Pay & Benefits
NASA, Defense Boast the Most 2016 Presidential Rank Award Winners
List of winners includes thirty-six recipients of the government’s highest award for excellence in civil service.
Management
Good Government Academy Names New Leader
Teresa Gerton, a military veteran and experienced civilian federal executive, will head the National Academy of Public Administration.
Management
How a Pandemic Might Play Out Under Trump
It’s not clear that the next administration is ready to deal with an outbreak of Ebola, pandemic flu, or other emerging diseases.
Defense
China Returned the U.S. Underwater Drone it Seized in the South China Sea
The handover was "smoothly" completed at midday, Beijing said.
Defense
General Fires Back at Trump: F-35 ‘Not Out of Control’ (It Just Needs Another Half Billion)
The Pentagon’s F-35 boss says costs are falling and he anticipates briefing Trump’s transition team soon, but he needs another $532 million to finish flight testing.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Obama's Russian Strategy
John McCain has accused the president of not having a plan for Russia, but Obama might just employ a stalling technique.
Management
Your Impatience May Be Undermining Your Ability to Manage
Don't create unnecessary problems for yourself and your organization’s mission.
Management
Secret Service Will Maintain ‘Main Duties’ for Protecting Trump, Team Says
Spokesman calls report of private security firm’s large role blown "wildly out of proportion."
Management
Nearly 70% of SES Are About to Experience Their First Presidential Transition as Executives
That statistic is neither unusual or cause for concern, said observers, who praised the professionalism and adaptability of the career executive corps.
Route Fifty
The Budget Mess Continues in Kansas
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback recently told The Kansas City Star: “I want a fairer tax system, but it’s like that was all counter to my policies.” Good luck replenishing that bone-dry rainy day fund.
Oversight
Senators Seek Probe of Potential Civil Service Violations by Trump’s Transition Team
Lawmakers ask for accountability for anyone "coercing" feds for "partisan purposes."
Route Fifty
Special Session for N.C.’s ‘Bathroom Bill’; FEMA Trailer Frustrations in Louisiana
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Minneapolis may defect from regional group; Barrow, Alaska, is no more; and a Sacramento-area park “ruined.”
Management
What Are Some of the Biggest Red Flags in a Job Candidate?
Don't try to drastically change who you are to slip through interviews.
Defense
Tracking Trump’s National-Security Conflicts of Interest
A global business empire raises the question: will the next president’s foreign policy serve America’s interests or his own?
Management
What Carpoolers Really Want
Who will build the great disruptive carpooling app of the 21st century?
Management
Newt Gingrich Tries to Explain How Trump Will Remake America
He summed up the president-elect’s plans simply: “Donald Trump’s gonna kick over the table.”
Defense
That Underwater Drone Trump Doesn’t Want Back? China Says It Might Have 'Valuable Information'
Chinese military experts say the drone could have been collecting intelligence on the Chinese navy.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Donald Trump's Star Wars Connection
No, "Rogue One" didn't change its plot to reflect the president-elect. But he's more like the Star Wars franchise than you think.
Nextgov
You Don’t Need to Catch Hackers in the Act, but Cyber Attribution is Hard
Trump’s refusal to believe the Russian government was behind the DNC hacks is off base, but not as far as many think.
Route Fifty