Route Fifty
People Who Live in Violent Neighborhoods Are More Likely to Be Lonely
A new study from Chicago finds that adults in places with high rates of violent crime are more likely to say they feel lonely, a consequence that can come with health repercussions.
Oversight
Employees Report Threatening Anti-LGBT Harassment, Retaliation at National Science Foundation
An outside investigator recently substantiated allegations that a career manager made sexually explicit jokes and bullied LGBT employees.
Nextgov
GSA Offers More Details on Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence
Officials will build on their work with the Pentagon’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center to help other agencies adopt the tech, and the Health and Human Services Department could be next.
Nextgov
6 Lessons from Government Customer Experience Professionals
Officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Transportation Security Administration and Office of Federal Student Aid explained what’s worked in improving customer experience.
Management
Report: IRS Should Have an Official In Charge of Customer Experience
The agency could also improve its website and share more feedback, analysts conclude in first-of-its-kind report.
Defense
Syrian Decision Rekindles Fear of ISIS Prison Breaks
Pentagon and State Department officials have raised alarms for months about the makeshift prisons.
Management
What Role Did Rick Perry Play in the Trump-Ukraine Incidents at the Heart of the Impeachment Inquiry?
The president said his energy secretary suggested he talk to the Ukrainian president. Perry, once Texas' governor, said his prodding was about energy and the economy — not the Bidens.
Oversight
Play of the Day: 'Unmatched Wisdom' Coming from the White House
Donald Trump used some grandiose language in a tweet about Turkey.
Management
What Popular Government Service Providers Could Teach Other Agencies
First of its kind report looks at successful practices that could be replicated governmentwide.
Route Fifty
How One Community Embraced and Saved its Oddball Roadside Attraction
Facing safety concerns, Jones County, Iowa found a way to preserve its famed hula hoop tree.
Route Fifty
Preventing Student Violence Through Education
A proposal in Ohio would require public middle and high schools to teach an annual class about suicide and violence prevention.
Management
HHS Engaged in Bad Faith Bargaining With Union, Arbitrator Finds
An independent arbitrator ordered the department and labor officials to return to the bargaining table, effectively invalidating a contract mandated by the Federal Service Impasses Panel.
Management
Analysis: Trump’s Defeat on Tax Returns Signals a Big Problem for the President
A federal judge dismisses Trump’s “limitless assertion of presidential immunity.”
Pay & Benefits
With Go Ahead from OPM, Agencies Press Forward With Efforts to Cripple Federal Unions
Unions likely to face evictions, severe restrictions on official time.
Nextgov
The Pentagon is Standing Up a Nonprofit to Assess Vendor Cybersecurity
The organization would be responsible for running the department’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.
Route Fifty
Barred from Removing Confederate Statues, Cities Are Contextualizing Them Instead
Some cities are adding plaques and launching educational initiatives to tell a more complete story of the Civil War. But even if they aren’t removing Confederate statues, some still face pushback.
Management
A Quiet Legacy: The Bush Management Agenda Continues to Impact Government
Reform is inherently nonpartisan, and it’s important to keep moving the goal post.
Nextgov
Energy to Launch $5.5M Artificial Intelligence Research Center
Researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Georgia Institute of Technology will join forces to address AI challenges through co-design.
Management
How Employees Pollute Their Own Office Space
Data show that people and ventilation systems greatly affect the chemistry of indoor air—possibly more than anything else in an office space.
Defense