Route Fifty
States Announce Regional Efforts to Restart the Economy
The moves came as President Trump declared he and the federal government have primacy over deciding when “to open up the states” amid the coronavirus crisis.
Management
White House Advises Agencies on COVID-19 Spending and Reporting
“Time is of the essence,” but “spending transparency and regular reporting will provide important accountability mechanisms to help safeguard taxpayer dollars,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a memo.
Management
Coronavirus Response 'Likely' to Lead to IRS Backlogs, IG Says
Outstanding cases have already spiked due to shutdown, and now thousands of employees are home and not working.
Management
Border Agency Cancels Weather and Safety Leave for Some Employees, Angering Union and Lawmakers
The agency had been using weather and safety leave to mitigate employees’ potential exposure to the coronavirus, but cancelled that practice along the northern and southern borders because of “COVID-19 related requirements.”
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Lawmakers Unveil ‘Essential Workers Bill of Rights’ Including Protective Gear, Pay
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Management
The White House Pushed FEMA To Give its Biggest Coronavirus Contract to a Company That Never Had to Bid
The Trump administration has rushed through more than $760 million in contracts outside the usual bidding process during its haphazard coronavirus response. It’s highly unusual for the White House to step into FEMA’s supply bidding process.
Defense
The Air Force and Navy Are Testing This App to Stay Fit Amid Social Distancing
A biometric data app is helping the services monitor the health of sailors and airmen stuck at home.
Management
When Will Social Distancing End? It May Be a While
A new report suggests how to adapt our public health strategy and milestones for deciding when and how officials should relax physical distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tech
GovExec Daily: How Supercomputing is Aiding in Fighting the Pandemic
Nextgov's Brandi Vincent joins the podcast to talk about the federal agencies using computing to combat coronavirus.
Management
Democratic Senators Demand Answers on Trump’s Secretive Border Expulsions
After ProPublica’s report, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee ask the Department of Homeland Security to explain why it thinks emergency powers granted to the CDC allow it to bypass existing asylum laws.
Oversight
Government Watchdog: Millions Wasted on Tornillo Migrant Detention Facility
The Government Accountability Office found that the government spent $66 million in taxpayer money over five months to hold an average of 28 people per day at the tent encampment near El Paso.
Workforce
7 Things Ease the Switch to Remote-Only Workplaces
An abrupt transition to a remote-only workplace poses challenges to both management and employees. Two experts explain what it takes to get it right.
Defense
The Army Wants Your Ventilator Ideas
A new contest seeks new designs to meet a growing need.
Workforce
What Do We Know about COVID-19 and Pets?
Can my cat get COVID-19? What about that tiger in the Bronx Zoo? Here, a veterinarian answers common questions about COVID-19 and pets.
Nextgov
Pentagon Supercomputers Puzzle Out How to Safely Airlift COVID-19 Patients
The Defense Department turned its supercomputing resources toward solving problems presented by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Management
White House Wants Agencies to ‘Repurpose’ Federal Financial Assistance Programs to Fight COVID-19
The move would allow federal grant recipients to donate money and equipment to coronavirus relief efforts.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Steps Toward Getting Stimulus Checks Out the Door, Americans View the CDC and HHS Favorably
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Route Fifty
Coronavirus Makes Bail Reform Efforts More Urgent
Some jurisdictions have released many pretrial detainees in an effort to decrease jail populations during the pandemic, taking steps bail reform advocates sought for years.
Nextgov
Congress Hears Options—And Concerns—for Using Smartphone Data to Fight COVID-19
Other countries have been using various forms of location and proximity tracing to slow the spread of the disease, with widely varying levels of privacy protections.
Management