Management
Why You Should Take Time to Not Think
Consider where you get your best ideas. It's probably not at your desk in front of your computer.
Oversight
Play of the Day: John Kerry Loves French Things
The Secretary of State is French enough to send to the Paris rally. But, were there better candidates?
Oversight
How Will Obama Speak to a Hostile Congress?
The State of the Union will set the tone for the next two years.
Oversight
The Real Target of Obama's Speech on Tuesday? Hillary Clinton
The president's proposals are designed to force his presumptive successor to campaign and govern on his terms.
Management
What Happened From Last Year's State of the Union Address
An annotated tour of the president’s 2014 speech.
Nextgov
Who’s Got the Chops to Run a Transatlantic Cyberspy Cell?
A sustained British-American operation focused on threats to both countries’ networks would be unprecedented.
Defense One
Special Report: The State of Defense 2015
As President Obama prepares to give his State of the Union speech, Defense One takes a closer look at the nation's military and the state of defense.
Nextgov
Survey: Government Agencies May be Better than the Private Sector at Responding to Hacks
About 43 percent of the public sector falls into the "highly sophisticated" security posture segment, according to the 2015 Cisco security report.
Employee Policy
OSC continues to investigate VA retaliation complaints
The Office of Special Counsel said it has obtained more than 25 corrective actions since last April in cases of retaliation against Department of Veterans Affairs whistleblowers who disclosed wrongdoing at the department.
Pay
Reimbursement of mass transit subsidy may prove elusive
Congress last month retroactively raised the 2014 mass transit subsidy that federal agencies and private-sector firms can offer their employees, but there is no guarantee that agencies will retroactively reimburse those employees for the higher amount.
Employee Policy
House member relaunches bill to trim DOD civilian workforce
A California lawmaker has reintroduced legislation aimed at cutting the Defense Department's civilian workforce.
Management
Eric Holder Keeps Chipping Away at ‘The War on Drugs’
In his last days in office, the attorney general is still making sweeping changes to national justice policy.
Employee Policy
New mileage reimbursement rates take effect
New federal mileage reimbursement rates for personally owned vehicles became effective Jan. 1. The new rates, set by the General Services Administration, were published in the Federal Register on Dec. 30.
Route Fifty
When Public Officials Announce They Won’t ‘Set Arbitrary Deadlines’ for Big Projects
After previous false promises, D.C. officials have decided not to provide any updated predictions for a long-delayed project's opening.
Oversight
Bush, Clinton and the Fatigue Factor
Party elites may be fine with dynasty candidates, but rank-and-file voters are warier.
Nextgov
US Digital Team Reaches Across Pond to Share Code, Best Practices
The administration plans to send members of the U.S. Digital Service to meet with their British counterparts in the Government Digital Service.
Nextgov
Hackers Wage ‘Jihad’ on French Websites, Name Swiss Bank Account Clients and Surveil Pyongyang Newsreaders
Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.
Pay & Benefits
Sanders: Obama Won't Put Social Security Cuts in Budget
Budget ranking member says the White House won't include a controversial proposal to tie benefits to inflation.
Management
Prospects for IRS Furloughs Will Depend on Filing Season Expenses
Commissioner Koskinen denies he is exaggerating agency budget woes.
Management