Oversight
Despite Biden’s Efforts on Ethics, Some Observers Say More Safeguards Are Needed
“We’re in kind of a post-Watergate era right now,” said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, government affairs manager at the Project on Government Oversight. “I think that’s exactly the time you want to do something like a reform of government ethics.”
Oversight
COVID-19 Widows Struggle to Get Benefits as Social Security Offices Remain Closed
The closure of Social Security offices during the pandemic has made getting survivors benefits difficult for the spouses and children of those who’ve died during the pandemic. More than 90 percent of those seeking survivors benefits are women.
Oversight
The EPA Rejects Texas’ More Lenient Standard for Highly Toxic Air Pollutant
In the wake of an investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune into the widely used chemical ethylene oxide, the EPA has moved to reject a less protective standard crafted by Texas regulators and backed by the chemical industry.
Oversight
A Federal Pandemic Watchdog Says its Oversight Money Will Run Out in July
Brian Miller, special inspector general for pandemic recovery, wrote in a new report that $25 million in CARES Act start-up funds is not enough.
Oversight
The EPA is Taking Action to Combat Industrial Air Pollution
The EPA announced a raft of targeted actions and specific reforms including stepped-up air monitoring and scrutiny of industrial polluters in the wake of ProPublica’s investigation into toxic hot spots.
Oversight
The SEC Looks to Expand Cyber Coverage
The Securities and Exchange Commission is taking a new look at how it asks publicly traded companies to disclose cybersecurity risks.
Oversight
The Special IG for Afghanistan Shares Advice on How to Spend Aid Money Well
More recommendations will come in the watchdog’s quarterly report next week.
Oversight
Expert: ARPA Could Better Fight Racial Wealth Inequality
The American Rescue Plan Act could do more to tackle racial wealth inequality, argues professor Goldburn P. Maynard Jr.
Oversight
Biden Administration’s Rapid-Test Rollout Doesn’t Easily Reach Those Who Need It Most
Two rapid-testing initiatives the Biden administration released in the past week are inaccessible to some residents of multifamily housing, people who don’t speak English well, or those without internet access.
Oversight
White House Watchdog, Codified Ethics Pledge, Among Suggestions for Improving Government Accountability
A new report makes recommendations on ethics, open government, pandemic response and more.
Oversight
Watchdog: FDA Needs a Central Workforce Plan to Help Meet Public Health Mission
The agency faces stiff competition from private sector employers, said the Government Accountability Office.
Oversight
How Better Airline Technology Could Minimize Flight Disruptions
Updated algorithms and increased data sharing could improve flight reliability amid a fragile system, scientists say.
Oversight
Lawmakers Question Agencies on Implementation of Customer Service Act
The law requires agencies to accept digital signatures to authorize congressional offices to help constituents.
Oversight
A High-Risk Medical Device Didn’t Meet Federal Standards. The Government Paid Millions for More.
For years after federal inspectors found serious problems with the HeartWare heart pump, agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continued paying to implant it in patients.
Oversight
As Patients Fell Ill With COVID-19 Inside Hospitals, Government Oversight Fell Short
A KHN investigation finds that hospitals with high rates of COVID-19 patients who didn’t have the diagnosis when they were admitted have rarely been held accountable due to multiple gaps in government oversight.
Oversight
The Low-and-Slow Approach to Food Safety Reform Keeps Going Up in Smoke
The U.S. has one agency that regulates cheese pizza and another that oversees pepperoni pizza. Efforts to fix the food safety system have stalled again and again.
Oversight
This Scientist Created a Rapid Test Just Weeks Into the Pandemic. Here’s Why You Still Can’t Get It.
Irene Bosch developed a quick, inexpensive COVID-19 test in early 2020. The Harvard-trained scientist already had a factory set up. But she was stymied by an FDA process experts say made no sense.
Oversight
Reversed Employee Suspension at USDA Leads to New Policy on Employee Publishing Rights
Employee successfully challenges an agency's attempt to prohibit her from conducting certain activities when off the clock.
Oversight
Agencies Are Getting Better at Using the Defense Production Act for Pandemic Response
A watchdog report shows progress just as the Biden administration plans to increase reliance on the law to combat the omicron variant.
Oversight
EPA Watchdog: Oversight ‘More Important Than Ever’ With Infrastructure Package
A specific oversight plan for the new funding is likely forthcoming.
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