Management
USPS, Regulator Pursue Different Paths in Fighting Court Ruling on Rate Hikes
Allowing the court's ruling to unwind the stamp price increase would cause "substantial disruption and uncertainty," Postal Regulatory Commission says.
Management
Labor Authority Preliminarily Finds Social Security Illegally Intimidated Union Officials
Earlier this year, management threatened leaders at the Association of Administrative Law Judges with discipline for taking official time to prepare for contract negotiations.
Route Fifty
How Hundreds of Cities Have Simplified Solar
More than 300 municipalities have received designations from SolSmart, a national program that helps streamline permitting and zoning processes to make solar easier to obtain for residents and businesses.
Pay & Benefits
TSP Portfolios Post Modest Growth in October
All funds in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program saw minor gains last month.
Nextgov
Not Everyone Will Be Posting Opportunities to the FedBizOpps Replacement
Shifting to a new platform with new data structures is difficult, and not all contracting offices will be able to make the change by Nov. 12.
Management
How Five Federal Agencies Fostered Innovation
New report showcases initiatives including a procurement lab and virtual internship program.
Management
Border Agents Can Now Get Classified Intelligence Information. Experts Call That Dangerous.
The Trump administration is creating a center that will give immigration agents access to information from U.S. intelligence agencies. Migrants and others denied entry will be unable to see the evidence against them because it is classified.
Oversight
Play of the Day: The Impeachment Inquiry Moves Forward at the Capitol
Both parties brought visual aids.
Route Fifty
Citizenship Question Would Not Have Lowered Census Response, Test Finds
A test the Census Bureau conducted this summer found that people who were asked whether or not they are U.S. citizens were not significantly deterred from answering the survey.
Nextgov
Interior Grounds All Drones With Ties to Chinese Companies
The decision comes months after agency officials approved purchases of aircraft built by the Chinese firm SZ DJI Technology.
Route Fifty
A Move to Allow Digital Driver’s Licenses as a Legal Form of ID
Under a Colorado program, bars and other businesses will have the choice of whether or not to accept them. Similar initiatives are taking shape in other states.
Route Fifty
Women Still Underrepresented in Elected Office at All Levels of Government, Report Says
Despite record numbers of women serving in Congress, women remain a minority at the local, state and federal levels of government, according to data released this week.
Nextgov
Defense Innovation Board Lays Out 5 Key Principles for Ethical AI
The guidance is intended to steer the department’s expanding AI portfolio and reassure the public that military leaders take concerns about bias, transparency and accountability seriously.
Pay & Benefits
White House to Honor 141 Career Executives for Annual Presidential Award
Rank Award winners will receive one-time bonuses worth up to $67,000.
Management
Labor Authority Investigator Finds EPA Violated Law with Unilateral Contract
FLRA board cannot adjudicate the case because its general counsel nominee awaits Senate confirmation.
Nextgov
GAO: Workforce Planning Across Government Isn’t Going as Planned
A review showed most federal agencies are implementing parts of GAO’s workforce planning framework while others are ignored due to competing priorities and leadership turnover.
Oversight
Senate Panel Tackles Unauthorized Appropriations, or ‘Zombie Payments’
Unauthorized payments accounted for 23% of the discretionary budget in 2019, compared to 10% in the early 1990s.
Management
Could Congress Reverse Trump’s Decision to Pull Troops Out of Syria?
Since the 1940s, Congress has largely let the president make decisions, while members of the House and Senate endorse or condemn those actions from the sidelines.
Defense