Oversight
House Approves Bill to Curb Spending on Official Portraits
Sen. Cassidy’s "EGO Act" would codify crackdown on agency vanity paintings.
Defense
What If Trump's North Korea Bluster Actually Worked?
Kim Jong Un's offer of talks with the United States is accompanied by questions about his intentions.
Route Fifty
Feds Sue to Block California Laws Protecting Immigrants
Xavier Becerra, the state’s attorney general, says he’ll “stay the course and enforce all our laws and protect all our people.”
Oversight
Election Assistance Agency Carries On Despite GOP Resistance
Threat of Russian meddling lends urgency to tasks of new chairman.
Management
Almost Everyone Is Creative Around the Same Time Every Day
Remember that when you plan your next brainstorming session.
Nextgov
Kushner Announces ‘Whole of Government’ Plan To Improve Health Tech
Presidential adviser Jared Kushner said the administration has a plan to prioritize access to and interoperability of patient health data.
Pay & Benefits
With Board Hamstrung, Federal Employee Appeals Backlog Grows to Largest Ever Total
Trump’s nominee could help resolve cases that have been sitting in limbo for a year.
Defense
Trump Says His New Tariffs Are About National Security. They’re Not.
But they could force the world trade system into a "moment of crisis."
Nextgov
Lax Census Background Checks Could OK ‘Unfit’ Employees for 2020
Part of the problem is the type of contract the agency used to vet the temporary workers who handle the data, the inspector general found.
Management
House Approves Bill to Prevent Political Appointees From 'Burrowing In'
Legislation would require a two-year "cooling off" period before political appointees can take career positions.
Route Fifty
FEMA Wants Counties to Take Charge of Pre-Disaster Logistics
The agency has its hands full with 21 disasters in 14 states, which means federal assistance may arrive slowly in the event of yet another national emergency.
Management
Think Like a Gambler: Innovation Is About Making Bets
A key problem in government is that leaders spend too much time analyzing choices.
Route Fifty
Has Trump Intervened to Kill Gateway Funding? Chao: 'Yes!'
The multi-billion dollar project features a rail tunnel in and out of Manhattan and is a priority in the New York City region. It's getting fresh attention as Congress works on a major spending bill.
Management
White House Counselor Conway Cited for Two Hatch Act Violations
TV interviews conducted in an official capacity contained partisan comments on Alabama Senate race, Office of Special Counsel finds.
Management
Lockheed: Pentagon Negotiators Are Becoming More Unpredictable
The company’s CFO says willingness to discard precedent has stalled a new deal for the F-35 — and even affected the C-130.
Defense
Trump Said He Spoke With North Korea, But It Was Actually South Korea
Comment came during a series of jokes in a dinner speech.
Management
Finally, Managing People Seems to be a Priority
The failure of government to adopt strategies proven in other sectors has long been a mystery.
Route Fifty
‘Desperate’ Illinois City Looks to Sell Assets After Big Pension Surprise
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Utah governor prays for much-needed snow; Wisconsin’s lead-foot problem; convicted Pa. mayor makes appeal to citizens; and homelessness hits new lows in Lexington, Ky.
Nextgov
Defense Department Drastically Cuts Nearly $1B Cloud Contract
Amid industry criticism following a $950 million cloud computing contract last month, the Defense Department limited its scope and reduced its size down to $65 million.
Nextgov