Nextgov
Legacy Systems Held DHS' Biometrics Programs Back. Not Anymore.
The cloud-based HART system, which will house data on hundreds of millions of people, promises to significantly expand the department’s use of facial recognition and other biometric software, as well as its partnerships with external agencies.
Route Fifty
It’s Easiest to Find Healthy Food in Cafeterias and Vending Machines of These Cities
City parks, hospitals, airports, and child care centers sell thousands of snacks and meals each day. A new ranking looks at how healthy city-procured food options are.
Pay & Benefits
Warren Promises to Pay Federal Employees During Shutdowns If She Becomes President
Democratic candidate's plan also calls for reversing President Trump’s executive orders "attacking" the federal workforce.
Management
Trump Taps Former Corporate Lawyer to Lead Regulatory Rollbacks
Paul Ray has been the acting head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for six months.
Management
People Are Increasingly Interrupted at Work, but It’s not All Bad
Interruptions are inevitable – but how they happen matters.
Nextgov
A Federal Privacy Board Is Reviewing DHS’ Airport Facial Recognition Programs
An agency shared new details around its recent observations of one TSA biometrics pilot—and what it aims to assess in a comprehensive report it’s generating over the course of the next year.
Oversight
Trump’s USDA Is Letting Factories With Troubling Safety Records Slaughter Chickens Even Faster
Workers are getting injured, but the Department of Agriculture says their safety is not its responsibility.
Management
Federal Agency Staffing Problems in California Should Trigger Alarms
Talent gaps cannot be solved within the rigid civil service system.
Oversight
How to Prep Yourself for Flu Season
As the flu season gets started, what can you do to protect yourself and stay healthy?
Oversight
Play of the Day: Someone Had to Get a Cost Estimate For a Border Moat Filled With Gators
New reporting says Donald Trump had some interesting ideas about border security.
Route Fifty
Local Law Enforcement Should Be Able to Protect Airports From Drones, Report Says
To address security risks, a task force recommends that Congress authorize local law enforcement to take down drones flown too close to airports.
Oversight
Whistleblower is Vulnerable to Retaliation Due to Limited Intelligence Community Protections
Under the law, the president is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected, but experts say the law never accounted for a president leading the attack on a whistleblower.
Management
IRS: Sorry, but It’s Just Easier and Cheaper to Audit the Poor
Congress asked the IRS to report on why it audits the poor more than the affluent. Its response is that it doesn’t have enough money and people to audit the wealthy properly. So it’s not going to.
Pay & Benefits
A Close Call for Paid Parental Leave, a Chance to Share Your Views on Benefits and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Agencies May Now Enforce Trump’s Controversial Workforce Orders
An expired court injunction clears the way for the administration to significantly curtail the power of federal employee unions.
Nextgov
Fighting Cyber Crime is Critical for National Security, Says Secret Service Chief
While election interference, espionage and power grid threats get all the attention, nation-states also lean on cyber criminals to conduct operations on their behalf, according to Director James Murray.
Route Fifty
The Metro Areas Where Economic Output Rivals Whole Countries
Nearly 40 of the world's 100 largest economies in 2018 were U.S. metro areas, figures in a new report show. And it's not just mega-regions that made the list.
Pay & Benefits
Feds Will Pay 5.6% More Toward Health Care Premiums Next Year
OPM adds two nationwide options under a new type of health insurance plan.
Oversight
Grassley Deviates From Other Senate Republicans and Supports Ukraine Whistleblower
Senator says he believes the whistleblower followed the law and should be protected.
Route Fifty