Management

Transition Roundup: Biden Focuses on Non-Senate Confirmed Positions; Fauci to Meet with Biden Team

There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.

Route Fifty

How to Fairly Use Algorithms to Make Tough Decisions

COMMENTARY | With computer power increasingly used to guide policies adopted by states and local leaders, governments need to take steps to ensure the underlying algorithms aren’t biased.

Defense

US Has Achieved ‘Modicum of Success’ in Afghanistan, Top General Says

But years of military stalemate make negotiating with the Taliban the only option, Gen. Mark Milley says.

Workforce

Which Countries Have the Most Ageism?

Ageism varies among countries, new research shows. Older adults in Japan and China are highly respected; but that's less true in the U.S.

Oversight

GovExec Daily: Midnight Regulations During the Transition

Courtney Bublé joins the podcast to discuss the outgoing administration's last-minute rulemaking.

Route Fifty

12 Million People to Lose Unemployment Benefits This Month When Federal Programs Expire

Federal safety net programs that have provided additional unemployment benefits for workers who lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic are set to end.

Route Fifty

NYC Health Official Tells Older Residents to Stay Home

At-risk residents in New York City, including people over the age of 65, should limit excursions as Covid-19 cases rise, the city's top health official advised this week.

Oversight

Watchdog: OMB Should Issue Guidance About Improper Payments With COVID Relief Funds

The full extent of the issue is not fully known yet, but there could be a “substantial” sum in mistaken payments, said the Government Accountability Office.

Pay & Benefits

Feds Gain Early Win in Fight for Payout From 2018 Shutdown

At least 32,000 federal employees could be in line for a four-figure payday, though 25,000 are still awaiting damages awarded to them after 2013 shutdown.

Nextgov

Pentagon Extends Work From Home Flexibility for Civilian Employees

The Defense Department will allow civilians to telework even if children or other dependents in need of supervision are present at home.

Pay & Benefits

White House Now Supports 2021 Pay Freeze, but Only for Civilians

The announcement marks a reversal for the Trump administration, which previously proposed a 1% across-the-board pay increase for all federal employees.

Management

Remaking Government as a Great Place to Work

For reasons now buried in history, the Office of Personnel Management has never provided leadership in analyzing or tackling workforce problems.

Defense

EXCLUSIVE: Details Revealed in Trump’s Lame-Duck Pentagon Budget Draft

Some of the numbers are “fabricated,” says one official. But they shed light on GOP lines of attack awaiting Biden.

Nextgov

GAO: AI Promising in Health Care, but Challenges Remain

The nascent technology is leading to positive health care outcomes, but issues may impede widespread adoption.

Management

Your Brain’s Built-In Biases Insulate Your Beliefs from Contradictory Facts

Cognitive shortcuts help you efficiently move through a complicated world. But they come with an unwelcome side effect: Facts aren't necessarily enough to change your mind.

Management

GovExec Daily: Political Leadership and Communication During Divisive Times

Communications expert Eric Yaverbaum joins the podcast to discuss how Joe Biden can try to bring people together when he takes office in January.

Route Fifty

Lawsuit Claims Remote Learning is Driving Inequities for California K-12 Students

The suit, brought by families and advocacy groups, argues that kids have lacked technology and faced other problems as the coronavirus keeps them from classrooms.