Management
USPS Board Nominees Vow to Protect Agency but Offer Little Expertise on Postal Issues
Board of governor appointees offered few details, say they have a lot to learn about Postal Service operations.
Nextgov
Cyber Commission: Expand Connected Device Security Bill Beyond Federal Procurement Realm
The new recommendation comes in an annex the Cyberspace Solarium Commission released in light of the pandemic.
Pay & Benefits
Washington-Area Feds Face Another Obstacle to Returning to the Office: Metro Upgrades
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Route Fifty
Minnesota Presses for Oversight of Minneapolis Police—Will Other States Follow?
In the absence of federal civil rights investigations into the conduct of local police departments, some states may begin to implement their own consent decree programs.
Defense
Army Scientists: All Strains of COVID-19 Can Be Covered by One Vaccine
The service is on track to produce a vaccine against multiple coronavirus strains by the end of the year. But making it available is the CDC’s job.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Indian Health Service Forms Critical Response Team; Defense Secretary Reminds Personnel to Be Apolitical
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Nextgov
Lawmakers Seek Answers From FBI, DHS on Protest Involvement
The House Committee on Homeland Security also wants to know how many personnel the agencies dispatched to address the protests.
Route Fifty
Defense Secretary Opposes Deploying Federal Troops in Response to Unrest
His remarks come after President Trump earlier this week raised the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act to send federal troops to assist with law enforcement in some cities.
Defense
Pentagon Says Guard Did Not Tear-Gas Protesters; Downplays Role In Militarized Response
A senior official also said the secretary of Defense was unaware of the plan to clear a public park for a Trump photo op.
Oversight
Labor Dept IG Steps Down Following Pandemic Relief Fund Fraud Warning
“This decision has been long in the works and is for entirely personal reasons. I have not been told or asked to resign,” Scott Dahl said.
Employee Policy
OPM looks to its own reopening
As Capitol Region local governments are starting to phase in their own reopening plans, the Office of Personnel Management put out a detailed guide for returning its own employees to the office.
Benefits
Union slams WH plans to cut workers’ comp
As the White House presses on with a plan to cut workers’ comp -- drastically, for many feds, the American Federation of Government Employees is firing back.
Management
Is This the Worst Year in Modern American History?
Comparing 2020 to 1968 offers some disquieting lessons for the present.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: A Checklist Before Feds Come Back to their Offices
The Partnership for Public Service's Max Stier joins the show to discuss the ways agency leaders and management can bring back public servants safely.
Management
See What the Federal Response to D.C. Protests Looks Like
The officers reportedly volunteered for the assignment and received training to deescalate tensions.
Route Fifty
Pandemic, Civil Unrest Complicate Voting in the Nation’s Capital
Washington, D.C. is among the jurisdictions that encouraged residents to vote by mail to stay safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, but voters who came out to the polls Tuesday still encountered long lines.
Route Fifty
In a Rural Valley, Virus Threat Hangs Heavy Over Summer Tourist Season
Washington’s Methow Valley is a magnet for tourists and people looking to get into the outdoors. But the coronavirus outbreak is stirring mixed reactions about visitors.
Oversight
Senate Confirms Brian Miller to Be Pandemic Inspector General
The Senate voted 51-40 in favor of putting the White House lawyer and former GSA watchdog in charge of ensuring relief funds are not misspent.
Nextgov
ICE Outlines How Investigators Rely on Third-Party Facial Recognition Services
In a newly released impact assessment, the immigration enforcement agency details its use of facial biometrics and the privacy implications involved.
Management