President Joe Biden submitted an alternative pay plan to congressional leaders on August 27 authorizing a 2.7 percent pay raise for most general schedule civilian employees. The raise is effective January 1, 2022.

According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, instances of hate crime in the United States have risen to the highest number in 12 years. A portion of this increase is due to attacks against Black and Asian Americans. The 2020 data was submitted to the FBI by more than 15,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. The data identified 7,759 hate-crimes in 2020.

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 18, 2021, Hunter VanPelt, aka Ellen Corkrum, 49, pleaded guilty to perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $7.9 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

To establish the “ultimate discovery” exception to the exclusionary rule, the government must prove the exception by a “preponderance of the evidence,” the Eleventh Circuit recently held in an en banc decision. The full-court decision reversed forty-one years of Circuit precedent.

This year, the Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) 21st Annual Leadership Training took place in Tampa, FL from August 16-19th. The theme was Real Talk: How to Address Law Enforcement Challenges Through Collective Strength. Over 200 women attended the training.

One training session that took place at the Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) 21st Annual Leadership Training was called “Blue Suicide Survivors” led by Shelley Jones, Executive Director of the Survivors of Blue Suicide Foundation (SBS).

At the 21st Annual WIFLE Leadership Training, Deputy U.S. Marshal Lisa Alvarez was recognized for her superior work and fast decision-making by receiving the Julie Y. Cross Award.

Each year, the WIFLE Leadership Training brings together women from across federal law enforcement for informative sessions, recruitment initiatives, and an awe-inspiring awards ceremony. This year, FEDtalk recorded live from the event in Tampa, Florida to give listeners an inside look at the event themes, presenters and sessions, guest speakers, and award winners.

What’s happening at FEEA is what’s happening to feds, both in- and outside of work. While our emergency assistance, disaster relief, and scholarship programs address specific needs feds may have, our #FedLifeHacks program – launched two years ago – tackles the everyday issues feds and their families face.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently released a guide to help current and prospective cyber professionals chart their careers. This guide comes out in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s announcement of the launch of the Cyber Talent Management System. This system is meant to give hiring managers more pay flexibility to bring skilled cyber employees into the federal government while bypassing USAjobs.

The DOJ Gender Equality Network (DOJ GEN) recently called on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to stop permitting hiring managers to ask for an applicant’s salary history when hiring. Last year, six Department of Justice (DOJ) employee associations wrote a letter to DOJ component leaders calling for an end to this practice, but the Justice Management Division responded, saying that the practice was justified under federal hiring regulations.

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 17, 2021, a licensed Chicago pharmacist was arrested for allegedly selling dozens of authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay.

Former Chief of Disguise for the CIA, Jonna Mendez, shows how spies in the CIA create effective disguises. Learn about the principles that agents use to disguise themselves.

In two opinions issued on August 12, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that the Department of Veterans Affairs erroneously interpreted the provisions of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 when disciplining its employees. The purpose of the 2017 law, codified at 38 U.S.C. § 714, was to provide for expedited discipline of VA employees, strip MSPB of its authority to mitigate the VA’s chosen penalty, and to impose a less rigorous burden of proof on the agency at the appellate level than a traditional MSPB appeal.

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, launched by President Biden to guide federal agencies on safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced in updated guidance that agencies need to ask about the vaccination status of federal workers, who could face consequences for providing false information but may decline to answer.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a management advisory memorandum to leaders at the Justice Management Division (JMD) identifying a number of concerns with human resources policies and data. The memo notes several continued deficiencies initially identified in DOJ OIG’s October 2020 report on enhancing human capital titled “Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Justice 2020.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced in a press release last week that it is launching an initial body worn camera program. CBP has begun outfitting an initial group of officers and agents with body worn cameras to enhance accountability and transparency in its policing.

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 11, 2021, a sober home operator in Massachusetts, Peter McCarthy, allegedly subjected female residents to sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.

Listen in as former FBI agent and body language expert Joe Navarro discusses body language. Learn key information about body language and how to use it.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). This “super statute” governs the way administrative agencies develop and issue regulations and allows for oversight of agency actions by federal courts. On FEDtalk last week, the guests took a brief look at the history of the APA and how the law has evolved over the last 75 years. Finally, the group discussed modern issues in administrative law and how these challenges impact the civil service.