Oversight
The White House Paid Up to $500 Million Too Much for These Ventilators, Congressional Investigators Say
A House panel says “gullible” White House negotiators overpaid for Phillips ventilators, and it has asked the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to investigate evidence of fraud in the deal.
Management
1864 Elections Went on During the Civil War – Even Though Lincoln Thought It Would Be a Disaster for Himself and the Republican Party
Lincoln's chances of reelection in 1864 were dim. He was presiding over a bloody civil war, and the public was losing confidence in him. But he steadfastly rejected pleas to postpone the election.
Employee Policy
Lawmakers, unions join to oppose end to ‘official time’ for EEOC complaints
Federal employee unions -- joined by 185 lawmakers on Capitol Hill -- are clamoring to block the Trump administration from eliminating federal employees’ use of “official time” for managing workplace discrimination complaints.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: The Unsung Heroes of the Federal Pandemic Response
Tom Shoop joins the program to recount the stories of the unheralded stars working behind the scenes.
Oversight
The Federal Government Gives Native Students an Inadequate Education, and Gets Away With It
The Bureau of Indian Education has repeatedly neglected warnings that it is not providing a quality education for 46,000 Native students. Once called a “stain on our Nation’s history,” the school system has let down its students for generations.
Workforce
The Loneliness of Social Isolation Can Affect Your Brain and Raise Dementia Risk in Older Adults
The social isolation older adults are experiencing as they try to stay safe from the coronavirus pandemic is raising new mental health risks, but people can take steps to protect themselves.
Oversight
Inspector General Blasts Efforts to Transfer OPM Facility Authority to GSA
The Office of Personnel Management watchdog said the Trump administration took action without regard to the impact, potentially incurring millions of dollars in recurring annual costs.
Route Fifty
His Wife's Nursing Home Facility Went on Lockdown. So He Got a Job There.
A Michigan man got a part-time job at his wife's nursing home after the facility stopped allowing visitors during the coronavirus pandemic. The state is one of 20 where long-term care facilities remain on total lockdown.
Management
Treasury Department Officials Are Working to Diversify Bank Partnerships
Corvelli McDaniel and Lorraine Cole won the Partnership for Public Service’s ‘People’s Choice’ award for their efforts on the project.
Route Fifty
Public Pensions Rally in Chaotic Stock Market, But Bigger Bills Still Coming for Governments
Pension earnings came up short this year. Eventually, that will require bigger contributions to make up the difference.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Issues Regulations for Feds’ Paid Parental Leave
Beginning Oct. 1, federal workers will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid leave in connection with the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.
Management
Will COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Reflect America’s Diversity?
The pressure to produce an effective COVID-19 vaccine could impede recruitment of volunteers in high-risk populations.
Pay & Benefits
Read This Before You Tap Your TSP to Pay Off Your House
You have a mortgage, but you also have enough money to pay it off. Should you?
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Trump Directs Agencies to Purchase Drugs Domestically; Democrats Seek More Transparency on Federal Prisons’ Coronavirus Cases
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Defense
Top Pentagon Spokesman: No Conclusions Yet On Cause Of Beirut Explosion
Trump has claimed without evidence that the explosion might have been an “attack.”
Employee Policy
Union complaint of 'resistance' talk in the federal workplace dismissed
The American Federation of Government Employees had complained an Office of Special Counsel advisory was chilling federal employees' speech.
Employee Policy
TVA walks back plans to fire U.S. tech workers
The federally owned power company called the plan to fire workers and outsource IT operations as a "disappointing misstep" after the president blasted the move.
Tech
The Raging Competition for Medical Supplies Is not a Game, but Game Theory Can Help
The toll of the pandemic has been worsened because of the shock to the global supply chain, which resulted in shortages of vital medical equipment. Could game theory help?
Management
Federal Bureau of Prisons Spent $3M on Unproven UV Coronavirus Sanitizing Portals
The gates intended to disinfect staff as they enter facilities haven’t been studied enough to know if they are safe or effective, union says in complaint to IG.
Route Fifty