Oversight
House Approves Bill to Curb Spending on Official Portraits
Sen. Cassidy’s "EGO Act" would codify crackdown on agency vanity paintings.
Oversight
Election Assistance Agency Carries On Despite GOP Resistance
Threat of Russian meddling lends urgency to tasks of new chairman.
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.
Oversight
USDA to Block Social Media Following IG Report Showing an Uptick in Porn Watching
Employees will be barred from visiting 400 websites "not related to official department communications or business," starting Wednesday.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Some White House Nicknames Are Better Than Others
"Javanka" is definitely better than "Devoncé" or "Mr. Magoo."
Oversight
The Things Agency Leaders Have Given Up to Get on the Right Side of Ethics Rules
Administration officials have returned a handmade long gun, cancelled a $31K furniture order and considered downgrading flights following public outcry and advice from ethics officials.
Oversight
Will the Last Person to Leave the West Wing Please Turn Out the Lights?
As the administration faces a spate of departures from its top ranks, filling their posts will be a major challenge.
Oversight
U.S. Lawmakers Want To Pay Up to $5 Million For Foreign Corruption Tips
Have tips on global corruption? Intrigued by the prospect of becoming a millionaire with witness protection?
Oversight
Trump's EPA Concludes Environmental Racism Is Real
A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency finds that people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air—even as the agency seeks to roll back regulations on pollution.
Oversight
Trump Thought the Rules Didn’t Apply—and Now He’s Paying the Price
The Trump administration decided early on that many guidelines were either antiquated or punitive, and is belatedly discovering that they were there for its own protection.
Oversight
Air Traffic Control Privatization Architect Abandons Effort
Measure, attached to FAA reauthorization bill, stalled in the House last fall.
Oversight
ICE Broke Contracting Rules in Establishing Its Largest Detention Facility
The agency bypassed normal procurement procedures for expediency, IG says.
Pay & Benefits
4,000 Feds Soon May Need a New Health Insurance Plan
Scathing inspector general’s report on an FEHBP insurer’s refusal to submit to an IT audit imperils the company’s contract.
Oversight
TSP Gets Lowest Possible Score on Information Security Audit
Agency receives “Ad Hoc” label on first FISMA audit under new metrics.
Oversight
White House Quietly Releases Report Highlighting Benefits of Regulations
The mandatory summary of the previous year’s rules runs counter to the Trump administration’s arguments for reducing red tape.
Oversight
Play of the Day: More On Trump's Plan to Arm Teachers
Will it solve school shootings or just sell more guns?
Oversight
It's Getting Harder to Prosecute Politicians For Corruption
A legal scholar looks at the new and narrowed definition of bribery by the US Supreme Court. In the future, will politicians doing favors for donors and friends ever be prosecuted for corruption?
Oversight