Route Fifty
A No-Drone Zone Showdown in Deadwood, South Dakota
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: IBM vs. Texas bathroom bill; the Utah Highway Patrol’s new tool to enforce texting-while-driving laws; and “spite fences” in California.
Management
Despite Visits from 'Passport Pete,' Overtime Requirement Takes Toll on State Department Employees
With passport applications spiking, employees at offices around the country have been required to work an extra 20 hours a month.
Pay & Benefits
Sustained EPA Cuts Could Make Employees Eager for Buyouts
Agency lays out details of where it will try to cut jobs.
Nextgov
Top Cyber Diplomat Stepping Down
Chris Painter has been the State Department’s cyber coordinator since the office was launched in 2011.
Management
IRS Should Improve FOIA Document Retrieval, Watchdog Finds
Storing hard drives and laptops in multiple locations “is not a sustainable electronic recordkeeping solution," the IG said.
Nextgov
Trump Adds to GSA Leadership
The president appointed an associate administrator to the Office of Governmentwide Policy.
Management
James Comey is Now Writing a Book About Ethical Leadership
The former FBI director was abruptly fired earlier this year.
Tech
Mattis on 2018 Budget: ‘We Have Got to Get a Bill Passed’
Congress is working up budgets that bust spending caps, with little evidence of a deal to avoid automatic cuts.
Pay
Military slated for big pay bump under House version of NDAA
The $696 billion defense authorization bill, passed by the House Friday, includes a 2.4 percent pay raise for members of the military.
Management
The Most Hated Job In Government
Public affairs specialists are too often perceived as not just lazy, overpaid and incompetent, but also a gang of lying propagandists.
Management
Fugitive Kentucky Social Security Fraudster Gets 12 Years in Prison
Exposure of $550 million scheme is a win in fight against improper payments.
Management
The 'Blackwater 2.0' Plan for Afghanistan
Private military contractors have spotted an opportunity as America’s longest war grinds on.
Tech
Here’s What You Need To Know Now About U.S. Customs Searches Of Your Phone
A new letter from the agency is being spun as a victory for travelers—but it's not that simple.
Management
What You Should Do Instead Of Sending Angry Emails To Your Enemies
Once you're finished, click delete.
Management
How VA Reform Turned into a Fight Over Privatization
Democrats and service organizations worry that a Republican push to expand health-care choices for veterans will sap money from the ailing federal system.
Management
Technology Is Setting Us Up For a Training Crisis
"If you've built a watch, you have a much better sense of how that watch works than if you bought it and read a manual."
Oversight
Play of the Day: The White House Needs a Spelling Lesson
On a video defending the health care bill, someone made a mistake on the word "inaccurately."
Nextgov
How a U.S. and Russian Cybersecurity Partnership Could Work
Odd partnerships aren't unheard of the in the cybersecurity world.
Route Fifty
WATCH: This Is What a Megaquake Will Do to an Important Lifeline in Portland
Also in our Weekend State and Local Digest: Maine’s unvaccinated kindergartners; Sacramento seeks out Filipino teachers; and Alabama reverses its ban on margarita pitchers.
Employee Policy