Defense
Peter Thiel’s New Man In The Defense Department
The new head of defense research and engineering comes from the White House with a relatively light resume.
Defense
We Need $10B to Pay Contractors’ Coronavirus Expenses, Pentagon Tells Congress
It’s the first time a defense official has put a specific price tag on DoD’s COVID relief efforts.
Workforce
This Isn’t Sustainable for Working Parents
The pandemic has already taken a toll on the careers of those with young children—particularly mothers.
Management
GovExec Daily: How the President's 'Deep State' Rhetoric Affects Feds
Dr. Donald Moynihan joins the podcast to discuss his paper “Populism and the Deep State: The Attack on Public Service Under Trump.”
Route Fifty
Budget Stress Presents Added Obstacle for School Reopening
School districts face extra costs to safely bring back students after shutting down due to the coronavirus. At the same time, the outbreak is pressuring state and local government budgets.
Management
ICE Detention Operators Defend Coronavirus Response Amid Growing Concerns
More than 3,000 immigrants in federal custody have tested positive for COVID-19.
Route Fifty
Bars Are ‘One of the Worst Environments’ for the Spread of Covid-19. Is It Time for Governors to Shut Them Down?
If you go to a bar in a pandemic, you might get more than a cocktail.
Nextgov
Customs to Expand License Plate Reading Program Nationwide
Customs will have access to commercial datasets including license plate images and data from parking garages, toll booth cameras and financial institutions, as well as local governments and law enforcement.
Pay & Benefits
House Lawmakers Call for Pay Parity Between Military and Civilian Federal Workers
Although the House version of a defense policy bill includes a 3% pay increase for members of the military in 2021, an appropriations bill under consideration effectively endorses only a 1% raise for civilians.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: CDC Employees Decry Systematic Racism at Agency; Top House Lawmakers Ask Watchdog to Review Medical Supply Chain
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Management
You Can Make Millions Selling Masks to the Government in Three Easy Steps
The federal government is essentially providing seed money to PPE startups, including some run by people accused of fraud. Mask brokers describe a simple blueprint for buying masks from China to get rich.
Oversight
Trump Says He 'Disagreed' With Privately Funded Wall, So Why Did His Administration Award the Builder $1.7 Billion in Contracts to Erect More Walls?
President Trump now claims this privately funded border wall — touted as the “Lamborghini” of fences — was built to “make me look bad,” even though the project’s builder and funders are Trump supporters.
Defense
The Defense Bill Could Rewrite How the US Does Cyber Defense
A proposed new office would help private entities and the government respond together to major hacks.
Management
Does the COVID-19 Crisis Cap 25 Years of Government Blunders?
"What went wrong? The answer is: Almost everything went wrong, and almost everything that did go wrong had been foretold."
Oversight
GovExec Daily: Pandemic Response and Trust in Government
Dr. Barry Eichengreen joins the podcast to discuss a study on how young people see government based on its ability to deal with a public health disaster.
Management
Book Review: Voices From a Slow-Moving Nuclear Calamity
In “The Hanford Plaintiffs,” Trisha T. Pritikin gives voice to the downwinders of the notorious Hanford nuclear plant.
Management
How a Key Federal Civil Rights Agency Was Sidelined as Historic Protests Erupted
Launched by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, the Community Relations Service has been without a director and short-staffed during recent unrest. The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to eliminate the agency.
Route Fifty
‘A Safety Net That’s Ripped’: Problems Plague State Unemployment Systems
In states like Florida and Alabama, people have struggled to get unemployment insurance benefits as the coronavirus continues to drive a flood of claims.
Oversight
One Federal Agency Was Suing Him for Fraud. Another Paid His Company Millions for Masks.
Court records show the federal government gave $20 million in contracts to a company partly controlled by a man with a history of shady business practices.
Oversight