Oversight
The EPA Has Backed Off Enforcement Under Trump – Here Are The Numbers
Data gathered from EPA reports, staffers and retirees show the Trump administration has brought fewer environmental enforcement actions to conclusion and deferred more to states.
Nextgov
Senate Confirms OSTP Director, VA CIO on Final Day
Nobody has permanently served in either role since the beginning of the Trump administration.
Oversight
Shutdown Roundup: Poop in Parks, Marriage License Delays and Immigration Backups
The effects of the appropriations lapse are being felt nationwide.
Management
Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever
Congress should stop relying on one-off funding extensions to keep the government running.
Nextgov
The FBI is Trying Amazon’s Facial-Recognition Software
The software allows the FBI to go through video surveillance footage much faster than agents can.
Route Fifty
Michigan’s New Governor Sends Strong Message to State Employees
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Pennsylvania pension changes … N.Y. gov.’s about-face on marijuana ... San Diego scooter safety ... and Kentucky open-records lawsuits.
Route Fifty
GOP AGs Weigh in Against States in Census Case Before Supreme Court
It’s one of several legal battles over the Trump administration’s controversial decision to ask about citizenship on the 2020 census.
Route Fifty
‘Peace Cross’ Case Could Affect Hundreds of Monuments, States Say
States and localities argue the U.S. Supreme Court should use the case of the 40-foot cross to provide “clear guidance” on war memorials that use religious motifs.
Pay & Benefits
After Failed White House Meeting, Republicans Suggest Shutdown Agreement Could Take 'Weeks'
Trump rejects Democrats' offer to reopen government while punting on border, saying agencies could be closed "a long time."
Pay & Benefits
Federal Workforce’s Largest Union Sues Over Unpaid Labor During Shutdown
Litigation from previous shutdowns required the government to pay damages, although payouts took years.
Management
Stop-Work Orders Beginning to Go Out to Contractors
Companies wrestle with "highly fluid" shutdown situation.
Pay & Benefits
Frozen Locality Pay, a Possible Pay Raise for Political Appointees and More
The appointee freeze has been lifted, but could be re-instituted in legislation set for a vote Thursday.
Management
TSA Whistleblower Disclosures Prompt Two Aviation Security Probes
Office of Special Counsel orders DHS to examine breakdowns in food and drug handling on planes.
Nextgov
How Easy-to-Use Data Tools Unleash Employees
That’s what turns data analytics platforms into decision-making engines, a pair of government technology leaders said.
Pay & Benefits
Most TSP Funds Take a Nosedive in December
All but two of the Thrift Savings Plan’s investment offerings ended 2018 on a sour note.
Pay & Benefits
Democrats Announce Plan to Reopen Government, Including a Pay Raise for Feds
Republicans, White House not expected to go along with the proposal.
Defense
Meet the New (Acting) Defense Secretary
With no military experience and just a year and a half in government, the former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan has yet to develop a foreign-policy vision of his own.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Rex Tillerson Speaks
In December, the former State Department chief reiterated his feelings about the president.
Management
If You’re Over 50, Chances Are the Decision to Leave a Job Won’t be Yours
A new data analysis by ProPublica and the Urban Institute shows more than half of older U.S. workers are pushed out of longtime jobs before they choose to retire, suffering financial damage that is often irreversible.
Nextgov