Route Fifty

Governors, County Leaders Gather in D.C. for 2016 Winter Meetings

Among the topics being discussed at the National Governors Association and National Association of Counties meetings: Opioid abuse, rural poverty and fiscal challenges, among many others.

Nextgov

Hackers Hate on Health Care: Delaying Meals, Holding a Hospital Hostage, Stealing Brain Patient IDs and Exposing Battered Women

Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.

Route Fifty

Economists Tell Governors That a Recession Is on the Horizon

It probably won’t happen this year but the “next recession is probably closer than the last one,” one expert said during the National Governors Association’s winter meeting.

Tech

Why the IRS Was Just Hacked – Again – and What the Feds Can Do About It

Federal networks need stronger cybersecurity measures than most organizations, but have not yet gotten the budget or staffing commitments that would protect them properly.

Management

Flint and the Case for Open Government

The paternalistic approach to government has run its course.

Tech

Could FDA E-Cigarette Regulations Help People Quit Smoking?

Officials could give the FDA authority to develop more e-cigarette rules.

Tech

What the First Presidential Campaign Websites Looked Like

The site made for Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential run is a little jewel in Internet history.

Tech

NASA’s New Telescope Will Have a View 100 Times Bigger Than Hubble’s

Are we alone in the universe? What is dark energy? The WFIRST telescope aims to answer both of these questions.

Pay & Benefits

Cutting Federal Pay 40 Percent, Eliminating Government Unions and More From the Campaign Trail

Presidential candidates discuss ways to hold federal employees more accountable.

Nextgov

White House Wants to Train K-12 Students to Be Nation’s Future Cyber Defense

The White House’s $4 billion plan for computer science curriculum in K-12 schools is about more than education reform.

Nextgov

IRS Phishing Scams Up 400 Percent, Agency Warns

As of mid-February, the IRS has already experienced 1,389 incidents.

Nextgov

Head of DHS' Emergency Cyber Unit Stepping Down

During her three years in office, Ann Barron-DiCamillo, head of the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, has been a mainstay on Capitol Hill.

Management

Must Presidential Transitions End with Sabotaged White House Keyboards?

Scholars and alumni of past presidential transitions strive for bipartisan planning.

Defense

U.S. Airstrikes in Libya Reportedly Targets a Tunisian ISIS Leader

The strike reportedly targeted a militant who masterminded two major attacks in Tunisia last year.

Management

The One Question You Must Ask If You Want to Motivate Your Team

Many leaders focus on their staff or their surroundings. They’re missing the biggest issue of all.

Route Fifty

Flood Disaster Prompts Digitization Effort for 1,700 Boxes of Damaged Documents

In its recovery from Hurricane Irene, an Upstate New York county also improved access to records.