Management
GSA Is Launching a New Tool to Simplify the Federal Buying Process
Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Sonny Hashmi said the new buyer experience tool "was built using human-centered design to address pain points in the acquisition process."
Workforce
Staring at An Image of Yourself on Zoom Has Serious Consequences for Mental Health – Especially for Women
Mirrors, selfies and knowing other people are looking at you all cause people to think of themselves as objects. Video calls are all three in one and are likely increasing the harms of self-objectification.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: Making DEIA Goals a Priority for Organizations
Cisco's Francine Katsoudas joins the podcast to discuss how to achieve diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility goals.
Workforce
The ‘Ban the Box’ Prohibition at Federal Agencies Will Soon Be Expanded
OPM has proposed a rule implementing The Fair Chance Act, which expands a preexisting ban on asking federal job applicants about criminal histories before the conditional job offer phase of the hiring process, and sets up a mechanism for applicants to report violations of the rule.
Oversight
A Top Lawmaker Wants a Briefing on COVID-19 Vaccines for Young Kids
Separately, the FDA approved the first COVID-19 treatment for kids under 12 on Monday.
Workforce
The Biden Administration Is Overhauling the Hiring Process for Foreign Service Applicants
The nearly 100-year-old test will play a less significant role in selecting qualified candidates.
Defense
What Does Musk's Purchase of Twitter Mean for Disinformation?
His free-speech values could undermine the site's efforts to stem foreign influence operations.
Management
VA Has Been Dinged By Its Watchdog Over Project Management Woes
The multibillion electronic health records modernization project at the Veterans Affairs Department needs to improve scheduling and coordination, according to a critical report from the agency's inspector general.
Defense
How Vanessa Guillén’s Murder Two Years Ago Changed the Military Justice System
“We don’t want to ever see something like what happened with my sister happen to any other victims,” Mayra Guillén told The 19th. A new bill aims to change how sexual harassment complaints are investigated in the military.
Tech
A Majority of Americans Support Mask Mandates on Planes
A majority of Americans support mask mandates on planes and public transit, a new survey finds.
Management
GovExec Daily: Better Government, Biden and a CEO's Perspective
Robert Shea joins the podcast to discuss the connection between PMA and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s latest shareholder letter.
Route Fifty
Local Governments Vie for New Round of Congressional Earmarks
The revival of what critics deride as "pork" yielded $2.7 billion for localities this year. Now they're looking to secure even more of the federal cash. “We've had dozens of communities across our district submit requests,” says one House lawmaker.
Pay & Benefits
VA Will Provide Presumptive Disability Coverage to Vets with Respiratory Cancers
Veterans who have developed any number of nine rare cancers associated with burn pits will no longer have to prove that their conditions were caused during their service overseas.
Workforce
VA Has Fired Just Six Employees Over Its COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
The department was carved out from an injunction on Biden's governmentwide mandate, offering a preview of how the soon-to-be-resumed requirement may play out.
Management
Here’s How the Federal Government Can Change its Strategies for Collecting and Using Data to Advance Equity
Working group offers recommendations in a new report stemming from a Day 1 Biden executive order.
Management
U.S. Diplomats Will Start Returning to Ukraine
Russia’s aggression continues, but “Ukraine is succeeding,” said the secretary of State.
Management
Presenting the Government Hall of Fame Class of 2022
Joining a distinguished roster of inductees, they’ll be honored at a gala celebration on May 12.
Management
Biden Signs Earth Day Executive Order to Protect Old-growth Forests
The order contains vague language around logging, disappointing some environmentalists calling for a ban on the practice on federal lands.
Oversight
Texas Sues to Block Biden Administration from Lifting Title 42, a Pandemic-era Health Rule Used to Expel Migrants
Texas has led the legal fight against the Biden administration’s immigration policies, filing numerous lawsuits that have led to judges overturning or altering those policies.
Workforce