Nextgov
Microsoft to Produce Augmented Reality Headsets Under $21B Army Contract
The Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation system headset is based on Microsoft’s HoloLens gaming device.
Pay & Benefits
The Pay Implications of Temporary Border Details, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Oversight
Thirty-Five Trump Appointees Have Converted to Career Federal Jobs Over the Last Year
Six more Trump-era politicals who sought to "burrow in" at the 11th hour are currently pending review.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Infrastructure Plan Addresses Future Pandemics; Non-Tax Filers to Receive Stimulus Payment by April 7
Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Management
How to Build Employee Commitment and Improve Performance
A good place to start would be to reward goal achievement.
Management
Budgeting for the Next Pandemic
The current crisis has already cost more than $5 trillion in direct spending; we must develop a better strategy for future pandemics.
Management
This Time, Lawmakers Want Control Over COVID-19 Aid
The states and Washington, D.C., are set to receive $195 billion in federal money.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: A Safe Return to Offices for Employers and Employees
Cozen O’Connor’s David Barron joins the podcast to discuss the potential risks for post-pandemic workplaces.
Route Fifty
How Two States Resolved Problems with PrepMod’s Vaccine Management System
Virginia and Maryland both experienced issues with vaccine appointment link sharing. Virginia opted to develop its own vaccine management platform, while Maryland worked with the vendor.
Route Fifty
The Wide Gaps Between Minority and White Business Ownership in America’s Cities
A new data tool offers ways to gauge the disparities with businesses in the nation’s largest metro areas. It also includes information on women-owned firms.
Management
New Task Force Will Conduct Sweeping Review of Scientific Integrity Policies
The governmentwide review will look at policies and political interference in science over the last two administrations.
Management
Agencies Can Continue Making Special COVID-19 Hires Through 2021, OPM Says
Some agencies have used the authority to dramatically ramp up their hiring.
Management
Infections with ‘U.K. Variant’ B.1.1.7 Have Greater Risk of Mortality
Now is not the time to get complacent, says NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins. This devastating pandemic isn’t over yet.
Defense
A Marine Logistics Base May Be the Warehouse of the Future
Virginia Tech researchers aim to use 5G networks to track items as they come and go.
Pay & Benefits
After Decades of Stasis, Federal Pay Policy Is a Shambles
The Biden administration has an opportunity to change that, a former Trump administration official argues.
Defense
Service Dogs Can Help Veterans with PTSD – Growing Evidence Shows They May Reduce Anxiety in Practical Ways
Traditional treatments for PTSD, such as talk therapy and medication, do work for some veterans. But service dogs can make a difference when those methods fall short.
Management
GovExec Daily: Which Agencies Are Vaccinating Contractors?
Courtney Bublé joins the podcast to discuss her story on the different departments inoculating contractors with whom they work.
Route Fifty
Mayors Want Vaccines Distributed Directly to Cities
The proposal, pitched to the White House on Monday, would mean bypassing states. It’s likely to be a tough sell given the added complications it would involve.
Management
States' COVID-era Budget Surpluses Could Pay For Infrastructure
“There are no Democratic roads, there are no Republican roads.”
Route Fifty