Pay & Benefits
Bipartisan Spending Deal Includes Average 3.1% Pay Raise for Federal Workers in 2020
Congressional negotiators agreed to use language advocated by Democrats to provide an across-the-board 2.6% pay increase to federal civilian employees, along with an average 0.5% boost in locality pay.
Oversight
Special Counsel Alerts White House and Congress of ‘Significant Financial Mismanagement’ at VA
Findings include over $223 million in wasteful spending and delayed payments for veterans’ medical bills.
Route Fifty
Supreme Court Declines to Consider Homeless Camping Ban Case
The high court is leaving in place an appellate court ruling that found it was unconstitutional to prosecute homeless people for sleeping in public outdoors when no shelter was available.
Route Fifty
A Plan for Closing the Gap Between ‘Superstar’ Cities and Other Metro Regions
Just five U.S. metro areas were home to more than 90% of tech sector growth between 2005 and 2017. How can policymakers change that?
Management
Analysis: How McKinsey Makes Its Own Rules
The consulting giant, which likes to compare itself to the Marines and the Catholic Church, has a habit of disregarding rules and norms in its government work.
Oversight
Why Congress Would Keep Working During a Government Shutdown
Even if other parts of the federal government shut down, Congress could – and would have to – keep working. A legal scholar explains why and how that is possible.
Oversight
How to Conduct a Trial in the Senate
The Constitution does not provide procedural guidelines for how an impeachment trial is to be conducted—so the senators of 1868 had to figure it out as they went.
Management
Analysis: In Impeachment Spotlight, Dueling Views of Professionalism Appear
Public officials are now in the spotlight: Does the public view them as professionals, bound by duty, or as elites who invoke ideals while pursuing their own agendas?
Management
How You Can Get Better at Picking Creative Ideas
"We're probably all killing a lot of our best ideas early in the creative process without knowing it."
Route Fifty
In a County Jail, 'The Barracks' Aims to Give Veterans Resources and Hope
At the Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia, inmates who previously served in the military can choose to join a veterans-only housing unit that offers structure and tailored programming.
Workforce
Few BLM Employees Agree to Relocate as Interior Attempts to Ease Pain of Those It Will Fire
So far just two employees have agreed to move from Washington headquarters to new locations in western states.
Nextgov
TMF Program Office Won’t Recoup Current Costs Until 2025, Watchdog Says
Officials pushed back strongly against the report.
Management
Experts Praise New Acquisition Workforce Training Requirements
The “significant” provisions will align the public and private sectors, said one.
Defense
House Defense Bill Would Mandate Carbon Capture Program for the Military
A technology that many hope will prevent the worst effects of climate change could also produce fuel or other defense products.
Route Fifty
They’ve Built It, but Will People Come to the Midwest?
COMMENTARY | Several Midwest cities like Indianapolis are experiencing an economic renaissance. Yet, the region’s inability to attract people threatens long-term prospects.
Route Fifty
A New Look at How States Block Local Laws in Areas Ranging From Guns to Taxes
“This is a national preemption movement that is occurring,” says the CEO of the National League of Cities.
Oversight
Watchdog Concludes Defense Appointee Sexually Harassed Employees
Guy Roberts, former assistant secretary of Defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, hugged, touched and made sexual comments toward several women, the Pentagon inspector general found.
Route Fifty
A Foster Care and Adoption Shift in a Southern State
Louisiana refocused its efforts on foster care and adoption four years ago. Today, adoption rates are up, particularly among sibling groups and older teens.
Nextgov
Senate Advances Legislation to Preserve T-Band Spectrum for Emergency Personnel
Experts agree that Congress must reverse a rule to protect the crucial band set aside specifically for first responders in dense cities.
Management