Nextgov
CBP to Process Billions in Trade Revenue Using IBM Cloud
The “mainframe-as-a-service” model allowed the agency to migrate one of its more resource-intensive processes to the cloud.
Management
‘I’m Just Baffled’: Internal Emails Show Career VA Employees Frustrated by Influence of Mar-a-Lago Outsiders
Employees question knowledge of the "Mar-a-Lago" crowd, but note importance of appeasing Trump's friends.
Defense
Trump Told the VA to Order ‘a Lot’ of Ketamine for Vets
The president wants to make a controversial new nasal spray available to depressed veterans. The agency says it will consider incorporating the drug after it has more data.
Route Fifty
Moving Toward Taxing Motorists by the Mile
Nevada will begin collecting odometer readings from drivers this fall, the first step of determining whether a "pay by mile" tax policy would work in the state.
Nextgov
DHS Wants AI to Improve the Contract Performance Assessment Reporting System
Responses to the solicitation are due Aug. 27.
Oversight
Office of Legal Counsel Is Illegally Withholding Opinions from Public Scrutiny, Suit Alleges
Plaintiffs argue that 25-year-old documents are vital to understanding the Trump administration's decisions and should be made public under the 2016 FOIA reform.
Route Fifty
Vermont Needed More Workers. Moving Grants Are Drawing People from Out of State
Vermont officials report sustained interest in the state’s new program to pay remote workers to make a move.
Management
Viewpoint: Changes For a Landmark Agreement Mean Immigrant Children Face Harsher Treatment In the U.S.
Immigrant children could remain indefinitely in federal detention if courts allow the Trump administration to ditch a landmark agreement that has protected migrant children for decades.
Management
The Administration Rushed on a Sweeping Immigration Policy and Made Substantive, Sloppy Mistakes
Trump’s new immigration policy applies more harshly to families of U.S. citizens in the military than to families of noncitizens in the military. Experts think it’s an error that suggests officials are pushing policies even they don’t fully understand.
Nextgov
CISA Chief Unveils Vision for Federal Cybersecurity
Civilian agencies shouldn’t all be forced to manage their own cyber risks, Chris Krebs said.
Route Fifty
Phone Companies Make Pact with State Attorneys General to Combat Robocalls
As part of the agreement, 12 phone carriers pledged to implement call-blocking technology and to monitor their networks for illegal robocalls.
Route Fifty
The Toxic Algae That's Taking Over The Country's Waters
Blue-green algae blooms have been reported in dozens of states and municipalities, shutting beaches and putting people and animals at risk.
Management
Sanders Campaign Proposes Granting Feds the Right to Strike
Workforce, labor experts suggest there may be better ways to improve federal employees’s bargaining rights.
Management
North Carolina Sheriffs Win a Round Against ICE
Republican lawmakers had sought to make counties help enforce immigration law.
Management
Analysis: New Trump Rules Stand to Block the Public From Information About the Treatment of Detained Migrant Children
The administration plans to scrap the Flores settlement, meaning the long-term or indefinite detention of migrant children will carry on out of public view.
Nextgov
VA’s Health Records Digitization Backlog Is 5 Miles High
Staff at Veterans Affairs medical facilities aren’t keeping up with the backlog of paper records that need to be digitized, with some outstanding documents dating back to 2016.
Management
White House Backs Down in Fight Over Foreign Aid Spending Cuts
The move would have raised legal questions and disrupted negotiations over governmentwide funding.
Management
People Don’t Always Behave Rationally—Agencies are Learning to Plan for That
Officials are increasingly leveraging the power of behavioral science to enhance program performance.
Tech