Nextgov
Agencies Offer Sneak Peeks into Their 5G Plans
From fixing planes before they break to doctors performing surgery in real time from two continents, agency officials are already looking at how faster connections could change their missions.
Route Fifty
Want a Good Police K9? Try the Animal Shelter.
Rescue dogs, including pit bulls, are finding work as police K9s across the country.
Pay & Benefits
It’s Time to Start Thinking About Health Insurance Open Season
It’ll get here quicker than you think.
Oversight
Viewpoint: The U.S. Government Has a Secrecy Problem
American officials classify too much information, from the trivial to the politically inconvenient. The overreliance on secrecy invites abuse.
Nextgov
Legacy Systems Held DHS' Biometrics Programs Back. Not Anymore.
The cloud-based HART system, which will house data on hundreds of millions of people, promises to significantly expand the department’s use of facial recognition and other biometric software, as well as its partnerships with external agencies.
Route Fifty
It’s Easiest to Find Healthy Food in Cafeterias and Vending Machines of These Cities
City parks, hospitals, airports, and child care centers sell thousands of snacks and meals each day. A new ranking looks at how healthy city-procured food options are.
Pay & Benefits
Warren Promises to Pay Federal Employees During Shutdowns If She Becomes President
Democratic candidate's plan also calls for reversing President Trump’s executive orders "attacking" the federal workforce.
Management
Trump Taps Former Corporate Lawyer to Lead Regulatory Rollbacks
Paul Ray has been the acting head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for six months.
Management
People Are Increasingly Interrupted at Work, but It’s not All Bad
Interruptions are inevitable – but how they happen matters.
Nextgov
A Federal Privacy Board Is Reviewing DHS’ Airport Facial Recognition Programs
An agency shared new details around its recent observations of one TSA biometrics pilot—and what it aims to assess in a comprehensive report it’s generating over the course of the next year.
Oversight
Trump’s USDA Is Letting Factories With Troubling Safety Records Slaughter Chickens Even Faster
Workers are getting injured, but the Department of Agriculture says their safety is not its responsibility.
Management
Federal Agency Staffing Problems in California Should Trigger Alarms
Talent gaps cannot be solved within the rigid civil service system.
Oversight
How to Prep Yourself for Flu Season
As the flu season gets started, what can you do to protect yourself and stay healthy?
Oversight
Play of the Day: Someone Had to Get a Cost Estimate For a Border Moat Filled With Gators
New reporting says Donald Trump had some interesting ideas about border security.
Route Fifty
Local Law Enforcement Should Be Able to Protect Airports From Drones, Report Says
To address security risks, a task force recommends that Congress authorize local law enforcement to take down drones flown too close to airports.
Oversight
Whistleblower is Vulnerable to Retaliation Due to Limited Intelligence Community Protections
Under the law, the president is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected, but experts say the law never accounted for a president leading the attack on a whistleblower.
Management
IRS: Sorry, but It’s Just Easier and Cheaper to Audit the Poor
Congress asked the IRS to report on why it audits the poor more than the affluent. Its response is that it doesn’t have enough money and people to audit the wealthy properly. So it’s not going to.
Pay & Benefits
A Close Call for Paid Parental Leave, a Chance to Share Your Views on Benefits and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Agencies May Now Enforce Trump’s Controversial Workforce Orders
An expired court injunction clears the way for the administration to significantly curtail the power of federal employee unions.
Nextgov