Management
Internal Emails Show FBI Agents Were Shocked and Shaken After Trump Fired Comey
After seeing the news on CNN, one special agent wrote, “I hope this is an instance of fake news.”
Pay & Benefits
OPM Runs Into Annual Retirement Surge
Nearly 15,000 workers opted to leave federal service in January, in line with previous years.
Route Fifty
Some Hospitals in Appalachia See Surges of Opioid Babies
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Maine Gov. LePage plans major shift in oversight for county jails; Philly will soon say goodbye to a transit relic; New Mexico’s challenging job-skills gap; and a Silicon Valley mayor is criticized for his housing comments.
Management
Trump Cut 13K Federal Jobs in First Year, But 3 of His Recent Predecessors Outdid Him
Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton all saw bigger reductions their first year in office.
Management
Focusing on the Positive: Rewarding Good Workers and Managers
High achievers are far more valuable and important than the handful of poor performers.
Nextgov
More Than 50 Job Offers Since Government Tech and Cyber Hiring Fair
More job offers might be in the works, the government’s CIO Council said.
Oversight
Is the CDC Losing Control?
The country's flagship public-health agency is facing internal scandal and funding issues that will test its ability to respond to outbreaks on the horizon.
Oversight
Play of the Day: More Responses to Trump's First State of the Union
Democrats grimaced at the president, but what should voters see in that response?
Route Fifty
House and Senate Lawmakers Look to Boost Water and Sewer Financing
Sen. John Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, says new legislation is meant to help communities "of all sizes, in every state secure loans so they can improve their crumbling infrastructure."
Management
Why Hiring the ‘Best’ People Produces the Least Creative Results
Hiring the best does not guarantee the best team.
Defense
Pentagon Confirms It’s Developing Nuclear Cruise Missile to Counter a Similar Russian One
The new Nuclear Posture Review nods to North Korea, China, and Iran but devotes most of its time to Russian threats and U.S. deterrence.
Management
What You Can Learn About Self-Improvement From Kevin Durant
When you get it wrong, own it.
Management
Lawmakers Make Progress on a Spending Deal
GOP lawmakers have proposed increasing spending caps by $80 billion for defense and $63 billion for non-defense annually.
Nextgov
Survey: Open Data is Making Feds’ Jobs Easier
The biggest benefits are increased public transparency and improved agency management, participants say.
Management
The CDC Is About to Fall Off a Funding Cliff
It's already planning to pull back on work that protects the world from pandemics.
Management
The State Department Just Lost Its Most Experienced Leader
Tom Shannon’s departure leaves just one career ambassador at the beleaguered agency.
Nextgov
Booz Allen Hamilton Wins $621 Million DHS Cyber Contract
The six-year project will expand the continuous diagnostics and mitigation services DHS provides to other agencies.
Oversight
The Surprise in the Nunes Memo
The controversial document raises some interesting questions—but also undermines the political argument it was intended to buttress.
Nextgov
GAO: GSA Hasn’t Been Smart About Smart Buildings Program
Smart building technologies might pay for themselves in cost savings but the government’s landlord hasn’t been able to make the case.
Management