There really was an institutional bias within Veterans Affairs against a Congressional dictum to centralize its information technology processes and The Hill has a “secretly recorded” tape to prove it, reports the Congressional newspaper. On this tape, one VA official says, “It’s about power; it’s about Congress saying, “VA, you’re accountable to us.” The security of veterans’ personal information became a major issue on Capitol Hill last spring when a laptop computer—containing information on more than 26.5 million veterans and military personnel—was stolen from the employee’s home. The laptop eventually was recovered and apparently no data compromise had occurred.
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.