Pay & Benefits
Trump Administration Calls for Fewer Performance Awards, Stricter Rating System for Feds
Only civil servants who deliver what the "American public should be able to expect" should get bonuses, OPM says.
Nextgov
GSA Announces New Deputy Chief of Staff
LaFondra Lynch, chief of staff for GSA’s Public Buildings Service, took the position July 8.
Tech
The Moment That Made Neil Armstrong’s Heart Rate Spike
Real-time data from the Apollo 11 astronauts, carefully monitored by Mission Control, capture the frenzied maneuvers that put men on the moon.
Route Fifty
Local Officials Want Feds to Scrap Policy Blocking People in Jail From Medicaid
A federal law can lead to breaks in health care benefits for those awaiting trial. Counties and sheriffs plan to lobby for this to be changed.
Pay & Benefits
Salary Council Recommends Locality Pay Area Changes
The advisory body found that federal workers earn on average 31% less than their counterparts outside government, but the methodology is highly disputed.
Management
Rebuilding Government’s Human Capital Should be a Priority
Too often, the argument for reform is vague or the benefits unclear; on balance employees expect to lose.
Management
Analysis: It’s a Precarious Time for Any Official in Trump’s Orbit
Alexander Acosta’s exit gratifies those who wanted him gone for his role in the Epstein plea deal. But the president’s advisers fear how more turnover reflects broader turmoil within the administration.
Management
At Least 30 Migrant Children Have Been Separated From Their Parents for More Than a Year
A report from the House Oversight Committee provides new details on the calamity at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Route Fifty
Heaps of Cash, Strong Odors and Other Challenges With Local Pot Regulation
“We’ve been basically building this airplane as we fly it,” said one local official as he discussed his county’s efforts to implement recreational marijuana legalization.
Route Fifty
How a State Police Agency Goes Viral (and Maybe Teaches People How to Drive)
The Colorado State Patrol develops relationships with the community and grows its online presence by posting humorous topical videos, a project spearheaded by one of its public information officers.
Management
House Passes Defense Policy Bill with Provision to Block OPM-GSA Merger
The must-pass legislation also includes amendments granting paid family leave and protecting feds’ health insurance during shutdowns.
Management
Immigrant Children Sent to Chicago Shelters Are Traumatized and Sick, in Some Instances With Chicken Pox or Tuberculosis
Hundreds of children are being detained in shelters run by Heartland Human Care Services, which says it has made changes since allegations that children were neglected and mistreated.
Workforce
Investigations Into Mistreatment of State Department Workforce are in ‘Final Stages,’ IG Says
The watchdog plans to unveil results of inquiries into political retaliation and the hiring freeze in coming weeks.
Management
Trump Administration to Explore Making It Easier for Federal Employees to Cancel Union Dues
Labor officials decry the effort as a misuse of legal precedent to bust unions.
Management
OMB Moving Ahead to Steer Agencies on Evidence-Based Policymaking
Acting budget chief’s memo sets up three-year timeline, interagency council.
Management
Treasury Asks Congress to Act This Month on Debt Ceiling
Lawmakers had hoped to keep borrowing limit tied to negotiations on budget caps.
Nextgov
Court Rules in Favor of Pentagon in JEDI Lawsuit
The ruling against Oracle clears the way for the government to award the contract in August to Microsoft or Amazon Web Services.
Management
Border Patrol Agents Are Passing Around A Commemorative Coin Mocking Care for Migrant Kids
The coin declares “KEEP THE CARAVANS COMING” under an image of a parade of migrants crossing the border.
Defense
Viewpoint: How We Tamed the F-35’s Spiraling Costs — and Created a Model for Controlling Waste
The former defense secretary says defending America means defending taxpayers’ dollars.
Nextgov