Tech
Despite Obama’s Pledge to Curb It, NSA Mass Surveillance Wins Rubber Stamp
Mass surveillance just earned another 90-day blank check, nine months after President Obama promised to rein in the NSA’s spying powers.
Management
Will Firing One Background Check Contractor Fix the Broken Security Clearance System?
Industry and employee representatives say USIS’ removal could backfire.
Management
Want to Be Happier? Try Walking Even Part of the Way to Work
New research concludes that an active commute may be as important to well-being as marriage or a pay raise.
Oversight
Rand Paul Doesn't Really Want To Repeal Every Executive Order Ever
Senator did not mean his comment literally, aide says.
Route Fifty
Don't Worry About the Size of the Government
Setting out to shrink the size of agencies at all costs can actually raise them—as Louisiana's child-welfare system found.
Defense
Kerry: Countries Are Offering Ground Troops in Fight Against ISIS
Secretary of State says he is "extremely encouraged" by the level of international commitment to military assistance.
Oversight
Hill Agenda This Week: Keep Government Open and Arm Syrian Rebels
Congress has plenty to tackle in its last week before recess.
Oversight
Play of the Day: What Peru Can Do To Combat The Islamic State
The group is a threat to the whole world. Even Peru.
Nextgov
First of its Kind Venture Capital Fund Pumps Millions into GovTech Startups
The GovTech Fund has raised $23 million and invested in four companies.
Management
The NFL Shows That Culture Change (or Lack of It) Starts at the Top
There has to be alignment between what you’re asking people to do and what you do.
Route Fifty
Alaska’s Distressing Murder Ranking; NYC Council Speaker’s Retribution?
Also in our weekend State & Local news roundup: Virginia’s toll-billing glitch, Las Vegas’ new car-washing regs.
Management
Mitt Romney's Friends Keep Pushing Him to Run for President
Democrats have Hillary Clinton, but Republicans still lack a clear 2016 frontrunner to direct their speculation toward.
Nextgov
What Kind of CTO Will Megan Smith Be?
Former Googler Megan Smith said she’ll take an expansive view of technology in her new role.
Nextgov
Skyping Fake Bomb Threats in the Name of ISIS Not a Wise Move
21-year-old Connecticut gamer arrested for "swatting" schools nationwide.
Management
The Upside of Pessimism
The theory of defensive pessimism suggests that imagining—and planning for—worst-case scenarios can be more effective than trying to think positively.
Defense
New Guidance Aims to Help Vietnam-Era Vets Who Are Denied Benefits
The Pentagon wants to make it easier for vets suffering from PTSD who received less-than-honorable discharges to obtain service benefits.
Defense
What the White House Means When It Says 'We're at War' with ISIS
'We are at war with [ISIS] in the same way that we are at war with Al Qaeda and its affiliates around the world,' White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.
Management
Why Every Executive Needs to Be Both a Hedgehog and a Fox
It’s critical to focus on the details and the big picture.
Oversight