Defense
Get Ready for a Short-Term CR, Congressional Leaders Tell Pentagon
Top House Republicans on defense say it’s not ideal — underfunding has contributed to a rash of recent accidents — but don’t expect a full-year appropriation until December.
Management
Commission on Evidence-Based Policy Calls for Interagency Coordination
Report recommends a National Secure Data Service that would help with specific projects without compromising privacy.
Oversight
NASA's Next Head Wants it to Do Less Climate Science and More Weather Science, But You Can’t Separate Them
Jim Bridenstine would be in charge of an agency critical to both climate science and storm tracking. He's much fonder of the latter.
Oversight
Play of the Day: A Hurricane Deal Keeps the Government Open
Donald Trump agreed to a plan with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown later this month… thanks to Hurricane Harvey.
Management
Here’s What the U.S. Could Sell South Korea and Japan to Counter North Korea
Trump doubles the allowable size of Seoul’s warheads and promises to transfer more sophisticated weapons to Asian allies.
Route Fifty
U.S. DOT Opens Latest Round of TIGER Grant Funding. Will It Be the Last?
President Trump has proposed axing funding for the transportation program. There’s disagreement between the House and Senate on whether to go along with that plan.
Management
Leadership Vacancies Have Slowed Security Clearance Reform, Officials Say
To cope with delays, the Pentagon issues risky interim clearances, resulting in “rapists and pedophiles” having access to classified information.
Nextgov
Virtual Assistants Don’t Always Understand You. That’s a Problem.
The Homeland Security Department’s chatbot “Emma” sometimes struggles to process some Spanish language requests because not everyone says green card the same way.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Treads Water on Retirement Backlog, Harvey Response Continues, and More
A weekly round-up of pay and benefits news.
Oversight
Analysis: Trump's Buck-Passing on Immigration
The president’s decision to try to shift responsibility for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to Congress could turn out to be one of his politically shrewder moves.
Management
Trump's Makeover of the Federal Reserve Will Start Sooner Than Expected
Stanley Fischer's unexpected resignation means five of seven seats on the Fed's powerful Board of Governors will be open for Trump's nominees.
Route Fifty
The Time to Prepare for a Police Shooting Is Before It Happens
In a guest article, the Maricopa County, Arizona, attorney asks: Does your community have a protocol for how to proceed after the deadly use of force by law enforcement?
Management
Trump Backs Deal to Avert a Shutdown ... For Now
Lawmakers weigh continuing resolution to keep government open through mid-December, and a temporary hike in the debt ceiling.
Management
The Trump Administration’s Innovation Problem
Even Mark Zuckerberg probably wouldn’t qualify to be on many government technology contracts.
Nextgov
Homeland Security Adviser Urges Congress to Renew Controversial Surveillance Power
Tom Bossert warned letting Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act sunset would have grave security consequences.
Management
Acting Territorial Kills Creative Feedback
Managers work hard to foster creativity in the workplace, but "territorial marking" can squash the free flow of ideas among colleagues.
Management
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Coordinate with FEMA in Preparation for Irma
A direct hit from one of the strongest storms to ever hit the region will test American disaster response capabilities in the territories.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Trump Wants to End DACA
The president also asked Congress to act on the law.
Nextgov
Army Logistics Renews $135M Cloud Contract—And Gets Watson
Watson will analyze sensor data from vehicles to improve the service's predictive maintenance.
Management