Digital Government

Face Masks ‘Significantly Reduce’ Spread of Covid-19, Study Finds

“The effect is greatest when 100% of the public wear face masks,” researchers wrote, suggesting that officials should encourage people to cover their faces in public.

Digital Government

Pentagon Starts Bailing Out Companies that Have Lost Business Due to Coronavirus

The Defense Department is sending millions of dollars to keep companies afloat, and more deals are expected.

Digital Government

Federal Agencies Have Spent Millions on KN95 Masks, Often Without Knowing Who Made Them

Some experts worry that the products could remain in circulation long past the crisis and be used by unsuspecting federal employees who believe they have legitimate respirator masks.

Ideas

Bringing Lessons from Remote Work Back to the Office

A lot of people aren't going to want to return to their pre-pandemic commuter lives—and many won’t. Organizations will have to adjust.

Digital Government

See Which Agencies Are Bringing Employees Back to the Office

As states lift stay-home orders, many federal offices are reopening. Here is a roundup.

Ideas

Chatbots: The New Government Official in the Fight Against Coronavirus

Even though there’s a deluge of questions from thousands of people, many of these questions are the same.

Ideas

Managing User Access Is a Crucial Step in Securing Federal Organizations

Agencies must make sure they leave no security gaps when employees join or leave.

Digital Government

CBP Has Seized Nearly 900,000 Counterfeit and Unsafe COVID-19 Supplies

Customs officers have picked up hundreds of thousands of unapproved test kits, unproven medicines and substandard protective equipment.

Digital Government

Federal Managers Should Model Self-Care for Their Employees

Government officials offered tips for managing workplaces during unusually stressful times.

Emerging Tech

Energy Curates New Tools, Unveils Funding to Assist Research Efforts Against COVID-19

Through its COVID-19 Technical Assistance Program, the department will provide roughly $500,000 to support research against the pandemic.

Ideas

COVID-19 Has Exposed the Need to Invest in Digital Infrastructure

Even before the increased demand caused by COVID-19, much of our digital infrastructure was so poorly designed as to be hostile to users.

Ideas

Smart Cities Can Help Us Manage Post-COVID Life, but They'll Need Trust as Well as Tech

But as we prepare to move beyond this crisis, cities need to design systems that are prepared to handle the next pandemic.

Digital Government

Poll: Nearly Three-Fourths of Americans Would Get Coronavirus Vaccine

Seventy-one percent of Americans would get a coronavirus vaccine if it were free and widely available, a large increase from just a week ago, according to a poll released Tuesday.

Cybersecurity

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. 

Modernization

VA’s Digital Transformation Efforts Helped It Quickly Pivot to Increased Remote Work

Deputy CIO Dominic Cussatt detailed how the agency heightened its capabilities for pandemic-induced telework. 

Digital Government

Trump’s Attacks on Vote-by-Mail Worry Some Election Officials

For months, President Donald Trump has been one of the loudest opponents to vote by mail.