It was a busy week for me in Washington, DC.  The highlight was attending oral arguments in Kingdomware Technologies v. United States on Monday.  Although I was supposed to head back to Lawrence Wednesday night, a bout of severe weather led to the cancellation of my flight–and two extra unscheduled nights in DC.

Now that I’m finally back here in Lawrence, it’s time for our weekly dose of government contracting news.  In this week’s SmallGovCon Week In Review, SAM problems lead to a pre-award protest, an uphill battle for women-owned businesses seeking federal contracts, the “worst website in government” is getting an upgrade and much more.

• In Kingdomware, the Supreme Court returned to the bench for the first time since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. [The Hill]
• A small business has filed a pre-award protest involving the apparent unavailability of the SAM portal. [FCW]
• A new report from the Department of Commerce demonstrates the difficulties faced by women-owned businesses to secure federal contracts. [Fast Company]
• The GSA is looking at market trends, what agencies need to buy and filling in holes for when contracts come up for renewal, Mary Davie explains. [Federal Times]
• What many call “one of the worst websites in government” is getting a face-lift. [Federal News Radio]
• A former Navy contractor has pleaded guilty to falsely certifying that subcontractors  had been paid–when in fact, they had not. [Department of Justice]
• A government contractor has agreed to pay up to $675,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations related to the Davis-Bacon Act. [Department of Justice]
• The Department of Labor has released a proposed rule implementing the “mandatory sick leave” executive order. [Federal Register]