Tech
NASA's Big Move to Search for Life on Mars – and to Bring Rocks Home
This summer, NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is taking the next giant leap in our search for signs of life beyond Earth.
Employee Policy
Terms of USPS loan deal raise eyebrows
The U.S. Postal Service’s agreement with the Treasury Department for $10 billion loan provided for in the CARES Act includes USPS handing over negotiated agreements with its top customers.
Employee Policy
Senators propose labor-management task forces on COVID policiies
A group of Senate Democrats is proposing legislation to create labor-management task forces inside government to review pandemic-related workforce policies.
Management
GovExec Daily: The State of Federal Law Enforcement and Protests
Eric Katz joins the podcast to discuss the deployment of Federal Protective Service officers.
Route Fifty
The States With the Worst Public Sector Job Losses During the Coronavirus Crisis
Forty-nine states have had declines in state and local government employment since February. Some have fared worse than others.
Management
USPS Denies It's Giving the Trump Administration Undue Influence
Postal Service stresses its independence as lawmakers say the administration is "inappropriately insert[ing]" itself into the agency's operations.
Management
Democratic Senators Introduce Bill to Include Feds in Coronavirus Response Decisions
A task force of administration and union officials would make recommendations for how agencies should protect workers during the pandemic.
Management
CDC ‘Should Be Leading the Way’ in Pandemic Decisions, Says Former Director
Dr. Tom Frieden speaks about the recent switch from CDC to HHS collecting coronavirus data.
Route Fifty
Cities Turn to the Sewers to Track the Prevalence of Covid
Testing wastewater samples can give public health officials a heads up that an outbreak is looming, as people infected with SARS-Cov-2 shed the virus in their feces weeks before they begin showing symptoms.
Pay & Benefits
5 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Right Now
Federal employees need to be financially ready in case they’re affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Majority of Pandemic Contracts Have Been for Medical Supplies and Were Not Awarded Competitively
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Route Fifty
Figuring Out School Bus Routes Is More Complicated Than Ever. Districts Are Turning to Technology for Help.
In places where kids go to in-person school, buses will look different this year as systems deal with the challenges of transporting kids during a pandemic.
Defense
Boeing’s Coronavirus Losses Now Bleeding Into Its Defense Accounts
More layoffs, production slowdowns and factory closures are being considered, executives said.
Workforce
9/11 First Responder Brains Are 10 Years ‘Older’ Than Normal
First responders who were at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 are at risk of developing dementia, two new studies show.
Benefits
AI commission floats idea of digital service academy
The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence has suggested establishing a national digital service academy to train technical talent.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: Election Security as November Approaches
The Alliance for Securing Democracy's David Levine spoke to the podcast about how to keep voters – and votes – safe at the polls.
Employee Policy
Union pleads for USCIS funding as furloughs loom
The immigration agency is seeking $1.2 billion to keep employees working through an anticipated financial shortfall it links to the pandemic.
Route Fifty
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Says Many Federal Officers Will Leave Portland
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | A couple states report surprisingly good tax receipts in July … Tennessee governor OKs resumption of high school football … Florida marks 5,000 Burmese pythons removed from Everglades.
Route Fifty
States Warn Residents About Unsolicited Seed Packages Sent From China
People have received the mysterious shipments in at least 22 states. The seeds could pose threats to the environment and agriculture. Federal authorities are investigating.
Management