“As President Trump tries to defend his sluggish response to the coronavirus pandemic, 18 nongovernmental organizations are pressing against agency vacancies that can hinder federal action. “We fear that the leadership vacuum in several federal agencies is weakening the nation’s ...

“The U.S. government agency tasked with regulating nuclear energy moved to massively deregulate the disposal of nuclear waste, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group known for its work representing environmental whistleblowers in government agencies. ...

“High level vacancies are hampering the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a group of organizations that focus on issues such as immigration, climate change, and government accountability. In a letter sent April 14 to Senate committee chairs ...

“Almost every bureau of the Interior Department’s vast agency ― 70,000 employees across 2,400 nationwide offices ― has had at least one employee test positive for the virus. The Interior Department has kept these numbers private, while leaving most public parks and refuges open ...

“The Trump administration’s “fumbling response” to the outbreak is a “symptom” of the lack of presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed leaders across agencies directly involved in those efforts, groups like the Project on Government Oversight, Public Employees for ...