Oversight
Play of the Day: The President's Second State of the Union Gave America Choices
"We must choose between greatness or gridlock, results or resistance, vision or vengeance, incredible progress or pointless destruction."
Defense
Top General in Middle East Says He Wasn’t Consulted on Syria Withdrawal
U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Joseph Votel provided the first public confirmation that the Pentagon was caught by surprise by Trump’s December tweet.
Route Fifty
Candidate Pitches Plan for Chicago to Annex Its Suburbs
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Texas now has a measles outbreak … San José mayor interested in Musk tunnel … and a N.C. city suspends drug testing.
Route Fifty
Trump Short on Infrastructure Details in State of the Union
The president said it's time to deal with ‘crumbling infrastructure,’ but delivered no concrete ideas on how to invest.
Management
Trump Calls for Unity but Highlights Divisions That Sparked Shutdown
In his state of the union address, the president praised the work of some federal employees, criticized others for misbehavior.
Route Fifty
Teachers Union Raises Red Flags Over Pension Investments in Private Prisons
The American Federation of Teachers characterizes the corrections sector as problematic territory for retirement funds.
Nextgov
27 Groups Call on Congress to Deny ‘Smart Wall’ Funding
Groups are speaking out against a congressional proposal to up spending on surveillance tech on the border.
Management
Study: Federal Workforce Is on the Verge of Catastrophe
Without a significant overhaul, agencies may fail to provide adequate services when they are needed most, researchers found.
Nextgov
VA’s Health Record Overhaul Could Get Even More Expensive, Officials Say
The agency’s acting deputy secretary called the project’s $16 billion price-tag “an educated guess.”
Oversight
Republican Lawmakers Challenge GSA Watchdog's Trump Hotel Probe
Document demand says IG offered “no evidence” of political interference with agency.
Pay & Benefits
Federal Agencies Can Fire Employees for Accidentally Using Marijuana, Federal Court Rules
Court sets new precedent in saying employee was rightfully fired, even if he didn't realize he was eating a pot brownie.
Management
Agencies Ramp Up Classified Plans to Protect 2020 Elections
Homeland Security and Justice deliver review of meddling during 2018.
Management
The GS System Fails in Today’s Labor Markets
Companies understand that you get what you pay for.
Tech
The Teams Who Test U.S. Cyber Defenses Aren’t Being Tough Enough: Pentagon Report
Overworked trainers and penetration testers can’t properly simulate the worst real-world threats, leaving operators “overconfident.”
Oversight
Play of the Day: Who Will Be The Designated Survivor Tuesday Night?
It can't be Wilbur Ross or Matt Whitaker.
Route Fifty
Camp Fire’s Dispersed Survivors Plot Their New Homes on a Map
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Political turmoil continues in Virginia … Hawaii’s mainland prison inmates … and email scammers using Fla. mayor’s name.
Route Fifty
Where Millennials and Seniors Have Moved Since the Recession
Young adults are heading to knowledge-based metros, while Arizona and Florida remain retirement hubs, the Brookings Institution found in a new analysis.
Management
USDA Economists Seek to Unionize Amid Relocation Effort
Employees at the Economic Research Service describe the plan to move the agency outside of D.C. and under the Office of the Chief Economist as an "existential threat."
Defense
Senators Seek Pentagon Reassurance on Department’s Financial Audit
The bipartisan group is worried that the expanded duties of Defense CFO David Norquist could delay reports to Congress.
Management