Defense
Trump’s Pivot on Afghanistan Follows Bleak Battlefield Reports
Four inspectors general describe scant progress against the Taliban.
Route Fifty
Ambush Attack at Ohio Courthouse Raises More Security Concerns
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Oklahoma’s teacher shortage worsens; Virginia governor announces big budget surplus; and Miami Beach bolsters security following attacks in Europe.
Management
Fighting the Opioid Epidemic with Evidence and Innovation
How Congress and the Health and Human Services Department can reduce opioid-related deaths.
Nextgov
How VA Turns Survey Data into Better Veteran Health Care
Real-time feedback could help the Veterans Affairs Department direct respondents to task forces for suicide or homelessness.
Management
OMB Steers Agency R&D Budgets Toward Security, ‘Energy Dominance’
Fiscal 2019 initiatives should be “budget neutral” and agencies should consider private-sector solutions, guidance states.
Nextgov
Time’s Running Out to Prevent a Massive Cyberattack on Critical Infrastructure, Advisory Group Says
The report urges rapidly declassifying cyber threat information between industry and government and other measures to ease the exchange.
Management
Google Memo Completely Misses How Implicit Biases Harm Women
Even after years of federal and state laws making discrimination illegal, implicit bias still leads to actual economic harm for women.
Defense
Will Anyone Care About Trump's Barely-Different Afghanistan War Plan?
Pull out. Stay in. Double down. It’s the military’s war until elected officials make it America’s war. And Americans won’t care by Wednesday, anyway.
Management
Analysis: Trump Staff Still Short on Relevant Experience
The president has mostly avoided hiring aides who have worked closely with Congress or toiled in past administrations—and it shows.
Route Fifty
Pennsylvania Decision Puts Public Officials on Notice Regarding Their Facebook Use
It all started with a proposed local mural. Then things online got snarky and personal.
Management
AFGE Executive Fired Over Letter to Members
Union secretary-treasurer claims he was removed because he planned to challenge incumbent president.
Oversight
'Every Leak Makes Us Weak' Campaign Runs Risk of Discouraging Legitimate Disclosures
Hall posters warning of insider threats aren’t nuanced enough, whistleblower advocates say.
Management
The 13 Questions Google Asks About Its Managers When It Gathers Employee Feedback
Workplace feedback should flow both ways. It does at Google.
Pay & Benefits
Secret Service Walks Back Blaming Trump for Shorting Employees’ Pay
The agency is not paying agents for overtime who have already hit their annual pay caps.
Management
STEM Degrees Are Good for Careers. But Do They Lead to More Innovation?
Science, technology, engineering, and math education helps job prospects, but hurts the likelihood of becoming an inventor.
Defense
What the Announced NSA / Cyber Command Split Means
Cyberwar and cyber intelligence are diverging, as are Cyber Command and the NSA. Here’s what that means for the man who leads both entities, the future of signals intelligence collection, and cyberwarfare.
Management
Facing a Difficult Or Awkward Conversation at Work? You Are So Not Alone
This area has proved so topical that the writer behind the Ask a Manager blog has an upcoming book about it.
Management