Oversight
Play of the Day: A New Conspiracy Theory In Washington
Donald Trump denied a recent theory that his wife has a body double.
Defense
Top Navy Admiral Warns of Cyber Attacks Against Brass
CNO says that’s why the service stopped publishing promotion lists in October.
Route Fifty
Federal Court Deals Airbnb a Blow in its Fight Against Local Regulations
“This case is hugely significant,” says one legal scholar.
Route Fifty
Transportation Officials Seek Flexible Federal Infrastructure Funding
Some states and localities have struggled to curb congestion because of the limited funding available for pedestrian, bicycle and transit infrastructure.
Nextgov
CYBERCOM Seeks Troops Who Can Unleash Artificial Intelligence
AI won’t solve the military’s shortage of cyber professionals but can act as a force multiplier to ease the strain.
Oversight
FOIA Requests Are Up In Trump Era, But Parties Disagree on Whether That’s Good
Leaders at Interior Department and EPA attract the most requests.
Route Fifty
The Gig Economy is Actually Pretty Tiny
An analysis from the Economic Policy Institute found that workers who sourced jobs through apps like Uber and Lyft comprised just a minuscule fraction of the overall workforce.
Nextgov
Labor Department Creates Chief Data Officer Position
In addition to a CDO, the agency will establish a data board—both in accordance with the OPEN Government Data Act.
Management
GSA Chief Declines to Disclose What She Discussed With Trump Regarding FBI HQ
Administrator says she has "no knowledge" of Trump exerting undue influence on decision making.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers Renew Push for Contractor Back Pay, An Expansion of Veterans’ Benefits and More
A weekly round-up of pay and benefits news.
Management
Pentagon Forced to Go to Trial on Withheld FOIA Documents
Small business group has long sought subcontractor data from Sikorsky.
Oversight
Report: Shutdown Delayed 737 Max Software Fix
The update was to be finished in January, but was delayed "five weeks" because of the 35-day lapse in appropriations.
Management
U.S. Pulls Diplomats From Its Embassy In Caracas, and Tensions Between Venezuela and Brazil Escalate
Citing security concerns, the US is evacuating its embassy in Caracas, where President Maduro blames the US for a calamitous power outage. Venezuela's relations with Brazil are eroding quickly, too.
Nextgov
GSA Chief: Leadership Must Protect Workforce to Drive Innovation
Things can go wrong when employees are taking risks. That's where senior officials step up, GSA’s Emily Murphy said.
Defense
Lawmakers Question Pentagon’s Use of ‘Slush Fund’ to Skirt Budget Caps
Almost one-quarter of the 2020 defense budget is in OCO. That's sure to come up when Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan testifies on Thursday.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Make Pilots Simple Again
The president doesn't want fancy doodads in planes.
Management
Agencies Need to Move Beyond “People” Analytics to “Relational” Analytics
A new study suggests how a change in focus could improve organizations’ performance.
Route Fifty
California Governor Plans Death Penalty Moratorium
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Dialed-back housing plans ... An Inland Port Authority lawsuit in Salt Lake City ... A paramedic proposal in Florida.
Management
Trump's Postal Reform Proposals Met With Criticism From Lawmakers, USPS Management
Administration, in turn, blasts several key bipartisan provisions of potential postal overhaul legislation.
Route Fifty