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
How Local Governments Can Deal with Recycling Scofflaws
Education is often cited as the key to improving recycling rates and reducing contamination. But a new report suggests cities might be better served by cutting off problem households.
Workforce
Groups Renew Push to Finally Make Federal Employee Appeals Board Fully Functional
More than 3,000 federal worker appeals are currently languishing before the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Management
VA Rolls Back Trump-era Workforce Policies
The Veterans Affairs Department is restoring its previous contract with AFGE, which allows access to official time and union office space in department facilities.
Pay & Benefits
Don’t Make These TSP Withdrawal Mistakes
Saving enough for retirement is like climbing Mount Everest: Getting to the top is an incredible feat but once you get there, you have to come down. That’s the really dangerous part.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: EPA Watchdog to Review Workplace Safety Measures; White House Is Rethinking Federal Vaccine Strategy
Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Nextgov
Watchdog to Review How Postal Inspectors Handle Cryptocurrency
Digital currencies have already been seized by the law enforcement arm in previous investigations.
Defense
Senators Offer to Let NSA Hunt Cyber Actors Inside the US
After SolarWinds hack, Gen. Nakasone seeks some sort of a fix for the cybersecurity ‘blind spot’ against Russia, China, but others cite privacy concerns in potential expanded authorities.
Management
Stop Blaming Tuskegee, Critics Say. It’s Not an ‘Excuse’ for Current Medical Racism.
When it comes to vaccine hesitancy, it's mainly academics and officials who are preoccupied with the history of the Tuskegee medical experiments.
Management