Pay & Benefits
5 Open Season Questions and Answers
Test your knowledge of what to do in these specific scenarios.
Route Fifty
With ‘Outlier’ 2nd Amendment Case, Supreme Court Could Raise Bar for Gun Laws
The New York City case gives the court a chance to tighten the standards that lower courts use to decide whether firearms regulations are constitutional.
Route Fifty
Local Election Officials Can Get Free Election Auditing Software from the Feds
The open-source software is already being piloted in at least six states and officials say it can help authenticate results in 2020.
Workforce
Federal Correctional Officer Suicides Sound Alarms at Bureau Of Prisons
Staffing levels are another major issue for the agency.
Pay & Benefits
Rubio Escalates Attacks in Dispute Over TSP International Fund Changes
The Republican senator urged President Trump to replace the board that administers the Thrift Savings Plan after it refused to reverse course on including Chinese companies in its investment offerings.
Route Fifty
Putting Men on Diaper Duty
Lawmakers in Wisconsin hope to require more public buildings to place diaper changing stations in both men's and women's restrooms, the latest state to debate this new twist for so-called "potty parity."
Nextgov
CISA Wants a Vulnerability Disclosure Program At Every Agency
The agency released a draft binding operational directive that would require all civilian agencies to receive and resolve vulnerabilities identified by public security researchers.
Route Fifty
Rural Communities Look to Jails for Revenue
A new report found that rural areas are increasingly renting out jail beds to places with overcrowded facilities in an effort to bring in more revenue.
Nextgov
For Contractors, Work on GSA’s Schedule Consolidation Begins in January
Schedule contract holders will get a mass modification agreement in January and six months to negotiate exceptions to specific clauses.
Management
The Education Department is Investigating Foreign Influence at Two Prominent Universities
The agency wants detailed records of what the institutions received from the Russian, Chinese, Saudi Arabian and Qatar governments, as well as Huawei, ZTE and others.
Management
Why Trump (Probably) Won’t Ditch Rudy
The president’s personal lawyer is at the center of the House impeachment probe—perhaps too close to risk setting free.
Management
Agencies Are Cracking Down on Employees' Opioid Use, Both Legal and Illegal
At least one agency is testing the fitness of employees with legal opioid prescriptions.
Management
Viewpoint: Trump’s Attack on Science Is an Attack on Public Health
I spent years doing research to inform policy. Now the Environmental Protection Agency is working to erase it.
Route Fifty
Congress Questions Airbnb Over Scam Host Allegations, Compliance With Local Laws
Six members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to Airbnb to request a briefing to address concerns about the company’s ability to vet rentals.
Management
OPM: Agencies Can Implement Workforce EOs at Some Agencies Without Bargaining
The Office of Personnel Management said agencies may unilaterally implement the provisions of three controversial executive orders, provided workers are operating under a contract that has been automatically renewed.
Route Fifty
Monitoring Deer Health Means a Helicopter Ride for a Utah Herd
About 50 mule deer in Utah were flown recently to a state-owned ranch to allow wildlife biologists to examine and tag them. Officials said the tests give them important insights into the health of the herd as a whole.
Workforce
DOJ Employees Say They're 'Afraid' After Department Argues in Court Against LGBTQ Protections
Employees say morale is tanking and some are questioning their commitment to the Justice Department over its positions.
Management
Sometimes, Executive Orders Are No More Powerful Than Tweets
Orders can be issued with the stroke of a pen. Implementing them is another matter.
Oversight
Intel and Defense IGs Reaffirm Commitment to Protecting Whistleblowers During 'Searing Time'
“Time will tell whether whistleblowers’ rights and protections will emerge from this period with the same legal, ethical, and moral strength they had previously,” one watchdog wrote.
Management