Route Fifty

Appeals Court: DOJ Can Hand Out Police Grants Based on Immigration Enforcement

A federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration can effectively penalize sanctuary cities by awarding preference points for COPS grants to jurisdictions that cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Route Fifty

Black Homeownership Hits A 50-Year Low

The gap between white and black homeownership has also remained largely the same since the 1960s, despite economic and political gains that African Americans have achieved since then.

Nextgov

The Pentagon Releases Its 5-Year Digital Modernization Strategy 

Officials outlined plans to drive innovation, streamline IT acquisitions and build a more agile and resilient cyber posture.

Route Fifty

Why Local Governments Are Considering Balloon Release Bans

Releasing balloons is tantamount to littering, according to one Maryland elected official.

Nextgov

Trump Nominates Acting CMO To Be Third In Line at Pentagon

Lisa Hershman has been nominated to officially take over the role after more than seven months as acting chief management officer.

Nextgov

GSA Announces New Deputy Chief of Staff

LaFondra Lynch, chief of staff for GSA’s Public Buildings Service, took the position July 8.

Route Fifty

Local Officials Want Feds to Scrap Policy Blocking People in Jail From Medicaid

A federal law can lead to breaks in health care benefits for those awaiting trial. Counties and sheriffs plan to lobby for this to be changed.

Route Fifty

Heaps of Cash, Strong Odors and Other Challenges With Local Pot Regulation

“We’ve been basically building this airplane as we fly it,” said one local official as he discussed his county’s efforts to implement recreational marijuana legalization.

Route Fifty

How a State Police Agency Goes Viral (and Maybe Teaches People How to Drive)

The Colorado State Patrol develops relationships with the community and grows its online presence by posting humorous topical videos, a project spearheaded by one of its public information officers.

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Court Rules in Favor of Pentagon in JEDI Lawsuit

The ruling against Oracle clears the way for the government to award the contract in August to Microsoft or Amazon Web Services.

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Trump Executive Order Directs ‘All Agencies’ to Share Citizenship Data with Commerce Department

The executive order followed President Trump’s Rose Garden remarks Thursday but doesn’t provide many specifics regarding how to move the records.

Route Fifty

'Deaths of Despair' Theory Overlooks Other Factors, Researchers Say

A lifetime of poverty and hard work contributes more broadly to the growing mortality gap between low-income people and those who are better off than drug overdoses and suicides, according to new research.

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Interior Approves Chinese Drone Purchases Despite Spying Concerns

However, the agency has multiple technical measures in place to ensure the manufacturer can’t use the aircraft to spy on the U.S., according to the director of Interior’s drone operations.

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Clock Starts on Naming Leaders, Beginning Work on Evidence Act

Agencies now have official guidance on how to meet the first phase of requirements under the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act.

Route Fifty

What Will Local Government Look Like in Space?

Lessons from early American colonies might provide best practices and cautionary lessons for future settlements on other planets.

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GSA's Centers of Excellence Wants Industry Feedback on Pending OPM Effort

The General Services Administration’s Centers of Excellence effort at the Office of Personnel Management is ramping up.

Route Fifty

Key Senators Pledge to Move on Federal Highway Bill This Summer

But lawmakers acknowledge that figuring out a long-term plan to pay for transportation infrastructure remains a major challenge.

Nextgov

Experts Tell Congress Facial Recognition’s Bias Problem May Be Here to Stay

Despite significant improvements in the tech’s overall performance, he said, “it’s unlikely” researchers will ever make systems equally accurate across racial and other demographic lines.

Nextgov

CBP Is Looking for a Vendor to Manage Its Multi-Cloud Environment

The winning company will have to stitch together multiple cloud services and architectures and enable the agency to add new ones as needed.