From February 2017 through February 2018, the Rutherford County, TN Sheriff’s Office investigated the sale of cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, products by stores in Rutherford County. During the investigation, a law enforcement officer purchased CBD products from a store, and submitted them to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (“TBI”) for lab testing. In May 2017, a lab report indicated that the product contained CBD, a Schedule VI substance.

Officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sat down with GovExec to discuss the plan for recalling federal employees to their offices. Officials indicate that the government will take a piecemeal approach based on different regions and agency needs.

The Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) Expedited Hiring Authority Act allows the SIGPR to bypass the current government hiring process to allow the office to quickly ramp up oversight operations.

A former Judge of Elections in Philadelphia was convicted this week for accepting bribes in exchange for casting fraudulent ballots and certifying false voting resulting during 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary election in Philadelphia. Domenick Demuro pled guilty and will be sentenced on June 30, 2020.

This week the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) supported several legislative items aimed at assisting law enforcement during Police Week. FLEOA began the week by announcing a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey over their preemption of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA). On the legislative front, the organization representing some 28,000 federal law enforcement officers across 65 federal agencies supported initiatives ranging from assisting with the pandemic response to filling gaps in law enforcement protections abroad.

The Senior Executives Association announced a new task force last week to develop management assessment models for federal agencies. The task force marks the second phase of the Project on Assessing Management Quality. The first phase recently concluded with a special report on how agencies can determine if their offices are well managed.

Maurice Fayne, a reality TV star from the show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, has been arrested on federal bank fraud charges arising from a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan that he obtained in the name of Flame Trucking. The United Community Bank provided Fayne with a PPP loan totaling more than $2 million.

On FEDtalk this week, join host Natalia Castro to hear the stories of the federal employees working on the front lines while millions of Americans stay at home. From the Postal Service to Federal Veterinarians to the IRS employees delivering stimulus checks to the American people, federal employees are keeping the nation afloat during these trying times.

This week is Police Week. Thank you for all you do.

This Mother’s Day, as you look back at the many years your mother cared for you, consider the possibility that she may require care herself someday. Long term care insurance can help ensure that your mother will get the care she needs, should there come a time when she requires help managing some of the activities we associate with independent living.

Officers who tased a plaintiff up to eight times where the plaintiff acted violently and uncooperatively, even after being handcuffed, were entitled to qualified immunity in §1983 action, the Eighth Circuit this week held.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued guidance for federal employees for filing claims under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act due to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). All federal employees who develop COVID-19 while in performance of their federal duties are entitled to workers’ compensation coverage.

Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) has introduced legislation to require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to work with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop guidance and training for law enforcement to identify and combat domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) has expanded their Coronavirus Hardship Program to provide additional relief to families experiencing financial hardship due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

Two businessmen have been charged with allegedly filing bank loan applications fraudulently seeking more than a half-million dollars in forgivable loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). David Staveley, aka Kurt Sanborn, and David Butziger claimed to have dozens of employees earning wages at four different business entities when there were no employees working for any of the businesses.

We are living in truly unprecedented times. With much of the world shut down in an effort to minimize the reach of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is one group of workers putting in the hours and going above and beyond to keep our great nation running strong: Federal Employees.

This week, we recognize the public servants across the country working hard for the American people. Thank you.

The National Security Agency (NSA) has provided guidance for agencies on determining which video conferencing tools should be using during telework periods. The guidance provides nine factors for consideration to determine which platform should be used. The guidance only applies to commercial applications such as Zoom, which have become increasingly popular for office communications during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Wednesday released guidance to agencies on implementing the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The guidance includes a summary of the statutory and regulatory requirements for federal employees to access their paid leave.

In the last week, federal courts in Utah and Texas issued respective injunctions against two groups halting the sale of coronavirus “cures” and “treatments” that have been deemed fraudulent. In Utah, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah issued a temporary restraining order against defendant Gordon Pedersen of Cedar Hills, Utah, and his companies, My Doctor Suggests LLC and GP Silver LLC. In a civil complaint and accompanying court papers filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that Purity Health and Wellness Centers and one of the firm’s principals, Jean Juanita Allen, fraudulently promoted so-called ozone therapy as a treatment for COVID-19.