street near the home of Jon Luer and his wife, Andrea Steinebach, and exited the taxi without paying his $65 fare. The driver reported the fare skipper to the police at 2:38 am, and officers arrived on the scene 2:45 am.

Across all agencies, federal law enforcement officers are stressed out. Even prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, agencies had been understaffing units and overworking their officers. Studies show that understaffing may lead to decreased job performance due to officer fatigue that causes diminished observational abilities. For many reasons—social distancing protocols, employee illness, etc.—the pandemic has exacerbated these issues, putting more pressure on federal law enforcement officers than ever before. Despite the efforts of you and your fellow officers trying to keep up with agency demands, problems will inevitably arise and, when they do, the agency is going to look for someone to blame.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to hire 6,000 new Transportation Security Officers before summer 2021 to prepare for the influx of travelers that is expected as COVID-19 vaccine rollout accelerates. At approximately 430 airports nationwide, TSA is ramping up efforts to add staff who can assist with security screenings and other airport tasks.

Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 2, 2021 to answer questions from lawmakers about events that transpired during the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The hearing focused on what the FBI knew leading up to the attack and its general response to the rising threat from domestic violent extremists.

According to a Department of Justice press release dated February 26, 2021, Richard Holzer, 28, was sentenced in federal court for planning to blow up a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado. Holzer pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and explosives charges and was given a sentence of over 19 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release.

For Women’s History Month, WIFLE highlights the women in federal law enforcement who work hard every day to protect and serve our country.

The most recent FEDtalk podcast episode featured a roundtable discussion on diversity and inclusion in the U.S. national security workforce. The guests discussed diversity gaps in national security, barriers to equal opportunity, and the opportunity present today. Through their work, the guests have sought solutions to diversifying the national security workforce and bridging divides to help people of color and underrepresented groups succeed. The show highlights the work being done to create a culture of inclusivity in the national security space.

Life happens. And sometimes, it brings a financial hardship to your doorstep, leaving you scrambling to find the cash needed to handle the unexpected and often, unwelcome situation.

When a district court addresses the merits of a Federal Tort Claims Act claim in its decision dismissing that claim for failing to legally state a claim, the FTCA bars the plaintiffs from bringing any Bivens claim on the same subject matter, the Supreme Court held today.

From February 22 to February 23, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the position of Attorney General in the Biden administration.

The federal government’s efforts to modernize and rationalize its workforce vetting policies and protocols continue to move forward, with actions coming at the tail end of the last administration and in the first month of the Biden administration.