Pay & Benefits
A TSP Call Center Spike, Shutdown Back Pay and More
A weekly round-up of pay and benefits news.
Management
Fish and Wildlife Official Steered Work to Family Member, IG Finds
International conservation expert who violated ethics laws expressed regret.
Route Fifty
Most Americans Uncomfortable With Self-Driving Cars, Survey Finds
Over half the respondents to a Northeastern University/Gallup survey also said they are unlikely to regularly use the technology.
Defense
How to Grow the Military Without Buying More Ships, Planes, Tanks
Pentagon leaders want to shorten the time spent on overhauls, keeping the weapons more available to fight.
Management
Agencies Will Have to Race the Clock to Spend Massive Influx of Money
Agencies are "scrambling" with "every facet" feeling pressure, former federal budgeters say.
Nextgov
U.S. Customs Wants to Use Your Face As a Boarding Pass
By 2022, the agency plans to use biometrics to identify 97 percent of travelers flying out of the country.
Route Fifty
233 Mayors Object to EPA's Proposal to Scrap Clean Power Plan
The local government leaders say they'd benefit from the "support and certainty that a federal framework for reducing the power sector’s greenhouse gas emissions could provide."
Management
Mueller’s Latest Plea Deal Puts Pressure on Paul Manafort
On Tuesday, Alex Van Der Zwaan, a lawyer who helped produce a report at Manafort’s behest, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
Nextgov
Justice Launches Cyber Task Force
The task force will examine cyber efforts to undermine elections and critical infrastructure.
Management
Performance Management is Not a Contest
The administration is sending the wrong message with its fund for targeted pay incentives.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Confirms Back Pay for Feds Affected by Latest Shutdown
Memo continues pay freeze for top political officials until March.
Management
Trump’s Proposed Military Parade Already Needs an Audit
The full costs won't be known until long after the confetti has been cleaned from the streets.
Management
Budget Director Picks Fight on Spending 'Gimmicks' Called CHIMPs
Mulvaney asks House Speaker Ryan for process reforms to bring more spending under budget caps.
Defense
TSA's Facial Recognition Pilot Program May Make Travel Worse for Ethnic Minorities
Program could make travel simpler for some, but more complicated for others.
Route Fifty
A Difficult Reality for Those Who Want to Run Government 'More Like a Business’
Compared to the private sector, public-sector organizations will always be at a disadvantage when it comes to this management pain point.
Management
Go to Sleep: Why All-Nighters Don't Work
Want to ace that day tomorrow? Here's a tip: put down the coffee and get some sleep.
Management
Three Ways the U.S. Should Prepare For the Next Flu Pandemic
Science has come a long way in the 100 years since the worst flu pandemic in history. But that doesn't mean that the country is ready for another health disaster.
Management