Oversight
Lawmakers Threaten Subpoena for Disciplinary Info on Border Agents Posting Racist Facebook Messages
Committee accuses Customs and Border Protection of "stonewalling" after reports it bypassed punishment for most employees involved.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Proposes Pay, Bargaining Changes in 2021 Budget
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Nextgov
Border Patrol Needs Automated Sensors to Cover Watery Blindspots
Homeland Security is looking for a technical solution to give border agents situational awareness about illegal watercraft and the potential risks of interdiction.
Defense
Senator Denies Threatening to Make Defense Secretary's Life 'Hell' If He Cuts AFRICOM Troops
"No, I never said that," Graham said in a brief phone call with Defense One. "It was a good conversation."
Defense
A Military Perspective on Climate Change Could Bridge the Gap between Believers and Doubters
U.S. military leaders have to plan for operations all over the world, so they can't afford to ignore climate change or debate its causes.
Route Fifty
One Month Out, Watchdog Warns About Census IT and Cybersecurity Challenges
The Census Bureau this month switched the internet response system that respondents will use to complete the 2020 census questionnaire. The last-minute change worries the Government Accountability Office.
Nextgov
Indian Health Service CIO Gets Ready to Update One of Government’s Oldest Systems
As chief information officer of the Indian Health Service, Mitchell Thornbrugh will play a critical role as the agency updates from a system that first debuted in 1969.
Management
Labor Authority Moves Forward With Plan to Make It Easier for Feds to Cancel Union Dues
Lone Democrat on the labor-management relations board accuses his colleagues of using recent Supreme Court precedent as a pretext to enable union busting.
Management
Federal Employees' Settlement Agreements Can Expire, Court Rules
Agencies can cut off special accommodations for feds, including whistleblowers, after "a reasonable time."
Oversight
President Pardons Ex-GSA, OMB Official
David Safavian served nearly a year in prison for lying about his interactions with lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Management
DHS to Waive Contracting Regulations to Speed Up Border Wall Construction
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is using a 2005 law to override certain requirements.
Route Fifty
Positive Yelp Reviews Don’t Mean Stronger Profits For Businesses in Black Neighborhoods, Study Finds
“Location in Black-majority neighborhoods eliminates the benefit of being a highly rated establishment,” according to the new report, which looks at data for thousands of businesses.
Nextgov
TIC 3 Commenters Put Faith in Zero Trust over CISA’s Trust Zones
The draft policy creates a new framework for secure network boundaries at a time when the tech sector is moving away from boundaries altogether.
Nextgov
VA Reveals Industry Partners for First 5G-Enabled Hospital
Through early adoption, the Veterans Affairs Department aims to help the entire health care industry visualize, access and co-develop 5G’s full potential.
Oversight
Whistleblower Advocates Praise Pick to Lead New House Ombudsman Office
The office will train congressional staffers on handling disclosures of potential waste, fraud and abuse.
Defense
Think the U.S. is More Polarized Than Ever? You Don’t Know History
A growing chorus of people say the U.S. has never been so politically divided. A Civil War historian reminds readers that there was once a far more divided time.
Management
Analysis: A Coronavirus Quarantine in America Could Be a Giant Legal Mess
America’s defense against epidemics is divided among more than 2,000 individual public-health departments, which makes implementing a national strategy very difficult.
Management
Viewpoint: Bill Barr Must Resign
The attorney general is working to destroy the integrity and independence of the Justice Department, in order to make Donald Trump a president who can operate above the law.
Route Fifty
A Major Union Push to Organize Child Care Providers in California
A new law granted workers the ability to collectively bargain with the state, an effort that union organizers are calling “historic.”
Management