Route Fifty
Firefighting Tragedy in Washington State as Wildland Blazes Spread
At least 235,000 acres have burned in the drought-stricken state, amid a devastating summer of wildfires.
Nextgov
House Oversight Chief Probes OPM Hack Timeline
Rep. Jason Chaffetz is zeroing in on a March 2014 cyberintrusion at the agency, during which hackers made off with what amounted to a blueprint of OPM’s IT systems.
Route Fifty
The Future of Hobby Drone Rules Is Undetermined
The aircraft are endangering aircraft and firefighters, but the FAA isn't stepping up. Will the states?
News
Consumer Bureau Couldn't Buy Better Publicity
Profile paints picture of a powerful watchdog "striking fear into the lending industry."
Nextgov
Ex-State Employee Allegedly Cyberstalked Hundreds of Coeds from Embassy Computer
Criminal checks into suspect Michael C. Ford later revealed a history of voyeurism.
Route Fifty
In 3 States, an Overwhelming Response to New Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants
In California, Colorado and Connecticut, more than 500,000 licenses have been issued to applicants with no proof of U.S. residency. “This issue is dynamic and gaining traction,” says one expert.
News
Why Obama’s Post-Presidential Role Model Could be Herbert Hoover
President shows some interest in tackling government reform after he leaves office.
Route Fifty
Route Fifty City-County Roadtrip Recap: Should Frederick Remove Its Bust of a Pro-Slavery Historic Figure?
In this historic city, the legacy of the Civil War and slavery is front and center.
Route Fifty
Drought-Fueled ‘Self Deportation’ in California; Ashley Madison Hack’s Municipal Targets
Also: Aging Twin Cities suburbs go begging for subsidies and a look at where Confederate flag rallies have taken place.
Route Fifty
Route Fifty City-County Roadtrip Recap: Baltimore City Hall’s Tough Year
Charm City has faced significant challenges in 2015, relations with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are tense and the road to recovery is unclear.
Route Fifty
Some Relief for Oregon Neighborhood Facing Onslaught of Government Beetles
But despite die-offs, some of the plant-eating insects are still hanging on. “I found them yesterday on a climbing rose in our backyard,” says one resident.
Route Fifty
Alabama Steel Town’s Bad News; Richmond’s Bad Bet on Washington’s Football Team
Also: An Idaho wildfire’s impacts on sensitive wildlife and more misery for New Jersey commuters.
News
Smithsonian Holds Out Virtual Tin Cup for Spacesuit Restoration
Kickstarter campaign nets hundreds of thousands of dollars to rescue NASA artifacts.
Route Fifty
New Jersey Tops Rankings of State Property Tax Rates
Where does your state stack up compared to the Garden State?
Nextgov
Pentagon Researchers Will Wage Counterattack on Crippling ‘DDoS’ Cyber Strikes
Stability of agency operations, banking, online gaming and many other daily activities are at stake here.
Nextgov
White House Makes Presidential Innovation Fellows Program Permanent
The president signed an executive order ensuring the PIF program outlasts an administration change.
Nextgov
US Intelligence Community Keys in on the Russian ‘Troll Army’ Manipulating Social Media
Algorithms might be able to discern Facebook and Twitter trolls.
Nextgov
Hackers Get Wall Street Tipoffs, Spy on UVA Employees and Harass Librarians
Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.
Route Fifty
Florida Schools Turned Into ‘Failure Factories’; Baltimore’s Big Tech Dreams
Also: Iowa’s big LED streetlamp leap and Boise homelessness lawsuit’s national impact.
Nextgov