Oversight
Play of the Day: Happy 72nd Birthday, Mr. President
Donald Trump's birthday was celebrated Thursday by late-night hosts.
Management
Education Department Staff Has Shrunk by 13% in Trump Era
“If you’re going to make a case to hire more people, you better have a really good reason,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently told an interviewer.
Route Fifty
Kentucky Sues Walgreens Over Opioid Abuse Epidemic
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Montana preps for another difficult wildfire season … Charlotte’s uncharted scooter territory … and N.J. governor makes first legalized sports bet.
Management
House Passes Bill to Help USPS Block International Shipments With Illegal Opioids
The Postal Service typically has no advanced data on the packages it receives from overseas.
Nextgov
Nearly All Major Agencies Are on Governmentwide Cyber Threat Dashboard
So far, 20 of 23 major agencies are plugged into the dashboard. The last three should be on by the end of July.
Route Fifty
FAA Awards $677 Million in Airport Improvement Grants
The 241 grants will fund 346 infrastructure projects, including runways, taxiways, aprons and terminals.
Oversight
Justice Watchdog’s Bombshell Report Underlines Tricky Role of IGs
Horowitz’s 500 pages detail methods his team used to navigate political shoals.
Nextgov
Are Federal Cyber Workers Up to Snuff? Many Agencies Don't Know.
Some still aren’t sure who counts as a cyber worker and who doesn’t.
Nextgov
House Passes Bill to Open Government Data About Opioid Abuse
The Health and Human Services Department would have to build a dashboard to share information about substance abuse, treatment and recovery.
Management
House Democrats Join Fight Against Workforce Executive Orders
Twenty-three lawmakers say the three edicts reduce protections for whistleblowers, attempt to “eradicate unions.”
Pay & Benefits
Retirement Facts: A True-False Quiz
Test your knowledge of issues that commonly come up in the planning process.
Management
Government Already Has a Blueprint for Implementing Pay For Performance
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency offers a success story.
Pay & Benefits
Democratic Senators Demand OPM Reverse Course on Proposed Retirement Cuts
Lawmakers offer to work with the administration on civil service reform if OPM Director Jeff Pon abandons push for “draconian” measures.
Nextgov
First Modernization Fund Winners Offer Cheat Sheet for Future Pitches
The first three awardees of the Technology Modernization Fund offer a window into the kinds of projects and pitches the board is looking for.
Management
Agencies Continue Chipping Away at Science and Climate Change Spending
Progressive group analyzes Trump team efforts to downplay data and research.
Management
EPA Staff Say The White House Is Changing Their Mission From Protecting Health And The Environment To Protecting Industry
Government agencies are supposed to listen to the industries they regulate, but what if they tune out everyone else? Scholars call this regulatory capture, and some staffers see it happening at EPA.
Management
Analysis: Why Is Trump Protecting Scott Pruitt?
How has the head of the EPA withstood a deluge of corruption scandals? It all comes back to the president.
Oversight
Play of the Day: The U.S. and the Koreas Need to Get Their Stories Straight
Are military exercises being suspended? Is there a nuclear threat?
Route Fifty
NYC DOT Chief: Feds Are Forgoing City Input on Self-Driving Vehicles
“I urge you to enlist cities as partners,” transportation commissioner Polly Trottenberg told Senate lawmakers.
Management