Route Fifty
Federal Watchdog Sounds Alarm Over New York Nursing Homes
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General found shortfalls related to fire safety and other areas in a survey of 20 facilities.
Management
Trump Administration Expands Political Power Over Career Immigration Judges
Judges say immigration court system has "effectively been dismantled."
Management
Viewpoint: Trump Wants to Nuke His Way Out of Big Problems
The president seeks bumper-sticker solutions to complicated problems, from hurricane prevention to border walls.
Management
Better Data Would Ease Gaps In Rural Public Health
Some of the data rural public health officials need to better serve their communities exists but is hard to access and use.
Nextgov
IRS Warns of New Imposter Scam That Spreads Malware
Agency officials recently learned of a phishing campaign in which scammers pose as IRS agents to spread malware and scoop up users’ sensitive information.
Nextgov
New Rule Will Let Energy’s Labs Show Off Latest Tech To Attract Industry
The Energy Department has a mandate to push new technologies into the private sector. A new rule allows the labs to hold demos to get industry excited.
Management
DEA to Expand the Number of Legal Marijuana Growers
Currently, only one facility can legally grow pot for federally backed research.
Management
After Federal Officials Sent Letters to Over-Prescribing Docs, Prescriptions Fell and Patient Safety Rose
A small office at GSA is helping agencies apply behavioral science to reap big improvements in program effectiveness.
Management
When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side
Transgender and gender nonconforming people say they have been pressured to expose their genitals during TSA searches at airports. The encounters stem from shortcomings in the agency’s technology and insufficient training of its staff.
Route Fifty
What to Do with All This Broken Stuff? Cities Aim to Help People Fix It
Across the country, municipalities are helping residents repair mendable belongings, keep material out of landfills and save money.
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