Route Fifty
North Carolina’s Florence Evacuees Urged to Hold Off on Returning
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Sidewalk vending decriminalization in California … the most cost-effective bus lane enforcement … and Miami’s mystery fountain.
Route Fifty
The States That Could Be Derailed By an Economic Downturn
New research shows that some states have improved their ability to cope with a recession. Others remain less prepared.
Management
Senate Joins House in Passing Bill to Limit Postal Service Role in Opioid Crisis
Measure would require USPS to adhere to the same screening standards as private shipping companies.
Tech
Creating Space Force Will Cost $13B Over 5 Years: USAF Secretary
In a pointed memo, Heather Wilson counters several Space Force proposals championed by Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
Nextgov
Here’s What’s Blocking HHS Offices From Sharing Data with Each Other
Agency leaders want to embrace information sharing, but right now it’s uncharted territory.
Pay & Benefits
TSP Board Approves 16 Percent Increase in Budget
Individual participants will pay just $5 extra, because the overall number of enrollees in the retirement program has grown significantly.
Nextgov
Homeland Security Invests $11.6 Million in Countering Large-Scale Internet Outages
The grants are focused on the effect outages could have on critical infrastructure.
Management
EPA Program to Monitor Asbestos in Schools Is Under-Resourced, Watchdog Says
Federal inspectors trail those of states, while most regions lack a monitoring strategy.
Management
Agriculture Secretary Presses Unpopular Plan to Move Offices
Forced relocations "not a way to treat USDA family," one economist says.
Management
There’s An Optimal Time To Give Negative Feedback
Our willingness to learn from criticism is intimately tied to our capacity for self-regulation—which varies throughout the day.
Management
FEMA Chief Tries to Address Hurricane Response, But Gets Questions About His Job Security
Brock Long went on three talk shows to address his agency’s response to Hurricane Florence.
Oversight
Play of the Day: NASA Wants To Get Into The Advertising Business
The space agency might begin selling ads on its probes soon.
Nextgov
Fed Pay Raises Rise From the Dead and Congress Says “Meh” to Trump’s Election Security Order
It was a whirlwind week on the Hill. Here’s the Nextgov rundown.
Route Fifty
A 'Difficult and Grueling Weekend' Following Mass. Gas Explosions
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Cryptocurrency mining policy in Missoula … ongoing health worries in Minneapolis homeless camp … and too-tall trucks vs. Michigan’s low-clearance bridges.
Route Fifty
Hovercraft Case in Alaska Tests Federal Rules on Rivers in National Parks
A 9th Circuit decision—now before the U.S. Supreme Court— is being viewed by some as a potential “springboard for the expansion of federal control over state-owned navigable waters throughout the country.”
Management
There Was a Plan to Save This City From Flooding. But When the Rains Came, So Did Hesitance.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ delay in activating a floodway — land designated to take on water — cost millions of dollars in damage to Cairo, Illinois, and surrounding communities in 2011.
Management
Here’s What Happened to the 99 Immigrant Children Separated From Their Parents and Sent to Chicago
Confidential records reveal details about struggles to find parents and traumatic experiences during the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance crackdown.
Management
How 4,000 Federal Employees Are Assisting in Hurricane Florence Response
FEMA alone has 1,000 employees in impacted areas.
Route Fifty
How Incomes Compared Last Year Across States and Metro Areas
New data from the Census Bureau show how median household income levels stacked up around the U.S. in 2017.
Management