Management
Peter Thiel is Pushing Donald Trump to Use Private Space Companies at NASA
The battle over how humans head for the stars has taken a new turn.
Tech
The Most Urgent Questions About the Russia Hacks
No foreign power has ever intervened to try to shape a U.S. election with this kind of sophistication and potency.
Oversight
New Leadership at VA Committees, But Likely Same Priorities
Lawmakers in the next Congress are expected to keep focus on improving vets’ access to health care and stronger employee accountability.
Route Fifty
N.Y. State Pension Bribery Indictments; Will Congress Kill D.C.’s ‘Death With Dignity Act’?
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Snow-removal costs pile up in Billings; Ohio aims to make its data more accessible; and Oklahoma City’s new evening lifeline.
Management
Trump Can't Actually Cancel Federal Contracts on a Whim
The process of withholding payments for government work is intentionally cumbersome.
Nextgov
NIST Wants Help ‘Future-Proofing’ Data Security
The standards agency is seeking citizens' aid in building encryption algorithms that can withstand attacks by quantum computers.
Management
How Benchmarking Can Help Agencies Improve Performance and Save Money
Publicly comparing similar activities can be a powerful driver for change.
Management
The Spiritual Crisis of the Modern Economy
The main source of meaning in American life is a meritocratic competition that makes those who struggle feel inferior.
Management
For the Holidays This Year, Give Yourself the Gift of Solitude
How to disappear completely.
Management
A New Military Jet Flies Just One Year After It Was Designed
The new Boeing and Saab plane took to the sky for the first time on Tuesday, showing defense firms can build complex weapons quickly.
Management
Obama’s Move to Stop Arctic Drilling Forever Could Thwart Donald Trump’s Oil Ambitions
Most of the US Arctic is now "indefinitely off limits to offshore oil and gas leasing."
Tech
How Did One Small Defense Firm Get a Seat at Trump's Tech Summit?
The meeting put data-viz firm Palantir next to some of the world’s largest data-gathering companies.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Trump's Inauguration Musician Search
Yes, Andrea Bocelli back out of the event, but Chumbawamba and The Freedom Girls are probably available.
Pay & Benefits
Pay Agent Accepts New Localities, Rejects Giving Others Bigger Adjustments
Labor, OMB and OPM leaders make final recommendations for 2018.
Tech
America Already Had a Muslim Registry
A program that targeted visitors from Muslim-majority countries was phased out in 2011—but unless it’s dismantled completely, Donald Trump could easily reinstate it.
Nextgov
Police Use of Phony Cellphone Towers Needs to be Reined in, Lawmakers Warn
The federal government should refuse to OK sale of the fake towers to state and local cops who don’t pledge not to use them without probable cause, a bipartisan report urges.
Tech
Climate Scientists are Launching an Anonymous Hotline for Government Workers to Report Trump Meddling
Donald Trump's position on climate change and his transition team's actions have scientists scrambling.
Management
The Allegations That Trump's Pick for Interior Secretary Committed 'Travel Fraud'
The report notes that during his first campaign Zinke released his service records, which included mentions of “two incidents of unapproved travel."
Route Fifty
L.A. Legal Defense Fund for Undocumented Immigrants; Florida Waits for ‘Active Fire Season’
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Data breach in North Carolina county; Denver airport’s future flashy LED welcome; and a Trump rally tree-cutting controversy in Alabama.
Nextgov