Nextgov
Pentagon Attorneys Say Amazon Wants ‘Do-Over’ in JEDI Bid
The Defense Department defended its request for a four-month remand while it addresses issues raised by Amazon’s lawsuit over the multibillion-dollar cloud contract.
Oversight
Federal Prisons Pose ‘Imminent Danger’ in Spreading COVID-19, Union Says
A complaint filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cites hazards at 100 of 122 facilities nationwide.
Pay & Benefits
State Department Allows Employees to Take Off 10 Paid Hours Per Week
Administrative leave will help employees look after loved ones or their own health during coronavirus crisis, department says.
Management
Supreme Court Makes It Easier for Feds to Prove Age Discrimination
In an 8-1 decision, justices found that the “plain language” of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act has a lower burden of proof for proving differential treatment based on age in the federal government than the private sector.
Route Fifty
State and Local Officials Call for Residents to Wear Masks
A city in Texas apparently became the first in the country to institute a fine for residents who don’t wear masks to places like grocery stores.
Nextgov
Pentagon Launches Coronavirus Mythbuster Site
The Defense Department created a web portal to fact-check bad information circulating about the coronavirus and the military’s response.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: 39-Year-Old TSA Employee Dies, VA Steps Up Assistance to States
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Oversight
Who Has Emergency Authority Over Elections? Nobody’s Quite Sure.
The tug of war over whether and how to hold Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary exposes a national problem: State and local officials with the most experience running elections lack the power to revamp or postpone voting during a crisis.
Defense
Lockheed Adds 1,000 Employees Amid Coronavirus Crisis, Wants to Hire 5,000 More
The defense giant also said it would give bonuses to employees who can’t work from home.
Employee Policy
DOD recommends face masks
On April 5, Defense Department Secretary Mark Esper issued guidance on the use of cloth masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among service members.
Pay
General schedule pay issues stymie hiring efforts
Federal agency chief human capital officers say the general schedule that covers civilian employee pay frequently hinders hiring for critical occupations like information technology and cybersecurity.
Management
GovExec Daily: How Communities Enforce Stay-at-Home Orders
Route Fifty's Andrea Noble joined the podcast to talk about quarantine scofflaws and the rules states have put in place during the pandemic.
Oversight
Trump Fires Intel IG, Taps White House Confidant for Pandemic Oversight Role
The president’s moves late Friday night underscore the vital role inspectors general play as agencies grapple with pandemic response and unprecedented federal spending.
Workforce
COVID-19 Could Lead to An Epidemic of Clinical Depression
Stress, loss, loneliness and isolation are key factors in clinical depression, which affects millions. The U.S was unprepared for COVID-19 – will it remain unprepared for its medical aftermath?
Management
Social Distancing Is Hard When You Live With Roommates
No one answers a Craigslist ad for housemates expecting to end up quarantined with those people.
Employee Policy
CDC recommends cloth face coverings to slow virus spread
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued recommendations on facial coverings, mirroring growing consensus among experts that even a nonmedical cloth covering could help lower the transmission of the virus by people with it.
Route Fifty
In an Airport City, Coronavirus Travel Slump Stokes Budget Worries
SeaTac, Washington is in relatively good financial shape. But its tax revenues depend heavily on a sector that’s taking a beating during the disease outbreak.
Management
SBA Experiences Chaotic Rollout to 'Unprecedented' Stimulus Program
Lawmakers on both sides and business owners alike criticized the Trump administration for a rocky implementation of a new paycheck protection program.
Management
Defense Employees Report Poor Coronavirus Response at Two Facilities
Union officials said a naval base in Naples, Italy, has resisted calls to suspend nonessential services, while an OSHA complaint contends a Virginia facility failed to respond to an employee’s positive COVID-19 test.
Route Fifty