Oversight
2020 Democrats Have Plans to Add New Federal Agencies
Creating Peace and Cybersecurity departments are among the proposals.
Nextgov
DHS is Collecting Biometrics on Thousands of Refugees Who Will Never Enter the U.S.
Most refugees who apply for asylum in the U.S. never set foot in the country, but under an agreement with the United Nations, DHS and its partners can still build biometric profiles on them.
Management
Agencies Need More Flexibility to Fill Vacancies
The crisis at the Bureau of Prisons, highlighted by the suicide of Jeffery Epstein, is only the latest example confirming the civil service system needs to be reformed.
Insights
The Era of Cloud Smart
In this Expert Dialogues report, Government Business Council (GBC) spoke to leaders from USAID, DoD, and USDA about the impact that Cloud Smart is having on their agencies.
Workforce
Your Brain Doesn’t Recharge If You Use Your Phone On Break
Participants who took phone breaks experienced the highest levels of mental depletion.
Oversight
Sen. Elizabeth Warren Asks Why The Justice Department Went Easy on Big Banks
After an article by ProPublica and American Banker examining how Justice softened settlements with RBS and Barclays, the presidential candidate blasts settlements that let banks “evade accountability.”
Management
'No Comment': Emails Show the VA Took No Action to Spare Veterans From a Harsh Trump Immigration Policy
The VA’s approach differs sharply from the Pentagon’s, which won an exemption for active-duty members of the military.
Route Fifty
Marijuana Tax Revenues ‘Highly Unpredictable,’ Researchers Warn
They urge states to be careful when planning for how to spend the money.
Route Fifty
How Residents Help Replenish One State's Seed Stores
Minnesota recruits "private pickers" to harvest cones and seeds for reforestation projects by paying by the bushel.
Route Fifty
Scoot Aside E-Scooters, Rental Mopeds Are Zooming In
Cities involved in the pilot say the mopeds will provide an environmentally-friendly and affordable option for commuters. Some are worried about the safety implications, though.
Nextgov
CDC Needs Better Tools To Track Sickness, Symptoms In Wake Of Nuclear Disasters
If a nuclear device detonated, the resource CDC wants would support state and local health departments’ ability to respond.
Oversight
Watchdog Group Tallies 2,310 Conflicts of Interest Associated With President Trump’s Businesses
Report highlights an unprecedented mix of presidential affairs and personal business.
Management
Attorney General Orders Reassignment of Acting Bureau of Prisons Director
Move comes in the aftermath of financier Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide at a Manhattan federal correctional facility.
Management
Budget Talks Will Break Down if White House Bypasses Congress to Cut Foreign Aid, Pelosi Warns
The Democratic leader stresses that the State Department must be allowed to continue spending money while Congress considers any rescission request, per a GAO legal analysis.
Nextgov
IG: NOAA, NASA Launched Next-Gen Satellite With Known Issues, Scrubbed Performance Metrics from Contract
The main instrument of the GOES-R next-generation satellite constellation wasn’t working before launch but officials sent it into space anyway.
Defense
Viewpoint: It Matters Whether Americans Call Afghanistan a Defeat
The public’s judgment about whether the United States won or lost the war will affect civilian-military relations for years to come.
Management
Before Trump Eyed Greenland: Here’s What Happened Last Time The U.S. Bought a Large Chunk Of The Arctic
In 1867, the U.S. bought Alaska from Tsar Alexander II for a tidy sum of $7.2 million. Trump probably wouldn't be able to get that kind of bargain for Greenland.
Defense
General’s Sexual Assault Accuser Was Deemed a ‘Toxic, Self-Centered Abuser,’ New Docs Reveal
Hundreds of previously unseen pages of two investigations paint Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser as an abusive coworker with motive for revenge against Gen. John Hyten.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Joe Biden Gets a Key Early Endorsement
Dick Swett, a former New Hampshire Democratic representative, put his weight behind the former vice president.
Tech