Happy Labor Day weekend, Readers. Monday is a federal holiday so I’m sure everyone is looking forward to an enjoyable, long weekend and perhaps a parade. It turns out that the first Labor Day parade was in New York City on September 5, 1882 when, according to the US Department of Labor, a newspaper account of the day described “men on horseback, men wearing regalia, men with society aprons, and men with flags, musical instruments, badges, and all the other paraphernalia of a procession.”
While some of the parade marchers returned to work, most continued on to the post-parade party; even some unions that had not participated in the parade showed up to join in the post-parade festivities that included speeches, a picnic, an abundance of cigars, and “Lager beer kegs… mounted in every conceivable place.” – US Department of Labor
It sounds like a good time was had by all! Enjoy the long weekend and here are a few noteworthy happenings in federal government contracting news to peruse at your leisure.
- OMB seeks feedback on plans to bridge federal ‘data divide’ hampering equity goal [FedNewsNet]
- SBA Opens Program to Get Women Owned Businesses Federal Contracts [SmlBizTrends]
- Appeals court partially lifts ban on federal contractor vaccine mandate [FedNewNet]
- Struggling to Nab a Federal Contract? The SBA Just Made Things a Little Bit Easier [Inc]
- Can government go green without overhauling procurement rules? [FedNewsNet]
- SBA Administrator Guzman, WIPP, AMEX Announce the Return of Government Contracting Education Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs: ChallengeHer [SBA]
- Some do’s and don’ts for contractors as the end of the fiscal year approaches [FedNewsNet]
- Quantum computing’s threat to cybersecurity — winter is coming [FedNewsNet]
- New NASA IT contract may consolidate 10 programs [FCW]
- How the VA’s adoption of Login.gov is going [FCW]
- The present and future of FedRAMP [FCW]
- VA installs Lynette Sherrill as permanent chief information security officer [FedScoop]
- Philips North America Agrees to Pay $4.2 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act Violations [DoJ]
- US Department of Labor Obtains Court Order Preventing Federal Contractor From Retaliating Against, Intimidating Workers on Maryland Projects [DoL]
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Reauthorization and Improvement of Mentor-Protégé Program (DFARS Case 2020-D009) [FedReg]
- AbilityOne brings Goodwill, other nonprofits into federal contracting [FedTimes]
- READOUT: Administrator Guzman Meets with Hawaii Native Business Owners & Community Partners to Highlight Economic Recovery & Local Impact of American Rescue Plan & Inflation Reduction Act [SBA]