Oversight
Play of the Day: Donald Trump and William Howard Taft Have Something in Common
No, it's not just the presidency.
Pay & Benefits
New Guidance Helps Agencies Assess the Value of Work-Life Balance Programs
The federal government is looking to quantify the costs and benefits of programs such as telework.
Management
Democrats Set New Deadline for Spending Agreement, Debt Deal
"It's all about money," House speaker said of the holdup in negotiations.
Management
Unions Consider Next Steps Following Workforce Order Ruling
The injunction blocking three controversial executive orders by President Trump will remain in place for 45 days to allow unions to consider an appeal.
Management
How Agency Heads Are Shifting Power Away From Federal Employees and Toward States
Federal officials have had too much discretion to institute their personal policy preferences, administration officials say.
Route Fifty
As Temperatures Heat Up, Cities Need to Keep People Safe
A new guidebook, released by a disaster relief agency, offers strategies for cities to prepare for and learn from stretches of hot weather.
Management
Trump Wasn’t The First President To Confront The Supreme Court – And Back Down
President Trump hinted that he would defy a Supreme Court ruling recently, though he later yielded to its authority. Andrew Jackson – a Trump hero – likewise challenged the rule of law in the 1830s.
Pay & Benefits
House Backs New Benefits for Feds, OPM Offers Heat Guidance and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Route Fifty
Three States File Lawsuit Over Federal Rules Blocking SALT Workaround
Treasury and the IRS last month prohibited charitable contribution programs meant to provide taxpayers a way around a cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes.
Nextgov
Pentagon Will Default To Trusting Other Agencies’ Cloud Security Assessments
The department has had success reusing other agencies’ authorizations and will make reciprocity the rule rather than the exception.
Nextgov
Census Chief Assures Lawmakers IT and Cyber Risks are Under Control
But with less than a year until the 2020 count kicks off, the bureau still has little room for error, the Government Accountability Office warns.
Management
Looks Like Turkey Is Getting Booted from the F-35 Program
After months of threats, Washington appears poised to drop Ankara from the multibillion-dollar project.
Tech
The Fraught Effort to Return to the Moon
NASA wants to put people back on the lunar surface in 2024, but it doesn’t have the budget.
Oversight
Play of the Day: The President's Bones
In another controversial tweet, Donald Trump said that he doesn't "have a Racist bone in my body!"
Management
Esper Assures Wary Senators He'll Keep Military Out of Politics
During his confirmation hearing, the SecDef nominee was asked about Trump, China, and Russia — and not Afghanistan, ISIS, or al-Qaeda.
Route Fifty
Appeals Court: DOJ Can Hand Out Police Grants Based on Immigration Enforcement
A federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration can effectively penalize sanctuary cities by awarding preference points for COPS grants to jurisdictions that cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Management
Labor Authority General Counsel Nominee Vows Impartiality, But Unions Cry Foul
Federal employee unions oppose the nomination of Catherine Bird to vet complaints before the FLRA, citing her work in collective bargaining negotiations on behalf of management.
Management
High-Level Vacancies Are Weakening Agency Management and Oversight, Lawmaker Says
Rep. Gerry Connolly’s comments marked the release of a bipartisan report recommending ways agencies can deliver better on their missions.
Route Fifty
Black Homeownership Hits A 50-Year Low
The gap between white and black homeownership has also remained largely the same since the 1960s, despite economic and political gains that African Americans have achieved since then.
Management