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This One Rule Informs All of Veterans Affairs' Customer Service Decisions
Bells and whistles are great, but they don't matter if they aren't helping customers, Veterans Affairs Department's Lynda Davis said.
Management
House Democrats Go to Court for Trump Hotel Documents
GSA is accused of stonewalling congressional overseers after Trump’s arrival.
Management
House Panel Approves Bill Doubling Feds’ Probationary Period
Democrats object to provision they say would reduce due process rights for employees.
Pay & Benefits
House Panel Backs Two-Year 'Cooling-Off Period' for Appointees Looking to Burrow In
Republicans have harped on the issue despite infrequent use of political to career conversions.
Management
Ex-Diplomats Balk at Trump’s Nominee to Lead Foreign Service
Choice of Indiana economic planner Akard would alter past requirement for senior State Dept. experience.
Pay & Benefits
Are You Ready to Retire? A Self-Assessment
Use this online tool to find out where you stand in the planning process.
Oversight
The Strange Case of Paul Manafort’s Multiple U.S. Passports
According to court documents, the president’s former campaign manager held three passports and had applied for 10 over the last decade.
House GOP Firm on SALT Rollback in Tax Bill, Despite State, Local Protests
Republican lawmakers on Thursday introduced their sweeping proposal to rewrite the U.S. tax code.
Management
The Shadow Government Working to Save Obamacare From Collapse
With the Trump administration refusing to promote open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, a cadre of former Obama officials steps in to fill the void—with an assist from the ex-president himself.
Oversight
NASA Has Found Another 20 Promising Planets For Humans to Colonize
One of these new planets is ripe for an "Interstellar"-style space mission.
Management
The Houston Astros Proved the Power of Long-Term Thinking
The worst team in baseball had a plan.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Donald Trump's Penchant For Branding
The Cut Cut Cut Act is a marketing victory for the GOP.
Nextgov
Three-Star General Wants Artificial Intelligence in Every New Weapon System
The department's Project Maven uses machine learning to go through drone video feeds but that's just the beginning, Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan said.
Management
Trump Opposes House-Backed Effort to Reform Emergency Disaster Spending
White House doesn’t want hurricane relief funding to compete with wildfire suppression efforts.
Management
Proponents of Evidence-Based Policy Face a Critical Challenge
Getting people to use the data is essential.
Nextgov
Federal IT Reforms are Freeing Up Funds in an Otherwise Flat Budget Forecast
Obama-era federal IT reforms are starting to have an effect, but there’s a long way to go, analysts say.
Local Health Officials Decry House Plan to Gut Disease Prevention Fund to Pay for CHIP
The House plan to reauthorize CHIP would cut the Affordable Care Act’s Public Health and Prevention Fund by 75 percent over the next decade.
Defense
Washington Is Never Quite Sure Where It Is at War
The Niger debacle exposed just how little Congress grasps about what U.S. forces are up to around the world.
Defense
Senator to Donald Trump: Americans Deserve to Know the Costs of a North Korea Conflict
In a letter to the president, Tammy Duckworth cites the lack of debate before she was deployed to Iraq—and insists that it not happen again.
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