Route Fifty
Behind Detroit’s Homegrown Campaign to Close the Digital Divide
To educate residents about the FCC’s broadband subsidy program, the city launched a hotline and a marketing campaign with TV ads featuring the city’s distinct neighborhoods and flyers to hand out at churches.
Management
House Panel to Vote on $7.4B in Funding to Electrify the Federal Vehicle Fleet, Including Funds for USPS
Less than 1% of the current fleet is electric, something President Biden has vowed to change.
Nextgov
Air Force Software Chief Provides Update on DOD’s Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative
He shared hard numbers to demonstrate how the massive implementation is saving the department time and money.
Oversight
Watchdog: GSA Didn’t Always Follow Proper COVID-19 Procedures Early On
Agency says issues with delays in notification of positive cases and oversight of pandemic-related cleaning have been addressed.
Tech
The Pandemic Has Accelerated Government Innovation
It’s also changing—or should be changing—the nature of agency IT departments.
Defense
Inside the Final Hours at Kabul Airport
Alone on the airfield after hundreds of other U.S. troops had left, five handpicked joint tactical exfiltration crews blew up the last remaining defenses and took off in the dark.
Defense
The Future of U.S.-Taliban Relations
Blinken says cooperation is possible, but only if Taliban acts appropriately.
Management
Is It a Crime to Forge a Vaccine Card? and What’s the Penalty for Using a Fake?
People who forge their own vaccine cards, or buy forged cards, are already facing legal problems, including criminal charges.
Management
GovExec Daily: How One DC-Area Community is Reconsidering its History
Tom Shoop joins the podcast to discuss the story about Fairfax, Virginia and how it is reevaluating historical information.
Route Fifty
States Borrowed Billions to Pay Unemployment Benefits. Soon Interest is Due.
Fourteen states owe $54 billion to the federal government for loans to keep unemployment trust funds solvent during the pandemic.
Breaking News
Defense
The Last U.S. Military Plane Has Left Kabul. What’s Next for Americans, Afghans Left Behind?
"Do not count on Americans to save you," one volunteer rescue group warns Afghans now at risk.
Management
Pandemic Preparedness and Climate Change Are Among Federal Research Priorities For 2023
White House tells agencies to consider these and the other R&D priorities in developing their budget proposals.
Management
Biden Taps FEMA Official to Lead Afghan Resettlement Efforts as Agency Deploys Thousands in Ida Response
Agencies are sending employees throughout the United States and around the world in a scramble to tackle multiple crises at once.
Nextgov
OMB Provides Tiered Instructions on Logging Requirements in Executive Order
A memo for agencies assigns criticality levels to monitoring activities along various categories and sets deadlines for compliance.
Workforce
Annual Defense Policy Bill Includes Repeal of Two-Year Probationary Period for Pentagon Hires
The reduction of the probationary period to one year is among several provisions in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act that will affect civilian personnel.
Nextgov
Veterans Affairs Department Selects New Acting Chief Information Officer
The experienced VA insider will be the second person to serve in the position this year.
Oversight
Afghanistan Watchdog to Brief Lawmakers on Tuesday
“It is vital to understand what happened in Afghanistan,” said House Republicans in requesting the bipartisan briefing.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Vaccines Are Being Offered to Afghanistan Evacuees; New HHS Office Launches
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Defense
The Final Retrograde from Afghanistan Has Officially Begun
The threat to U.S. personnel, aircraft in the final days at Kabul airport remains “very real” after a retaliatory U.S. drone strike took out two ISIS-K planners.
Workforce