Workforce

Coronavirus Roundup: Defense Will Work with CDC on Vaccine Distribution; State Department Enters Phase Two of Reopening 

There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.

Management

Expert: We Need To Prep For COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Now

Before we have a COVID-19 vaccine, it's vital to think about how to get it out to the maximum number of people, an expert argues.

Nextgov

GSA Launches IT Acquisition Training Portal For Procurement Officers and Program Managers

The on-demand video courses offer continuous learning points, and many are open to the public.

Defense

GOP Senators Stall Tata Nomination for Top Pentagon Post

After Islamophobic remarks, Trump’s controversial pick to be Defense Department’s policy chief is in troubled waters.

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.