WAEPA understands the fear a pandemic such as COVID-19 can cause. If you’re a Civilian Federal Employee, you may be concerned whether your life insurance would cover a death from the coronavirus.

The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings when in public settings. Here is a quick guide to making your own masks at home with some basic household items.

Congress did not intend to give the Department of Veterans Affairs carte blanch to impose penalties against non-executive career employees without review, the Federal Circuit held this week.

The coronavirus pandemic has required all hands to be on deck in the federal government. To match the president’s call for a whole of government response, federal agencies are shifting strategies and collaborating in new ways to better serve the American people.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), as part of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force, has recovered a significant number of N95 respirator masks from price gougers looking to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the DOJ and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are working together to redistribute the items to medical centers in need.

The Centers for Disease Control has issued specific guidelines for law enforcement to help officers stay safe during the current COVID-19 public health crisis. Sadly, no segment of our population will escape this persistent virus, including our law enforcement community. Officers are already used to facing the unknown, but this invisible enemy poses an immediate threat, not only to an officer, but to the officer’s family and coworkers.

Responding to a pandemic is mentally taxing. Here are tips for coping from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Tune in to FEDtalk this week to hear about the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. Joining our host, Tony Vergnetti, will be National Commissioners Debra Wada and Tom Kilgannon. They will discuss ways to revitalize service in our country.

The Senate has passed H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This bill is the largest stimulus package in U.S. history and contains significant economic aid for agencies responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued guidance relating to properly vetting employees during the coronavirus pandemic. Many federal, state, and local offices that take fingerprints are currently closed due to measures associated with the coronavirus, raising questions about how to properly vet new employees.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Sunday that it has issued its first action in federal court to combat fraud related to the coronavirus. The DOJ previously announced it is prioritizing the detection, investigation, and prosecution of illegal conduct related to the pandemic.

Recently, the First Circuit held that police officers who engage in community caretaking functions on private property without a warrant are entitled to constitutional protection.

Hear about the DHS coronavirus response from Acting Secretary Wolf in a statement he made on March 20.

In a letter to agencies on Sunday, Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought called upon agencies to offer “maximum telework flexibilities” to all currently telework eligible employees and to utilize all existing authorities to offer telework to additional employees to the extent available due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Acting Director Vought noted that this may be a challenge for law enforcement and criminal justice-related employees.

Cyber-attackers attempted to disrupt the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services computer systems over the weekend. Attackers failed at penetrating the network due to what the department described as “extra protections” put in place to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The Department of Defense has also reported an uptick in attempted cyber-attacks on their network.

Merdad Ansar, an Iranian citizen and resident of the United Arab Emirates, was extradited from Georgia to the United States this week to face federal charges in connection with a scheme to obtain military sensitive parts for Iran in violation of the Iranian Trade Embargo. Ansar and his codefendant were charged in a federal grand jury indictment returned in June 2012 with conspiracy to violate the Iranian Transactions Regulations (ITR), conspiracy to launder money, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf gives a message to employees during COVID-19.

While the world is facing an unprecedented crisis, finger-pointing and allegations of “mismanagement” may begin. We know this because we’ve defended federal employees in other unprecedented crises such as 9/11, Waco/Ruby Ridge, Hurricane Katrina, Benghazi, wildland fire fatalities, etc.

As members of Congress become increasingly concerned about the spread of COVID-19, also called the coronavirus, agencies are stepping up guidance to employees regarding maintaining health and safety during the outbreak. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, for the majority of people, “the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low,” but emphasizes the importance of preparedness. Read on for an overview of some of the actions taken by lawmakers and some agencies to prepare for the potential spread.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a final rule announcing the start of DNA collection from immigrants in federal custody beginning this spring. The rule is meant to fully enforce the DNA Fingerprinting Act of 2005, which requires the government to collect DNA samples “from individuals arrested, facing charges, or non-U.S. persons who are detained.”