Management
White House Memo Could End Unionization at the Pentagon
In a January memo, President Trump authorized Defense Secretary Mark Esper to exempt the Defense Department from the law governing collective bargaining in the federal government.
Oversight
Analysis: Why Would a Billionaire Charge the Secret Service $650 a Night?
Six theories for why Donald Trump insists on billing taxpayers
Management
Viewpoint: What Trump’s Picks for the Presidential Medal of Freedom Say About Him
Researchers have analyzed data from the last 50 years of medals to learn what presidents consider important and what legacy they hope to leave behind.
Management
House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Presidential Transition Team Ethics Requirements
The Senate-approved measure also has requirements for GSA and other agencies.
Management
Trump Presented an Optimistic View of Government in Third State of the Union
The president pointedly mentioned the administration’s support for the most important change in federal employee benefits in decades: paid family leave.
Management
The White House Counsel Succumbs to Partisanship
During the process of impeachment, Pat Cipollone often appeared to be functioning as a member of the president’s political team.
Management
Viewpoint: The Trump Administration Has Made the U.S. Less Ready for Infectious Disease Outbreaks like Coronavirus
The Trump administration has cut funding for infectious disease research and reduced high-level staffing for global health security, leaving the nation less prepared for major outbreaks.
Defense
The One War Zone Trump Doesn’t Want to Leave
The president’s resistance to withdrawing from Iraq boils down to three of his main enemies: ISIS, Iran, and Obama.
Management
2020 Democrats Are Already Giving Up on Congress
They know their grand progressive plans could stall out on Capitol Hill. So they’re embracing executive authority instead—just like the man they hope to defeat.
Oversight
Questions Linger on How State Dept. Employees Will Carry Out New 'Birth Tourism' Policy
The rule "almost demands discrimination in order for it to be implemented," said an expert.
Management
Analysis: Coronavirus Is Coming—And Trump Isn’t Ready
In order to combat the disease, the president will have to trust the kind of government experts he has disdained and dismissed.
Workforce
Senator Calls on Interior to Reintstate References to LGBTQ Employees in Workplace Discrimination Guidance
Department says its policies have not changed and cites support for LGBTQ workers.
Oversight
GSA Back in the Hot Seat Over Trump Hotel Oversight, Potential Sale
"The only thing I know is what I've read in the paper," agency chief says in reference to foreign expenditures at the hotel.
Management
Viewpoint: Trump’s Defense Against Subpoenas Makes No Legal Sense
Like so many contentions of the president’s legal team, this is malarkey thinly draped with plausible-sounding distortions of facts, rules, court opinions, and the Constitution itself.
Management
Donald and Ivanka Trump Were Involved in Inauguration’s Inflated Payments to Family Business, New Suit Says
“Members of the Trump family were aware of and involved in the negotiation of this unconscionable contract,” the District of Columbia’s attorney general wrote in the suit.
Management
The Senate Confirmation Process is Twice As Long Today As It Was During the Reagan Era
Partnership for Public Service study highlights the importance of a president’s first and fifth years in getting vacancies filled.
Defense
Analysis: America’s Wars Wouldn’t Be Possible Without Contractors
But presidents usually ignore the thousands who have died.
Defense
Trump Says U.S. Is Ready for War. Not All His Troops Are So Sure.
A series of accidents calls the military’s preparedness into question.
Oversight
GAO: Trump Administration Violated the Law by Withholding Ukraine Aid
The administration pushed back on the findings, and has said GAO decisions are not binding.
Oversight