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
White House Orders Federal Contractors to Limit Their Use of Foreign Workers
President Trump signed an executive order that requires agencies to review internally their contracting practices, but experts say there are questions on how it will be implemented.
Oversight
They Warned OSHA They Were in 'Imminent Danger' at the Meat Plant. Now They’re Suing the Agency.
The suit by workers at Maid-Rite Speciality Foods in Pennsylvania employs a rarely used legal tool and is the latest in a growing chorus of complaints about how the federal agency charged with protecting workers has responded to COVID-19.
Management
GovExec Daily: The PPE Supply Chain
CEO of QYK Brands Rakesh Tammabattula joins the show to explain how the federal government can help out suppliers and producers of protective equipment.
Oversight
Medicare Agency’s Contracting Violations Show Need for Pandemic Oversight
Experts say HHS inspector general’s findings should serve as a warning about potential waste, fraud and abuse.
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.
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
Eroding Private Border Wall to Get an Engineering Inspection Just Months After Completion
Months after the “Lamborghini” of border walls was built along the Rio Grande, the builder agreed to an engineering inspection of his controversial structure. Experts say the wall is showing signs of erosion that threatens its stability.
Management
He Built a Privately Funded Border Wall. It’s Already at Risk of Falling Down if Not Fixed.
Trump supporters funded a private border wall on the banks of the Rio Grande, helping the builder secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts. Now the “Lamborghini” of border walls is in danger of falling into the river if nothing is done, experts say.
Management
FEMA Ordered $10.2 Million in COVID-19 Testing Kits It’s Now Warning States Not to Use
The faulty lab equipment sold by a company whose owner has faced fraud allegations is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general.
Management
Federal Contract Spending Reaches Its Highest Level Ever in Fiscal 2019, Marking 4 Straight Years of Growth
Spending is expected to increase even more for fiscal 2020, exceeding $600 billion even before coronavirus stimulus funding is included.
Oversight
A Company Run by a White House 'Volunteer' With No Experience in Medical Supplies Got $2.4 Million From the Feds for Medical Supplies
A $2.4 million deal to supply the Bureau of Prisons with surgical gowns was the second multimillion dollar contract for coronavirus supplies that went to somebody who did work for the White House but had little relevant experience.
Oversight
Pandemic Oversight Committee Launches Contract Spending Tracker
The committee had stated in its first report that financial management could be a top challenge for agencies.
Management
The Trump Administration Paid Millions for Test Tubes — and Got Unusable Mini Soda Bottles
The plastic tubes supplied for coronavirus testing by Fillakit, a first-time federal contractor with a sketchy owner, don’t even fit the racks used to analyze samples. And they may be contaminated anyway.
Management
Federal Agencies Have Spent Millions on KN95 Masks, Often Without Knowing Who Made Them
Government employees at several agencies are relying on KN95 masks that the agencies cannot guarantee offer the most protection. Some agencies have paid little attention to important manufacturing details and been tripped up by shifting regulations.
Management
Contractors for Trump’s Controversial $3 Billion Food Aid Program Have Hired a Longtime Lobbyist to Tout Their Work
Lawmakers are asking why some federal contractors in Trump’s food aid program apparently lack qualifications to deliver the goods. Companies hired a consultant to tell positive stories.
Management
This Treasury Official Is Running the Bailout. It’s Been Great for His Family.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Justin Muzinich has an increasingly prominent role. He still has ties to his family’s investment firm, which is a major beneficiary of the Treasury’s bailout actions.
Management
Masks Sold by Former White House Official to Navajo Hospitals Don’t Meet FDA Standards
New information from the Indian Health Service calls into question why the agency purchased expensive medical gear that it now cannot use as intended.
Oversight