Management

OMB's Shutdown Improvising Draws Fire from Budget and Legal Experts

Acting budget chief Vought has revived operations on tax refunds and food stamps.

Route Fifty

Tens of Thousands of Teachers Strike in L.A. as Negotiations Stall

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | A handful of new governors are sworn in … N.Y.C. pursues illegal hotels in new lawsuit … and FBI raids Scranton City Hall, mayor’s house.

Route Fifty

Measuring Bike and Pedestrian Traffic to Make Better Roads

Once collected, this data could end up capturing patterns that planners hadn’t anticipate.

Nextgov

The Transportation Department is Funding Autonomous Drones

It also wants to research how self-driving vehicles can be manipulated to threaten the public.

Management

Senate Republicans Hatch Plan to Prevent Future Shutdowns

Legislation introduced by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and eight other Republicans would institute automatic continuing resolutions if Congress cannot pass spending bills on time.

Management

Cabinet Secretary Blasts Federal Union for Using Veterans as Shutdown 'Pawns'

Discussing veteran suicides in relation to the shutdown is "nothing short of disgraceful," department head says.

Pay & Benefits

Judge Consolidates Shutdown Lawsuits, Schedules Hearing This Week

Federal workers seek a restraining order that prevents agencies from forcing employees to work without pay.

Management

Major Facebook Users Are Worse At Making Decisions

New research shows a connection between social media use and impaired risky decision-making.

Management

If Trump Declares a National Emergency, Could Congress or the Courts Reverse It?

History shows that Congress can play an important role in checking a president's power.

Pay & Benefits

From TSA Call Outs to FAA Protests, Airports Are Feeling the Shutdown Pressure

Several airports are adjusting their operations to account for fewer security screeners showing up.

Pay & Benefits

Who Are the Federal Workers Affected by the Shutdown? Five Questions Answered.

The current government shutdown is now the longest in American history, affecting about 800,000 federal employees.

Defense

Confusion Reigns as Pentagon Begins Pulling Equipment Out of Syria

The timeline for withdrawal remains murky amid rocky negotiations with Turkey over the Kurds.

Management

Agencies Spent $4 Trillion Last Year; Did Taxpayers Get What They Paid For?

Allocating resources effectively across 2,277 federal programs requires a comprehensive, standardized framework.

Pay & Benefits

D.C. Area Agencies That Weren't Already Shuttered Will Close Monday Due to Snow

Announcement does not apply to employees who were furloughed anyway due to the partial shutdown.

Route Fifty

Cuomo Proposes Statewide Plastic Bag Ban in New York

The state would join California in implementing such a ban if it is enacted.

Route Fifty

A Warning for Elected Officials on Social Media—Court Says Don't Block Critics

A social media page can be the equivalent of a public meeting, a federal appellate court found for the first time last week.