Management
Contractor Back Pay Bills Swirl Around Talks to Avoid New Shutdown
Trump is said to be resisting plans to reimburse mostly low-income employees for the 35-day shutdown.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers Investigate Back Pay Issues, New Post-Shutdown Clarification on Promotions, and More
A weekly round-up of pay and benefits news.
Management
Shutdown Caused 'Real Harm' to IRS and Taxpayers, Advocate Argues
Details given on how tax agency struggled to launch filing season with furloughed staff.
Nextgov
DOJ Indicts Former Intel Officer For Helping Iran Hack Her Colleagues
Monica Witt, a former Air Force officer and intelligence community contractor, also allegedly disclosed information about a sensitive Pentagon program, according to Justice Department officials.
Route Fifty
Riders Aren't Quitting Transit—Just Using It Less Often
New research from a transit-reform nonprofit found that riders are likely to return to public transit if service improves.
Pay & Benefits
Federal Employee Appeals Board May Soon Finally Be Able to Hear Cases
Panel approves two MSPB nominees, but there's a catch.
Defense
The Navy to Create Chief Learning Officer, Overhaul Sailor Education
The creation of a Naval University and other changes are aimed at better shaping sailors and Marines for tomorrow’s wars.
Management
Winning and Losing the HR Game
Using the same metrics across federal agencies would highlight the best and worst performers.
Defense
The Problem With a ‘Smart’ Border Wall
To resolve Trump’s impasse, many lawmakers have proposed boosting surveillance technology to create a virtual border wall. Is that more humane and effective?
Defense
The Air Force Has Won Control of the Space Force
Six months ago, service leaders said they were being cut out of the planning process. Now they’re being put in charge of it.
Management
Shining a Brighter Light on the Work of Federal Watchdogs
Providing timelier access to the status of IG recommendations could incentivize agencies to act.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Trump, the Wall and Dogs
The president held a rally in Texas and covered a range of topics.
Route Fifty
Appeal to Trump on SALT Cap Appears to Get Cool Reception
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says "there is no more vital long-term issue" for his state's finances than a limit on the state and local tax costs taxpayers can write off on their federal returns.
Route Fifty
Bike Share Continues to Have an Equity Problem
Washington, D.C made it a goal to place more bike stations in disadvantaged neighborhoods, but wealthier, white areas are favored while usage remains low in predominantly black wards.
Management
Labor Relations Authority Chairwoman Decertifies Agency’s Own Union
Colleen Duffy Kiko claims the agency was violating the Civil Service Reform Act by recognizing its union, despite a 1980 Justice Department legal opinion stating otherwise.
Tech
A Very Relatable Moment on the International Space Station
Even astronauts have to deal with plumbing problems.
Management
AFRICOM Commander: Elite Troop Cuts Won’t Help China, Eyes Shift To Conventional Forces
“It’s really a misleading narrative to say that optimization is causing us to walk away from Africa,” Gen. Waldhauser said in an interview.
Route Fifty
Costly Natural Disasters Becoming More Frequent
In the past two years, damage caused by wildfires cost about $40 billion, roughly the same as the costs of the past 37 years combined, an analysis finds.
Nextgov
DHS Wants to Outfit Its Dogs With Wearable Tech
The agency is investing in a smart harness that would monitor the health of Border Patrol’s K-9 units.
Management