Oversight
Play of the Day: Rex Tillerson is 'Here'
President Donald Trump gave his State Department chief a lukewarm vote of confidence.
Nextgov
GAO Asks: Exactly How Does CYBERCOM Help After Cyberattacks?
The Pentagon failed to describe how it’s training to support civil authorities when a major cyber strike comes, the watchdog agency said.
Pay & Benefits
House Narrowly Passes Bill to Extend Feds’ Probationary Period
Largest federal employee union blasts plan to delay new workers' due process protections.
Tech
Budget-Managing Tips, but for Space Telescopes
NASA is scrambling to cut the growing cost of its latest big astronomy mission.
Oversight
The German Contractor Who Shut Down Trump’s Twitter Account Insists It Was A Mistake
“I didn’t hack anyone. I didn’t do anything that I was not authorized to do."
Route Fifty
Top Emergency Management Official: Hit the ‘Reset Button’ on Disaster Recovery Roles
FEMA’s administrator envisions state and local governments taking control of reconstruction and resilience with federal support.
Nextgov
FBI, DHS Warn of Hacker Mercenaries Funded by Nation-States
Lawmakers also are considering giving Homeland Security more authority to test anti-drone tech.
Oversight
New Special Counsel Takes on Kellyanne Conway Hatch Act Probe
Henry Kerner's former legal nonprofit argued White House officials were exempt from the law restricting political activity.
Route Fifty
How Do You Tell Tens of Thousands of Parents Their Children May Lose Health Coverage?
With reserve funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program running out, officials in states like Virginia find themselves in a completely unprecedented position.
Oversight
Republicans Look to Push Shutdown Deadline Back Two Weeks
New stopgap spending bill would set up a funding deadline just before Christmas.
Management
Could a Resource-Strapped IRS Handle Tax Reform?
Congress’s continuing cuts to the tax agency’s budget contrast with the Reagan administration’s funding hikes after the 1986 reforms.
Management
Rex Tillerson’s Slow-Motion Exit
The latest report about the secretary of state’s possible ouster undermines his credibility as America’s top diplomat.
Management
Peter Thiel Turns Down a Senior Intelligence Role
The president’s biggest backer in Silicon Valley told the White House he no longer wishes to lead the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Management
Federal Managers Should Learn From Denver’s ‘Peak Performance’ Program
It doesn’t require legislation or special funding, and it could produce gains in every agency.
Management
The First Rule Of Public Speaking, According To an Expert On Eloquence
In "The Gift of the Gab," linguist David Crystal explains why you should never trust anyone who lets you go on for too long.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Mick Mulvaney Does Not Like the Agency He Now Leads
The acting director of the CFPB has called it a “sick, sad joke.”
Route Fifty
Collins Files SALT Amendment, as Senate Votes to Debate Tax Bill
Sen. Susan Collins is proposing to change state and local tax deduction provisions in the bill to mirror House legislation.
Nextgov