Oversight
IGs Unite Against Justice Legal Opinion That Ukraine Whistleblower Complaint Wasn’t an ‘Urgent Concern’
IG council says the opinion could have a “chilling effect” on future whistleblowers, asks Justice to reconsider.
Route Fifty
What’s the Right Treatment for Lyme Disease? State Legislatures Wade Into the Debate
Reports of Lyme disease have more than doubled over the past two decades. Patients contend that insurance companies sometimes won’t pay for long-term treatment, while some doctors say that it isn’t necessary.
Oversight
Analysis: The Political Funeral in the Age of Trump
Representative Elijah Cummings’s service showed how the president has even changed how his rivals are mourned.
Management
A Realistic Path to Modernizing the Civil Service
Ten considerations for updating and improving government operations.
Management
OPM Proposes Ditching 'Clerk-Typist' and Other Occupational Classifications That Are Rarely Used Anymore
As many as 28 white collar job titles and 19 trade and craft occupations could be eliminated or rolled into other classifications following an administrative review.
Nextgov
VA Aces IG Audit On Mobile Device Security
The audit comes as good news for the department, which historically has struggled to manage its technology systems.
Management
Congress Appears Headed for Another Stopgap Spending Bill to Avoid Shutdown
Despite giving themselves seven extra weeks, lawmakers say it would take a "miracle" to avoid a Thanksgiving shutdown through normal appropriations.
Nextgov
Lawmakers, Think Tank To Develop Bipartisan National AI Strategy
Two representatives are teaming up with the Bipartisan Policy Center to work on a national framework for AI development and deployment.
Management
Conditions Deteriorating at Makeshift Camp on the Rio Grande Where Thousands Await U.S. Asylum
The camp began forming last summer in Matamoros, Mexico, and now an estimated 2,000 people, many of them children, live in squalid conditions as they wait weeks or months to request U.S. asylum.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Is the Border Wall Coming to Colorado?
President Trump touted the wall's progress in Pennsylvania this week.
Route Fifty
Seeking Attention For City Priorities From 2020 Presidential Candidates
A group of local officials is developing a platform of issues they want to see discussed during the race.
Route Fifty
The States Where Public University Tuition Rates Rose the Most After Big Budget Cuts
Tuition rates at four-year public colleges climbed 37% over the last decade as states have slashed education funding.
Management
More Than 30 Lawmakers Urge Appropriators to Block Funding for USDA Science Agency Relocations
With most employees at the two research agencies declining to move to Kansas City, Democrats in both the House and Senate are urging appropriators to adopt House-passed language prohibiting spending on the move.
Nextgov
White House Tech Chiefs Preview 2020 Cyber Initiatives
Over the next year, agencies can expect to see a big push for identity management protocols, network monitoring tools and supply chain security policies.
Management
Republican Senators Introduce Bill to Relocate Major Federal Agencies Outside of D.C.
Ninety-percent of positions in 10 departments would be moved to economically distressed areas.
Oversight
Senate Democrats Decry EPA’s Decision to Unilaterally Impose Union Contract
A letter from 41 lawmakers to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the decision to cease negotiations with the nation’s largest employee union and unilaterally implement a new contract showed a “disregard” for the law.
Nextgov
Military Algorithm Can Predict Illness 48 Hours Before Symptoms Show
The program lead says future troops might be deployed with wearables like watches or chest straps that will know when they are getting sick and how long it will take them to get better.
Route Fifty
A Teenager Needed a Tampon. When Her School Didn't Have One, She Called Her Legislator
A Pennsylvania teen teamed up with a state representative to write legislation that would require schools to provide free pads and tampons for students.
Management