Oversight
Play of the Day: The President Says Vaping is Dangerous
Donald Trump talked e-cigarettes in the Oval Office and noted the danger to children.
Route Fifty
Appeals Court Overturns State Restrictions on Political Robocalls
Montana’s attorney general is reviewing the decision to see if an appeal is possible, or if lawmakers will need to take action.
Route Fifty
What Happened After a School District Began Feeding Students Breakfast in Classrooms
Springfield Public Schools offer free breakfast to all students in their classrooms, helping boost attendance and graduation rates while decreasing hunger across the Massachusetts school district.
Oversight
State Has Been Consistently Late Submitting Foreign Assistance Budget Documents, Watchdog Finds
In 2018, delays were partially due to staff shortages following the hiring freeze.
Route Fifty
County Leaders Lobby for Federal Lands Money
Local governments received $514 million last year through a program meant to compensate them for the property taxes they are unable to collect from federal lands.
Nextgov
Census is Asking the Public to Help Fight Misinformation Ahead of 2020
The bureau launched a website for dispelling common Census rumors and created a special email address where people can report misinformation and other malicious activities.
Management
The White House Is Planning a Federal Intervention on California Homelessness
President Trump reportedly ordered officials to wade into the homeless crisis in Los Angeles. But local leaders are wary of federal involvement.
Pay & Benefits
Details on the President’s Proposed 2020 Pay Raise, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Nextgov
GAO Launches New Unit to Prepare Congress for the Future
The Center for Strategic Foresight held its first conference, focused on two problems closer to the present than the future: deep space and deepfakes.
Management
Leaders Warn of 'Disturbing Signals' As Senate Starts on Spending Bills to Avoid Shutdown
Just days after beginning work, appropriators delay scheduled votes on measures to fund agencies past September .
Nextgov
Pentagon’s DEOS Contract Protested
The Government Accountability Office will make a decision on the protest by Dec. 18
Tech
So Many Innovation Hubs, So Hard to Find Them
It’s still too hard for emerging companies and the agencies looking for them to find each other.
Management
Controversial OPM Nominee Confirmed Mostly Along Party Lines
Senate approves Dale Cabaniss despite concerns regarding her past governmental experience and plans to merge the agency with the General Services Administration.
Defense
Viewpoint: U.S. Intelligence Needs Another Reinvention
After failing to detect the 9/11 plot, spy agencies reinvented themselves for an age of terrorism, but a new generation of technological threats requires a new round of reforms.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Say Goodbye to John Bolton… And His Mustache
The president has lost another top advisor.
Route Fifty
Eight States See Rise in People Lacking Health Insurance, Census Data Show
National estimates indicate an increased share of Americans don’t have coverage.
Oversight
FEMA Officials Charged With Bribery Over Puerto Rico Power Contracts
A 15-count federal indictment accuses two former FEMA officials and a contractor with bribery, fraud and other offenses related to disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017.
Route Fifty
A Ticket to Ride: Will Busing the Homeless Help or Just Move People Along?
In King County, Washington, a local lawmaker wants to spend $1 million to offer free bus tickets to homeless people to help them reunite with family.
Management
How a CDC Program Is Changing Behavior to Reduce Mine Worker Injuries
Thousands of miners are injured each year; scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to learn why, and then do something about it.
Management