Oversight
Why There’s No National Lockdown
Enforcing a large-scale quarantine would be legally murky, even if it’s what the country needs to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Oversight
Citing Coronavirus Pandemic, Trump Administration Stops Enforcing Environmental Laws
A Texas environmental protection group said it is "reckless" for the Environmental Protection Agency to waive enforcement of many protections. The federal agency said companies could have trouble complying due to the new coronavirus.
Management
GovExec Daily: How the Treasury Department Will Distribute Stimulus Money
Courtney Bublé and Katherine McIntire Peters join the podcast to discuss the logistics of getting money to millions of Americans with a staff who is largely working from home.
Nextgov
CMS Further Expands Telehealth Services for Medicare Recipients
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will temporarily expand telehealth options, including for new patients and audio-only appointments.
Route Fifty
Extended Income Tax Deadline Is Yet Another Coronavirus Budget Curveball for States
Shifting the due date for income tax filings to July from April will likely create some budget gaps that states will have to manage in the final months of their fiscal years.
Management
Former FEMA Chief: Don’t Expect FEMA to ‘Fix’ the Coronavirus Response
Agency faces challenges allocating resources and getting supplies out the door, and could be short-staffed to handle other disasters that arise.
Oversight
Trump Objects to Pandemic Spending Oversight, But Congress and IGs Still Have Authority
“Signing statements by themselves do not really do anything,” said one expert.
Route Fifty
‘Now Is the Time to Beg’: City Officials Plead with Residents to Stop Flushing Toilet Paper Alternatives
The coronavirus-induced toilet paper shortage is causing people to resort to creative alternatives. These can prove disastrous for sewer systems.
Pay & Benefits
Federal Workers, Union Sue for Hazard Pay
A federal class action lawsuit argues that agencies should be required to provide hazardous duty pay to federal employees who have been exposed to the coronavirus.
Nextgov
Pentagon to Modify Hundreds of Contracts for COVID-19 Response
The Defense Department is ramping up the purchase of certain items, including ventilators, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Route Fifty
State Legislatures Scramble to Meet in the Age of Coronavirus
Lawmakers across the country rushed to pass resolutions permitting virtual meetings and remote voting, efforts they said were necessary to adhere to social distancing guidelines and protect legislators.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Government Prepares to Send Stimulus Checks, IRS Begins Mandatory Telework for Nearly All Employees
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Management
In a 10-Day Span, ICE Flew This Detainee Across the Country — Nine Times
Even as the Trump administration discouraged the public from flying, Sirous Asgari was shuttled from Louisiana to Texas, New Jersey and back on chartered flights full of migrants. He still hasn’t been deported.
Management
This VA Hospital Cited 'Misleading' Data to Restrict Mask Use for Health Care Workers
Workers at a VA hospital in New Mexico have been told not to wear face masks in certain cases, even though earlier CDC guidance said masks can protect against spread of the coronavirus.
Management
The Trump Administration Is Leaving the Nation’s Emergency Backup Hospital System on the Sidelines
Leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs say they are ready to answer the call to assist HHS or FEMA. But the call has not come.
Defense
Military Leaders Ask to Delay Budget Planning To Focus on Coronavirus, Let Staff Stay Home
But the Defense Department's No. 2 told Army, Navy, and Air Force budget planners to figure a different solution.
Oversight
EPA Science Panel Plows Ahead with Toxic Chemical’s Review, Despite Coronavirus Crisis
Under White House pressure, the EPA ordered the expert review panel to ignore the conclusions of its own scientists that the widely used solvent causes fetal heart defects.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: How to Maintain Mental Health During the Pandemic
Neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez joins the podcast to explain how self-isolation can affect one's emotional state– and how to stave off the problems inherent in isolation.
Tech
How to Survive Pandemic Re-entry
Astronauts have given us some useful tips for surviving isolation, but we’ll need more to weather a pandemic.
Management