Route Fifty
Farm Bill Expands Rural Broadband Funding
But some remain concerned that the money will not get to many places that need it to expand access.
Route Fifty
The Reason Why Kentucky’s Pension Reform Law Was Struck Down
Gov. Matt Bevin, who championed the legislation, called Thursday’s state Supreme Court ruling “an unprecedented power grab by activists judges.”
Defense
Security Clearance Backlog Dips as Pentagon Gears Up to Take Over Processing
The move will entail absorbing the National Background Investigations Bureau and its 2,000 employees.
Pay & Benefits
See Who Would Get Furloughed in a Christmas Shutdown
Nearly 350,000 feds could be sent home without pay come Dec. 21.
Management
Celebrating Distinguished Federal Leaders, With a Nudge Toward Change
White House management deputy presses senior executives to accept the “goals set by the American people” expressed in the 2016 presidential election.
Management
Democrats Challenge Trump Over Vietnam Deportations
Members of the House of Representatives are raising concerns over the White House’s reinterpretation of a decade-old deal with Vietnam.
Management
Customs And Border Protection Is Using Retinal Scans To Try To Catch Liars
They may hold promise as deception-detectors, but some think the technology isn't quite there yet.
Nextgov
Federal CIO Previews 2019 Priorities
OMB will roll out more reskilling programs, tweak FITARA scoring and is looking at standards for automated decision-making, Suzette Kent said.
Pay & Benefits
As Spending Talks Break Down, a Pay Raise for Feds Hangs in the Balance
Lawmakers continue to negotiate how to include a 1.9 percent increase for civilian employees in a shutdown-averting bill.
Nextgov
White House Expects to Stand Up GEAR Center in 2019
But most other key aspects of the modernization research center are up in the air.
Oversight
Government Reverses Course, Sending 4-Year-Old Boy Back to His Father
More than 11 weeks after separating a young Salvadoran boy from his father and claiming, without evidence, that his father was a gang member, the Department of Homeland Security returned the boy.
Management
The Brief But Satisfying Pleasure Of Not Taking Feedback Well At All
Accepting criticism well is a leadership skill. Not everyone has it.
Management
Ivanka Trump’s Luxury Weekend In The Dominican Republic Cost Taxpayers $58,000
The first daughter stayed at a "six-star" resort in August.
Defense
Trump’s New Vetting Center Just Opened. Will It Make Us Safer?
Too little is known about the visa and immigration center, including the extent of its authority and whether adding a bureaucratic layer will cause more problems than it solves.
Oversight
Play of the Day: What Really Went On In This Week's Oval Office Meeting
Sure, the president threatened a shutdown, but there was also plenty of other action.
Route Fifty
State Attorneys General Could Become More of a Factor in Antitrust
One FTC commissioner thinks that’s a possibility as the Trump administration returns to a laissez-faire approach toward mergers and acquisitions.
Management
Potential Landmark Case Could Upend Major Civil Service Reform
Former supervisor says a 2017 VA firing law violates his constitutional rights.
Oversight