Happy Fourth of July, Readers! We hope you have a fun and relaxing holiday weekend planned. Here are 3 fun facts about Independence Day:
- The Declaration of Independence Was Written on a Laptop. Not a modern laptop, but still. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on a writing desk that could fit over one’s lap. This device was referred to at the time as a “laptop.”
- There is Something Written on the Back of the Declaration of Independence. According to the History Channel, a simple message is written upside-down across the bottom of the signed document that reads, “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776.”
- The Designer of the 50-Star Flag Lived in Lancaster, Ohio. In 1958, a history teacher asked students to redesign the national flag as both Alaska and Hawaii neared statehood. Robert G. Heft, who was 16 at the time, designed a new flag using the old 48-star flag and spent $2.87 on materials. His design earned him a B-minus to which he challenged by sending it to Washington D.C. to be considered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
While you are enjoying the weekend, we have provided a few noteworthy articles pertaining to federal government contracting for your reading consideration, including Polaris timing update, category management struggles for small businesses, and predictions for the 2023 NDAA. Enjoy your 4th!
- Military Contractors Indicted for $7 Million Procurement Fraud Scheme [DoJ]
- SBA working to reform category management, reverse decline in small business contractors [FedNewsNet]
- SBA Administrator Releases Statement on Reversal of Roe v Wade [Small Business Trends]
- DHS looks to expand its Procurement Innovation Lab [FCW]
- Twelve senators reject VA’s plans to reshape health care real estate under AIR Commission [FedNewsNet]
- Six government agencies launch quantum technology research consortium [FedScoop]
- Biden signs VA health record modernization transparency act into law [FedScoop]
- Contractors start looking at what’s in the defense authorization bill for 2023 [FedNewsNet]
- Why the National Security Agency overpaid contractors during the height of the pandemic [FedNewsNet]
- GSA acquisition exec says agency will proceed with Polaris solicitation by end of June [FedScoop]
- CMMC early adopter program to further spur vendor cyber actions [FedNewsNet]
- GSA Federal Acquisition Service’s Laura Stanton on STARS III, Alliant 3 and Polaris [FedScoop]