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 Washington, DC
govexec.com
Joined October 2008
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Hey you! We’re looking for commentary pitches for Government Executive. If you have an idea for our audience of federal employees and managers, our writers guidelines are here: govexec.com/about/writers-gu…

Writers Guidelines

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If the public doesn’t know what inspectors general do, who will stand up for them when they’re under threat? Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy talks with one watchdog who wants to get ahead of that problem: buff.ly/JejCBzm
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USDA employees facing relocation have some new options, though not necessarily the ones they want. @jory_heckman tracks the trade-offs. buff.ly/ofsFeQ7

‘Last chance to stay where you are.’ USDA gives some employees facing relocation a shot at unfilled...

A Natural Resources Conservation Service employee said most critical vacancies available at his grade level would amount to a "voluntary downgrade," but would spare him from relocating across the...

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HHS tried to overturn a ruling that its telework rollback violated its union contract. The FLRA said no, then flagged dozens of bogus or irrelevant citations in HHS’ legal brief. @jory_heckman has the details behind that unusual rebuke. buff.ly/Y2rbHsX

HHS telework rollback challenge upheld by FLRA

Federal Labor Relations Authority members wrote that HHS seemingly used generative AI tools to draft its legal brief, since many of its citations were “fictitious, erroneous, or irrelevant.”

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At USCIS, managers were racing a deadline, working backward from bonus targets and trying to make the numbers fit. Erich Wagner reveals how that scramble played out for employees. buff.ly/q2OZTea

‘It’s The Price is Right’: How USCIS artificially deflated employee ratings under forced distribu...

A federal whistleblower says the agency instituted a forced distribution of employee performance ratings last year, months before the Trump administration lifted a ban on the practice.

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NNSA was already understaffed. Now staffing cuts have erased its recent hiring gains, and officials say some nuclear security oversight has suffered. Sean Michael Newhouse traces the fallout. buff.ly/42hdqri

Oversight of nuclear material security cut back due to civil service reductions, GAO finds

The Government Accountability Office also reported that the National Nuclear Security Administration has more than lost its recent hiring gains.

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Agencies have to cap top performance ratings at 40% of the federal workforce, but employees say they don’t know how the rules will work or how their scores will be decided. @jory_heckman captures the confusion. buff.ly/CAo9rOj

‘A rushed and complicated system.’ Federal employees say they’re in the dark over limited top...

A mandate to limit outstanding performance scores has managers playing a numbers game and risks pitting teammates against each other.

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The VA says its union contract has expired for most workers. AFGE isn’t giving up. Erich Wagner gets into the union’s latest move to bring the agreement back. buff.ly/dzs3s6x

Union seeks new avenue to restore VA contract

The American Federation of Government Employees asked a federal judge to issue an “indicative” ruling that would only take effect if OKed by the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

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The VA’s watchdog is supposed to hold the department accountable. But employees say staff cuts and leadership interference are weakening its oversight. Sean Michael Newhouse has the story behind the concerns. buff.ly/zJgjqKh

Trump’s IG pick at the VA is ‘watering down’ oversight, some employees allege

As the Veterans Affairs inspector general faces mounting workforce challenges, some employees and former watchdogs raise questions about the office's trajectory.

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DOJ says its first tax fraud enforcement surge has turned up $490 million in alleged schemes. But how much of that money can the government actually get back? Jory Heckman follows the money. buff.ly/kkzyRG1

Enforcement ‘surge’ from DOJ, IRS uncovers $490M in suspected tax fraud   

Justice and IRS officials said this won’t be the last tax fraud enforcement surge of its kind. But it's not yet clear how much money they'll claw back from suspected fraudsters.

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BOP tried to terminate its union contracts. A judge blocked it. Then the agency tried again. Erich Wagner tracks the latest turn in the fight over federal prison workers’ union rights. buff.ly/or59nkI

Judge again orders reinstatement of Bureau of Prisons union contracts, but stops short of contempt

U.S. District Judge Jordan Oliver found that the agency’s re-termination of its collective bargaining agreements last week violated last month’s preliminary injunction but said he would not police...

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The VA’s union contract has expired for most employees. Now what? Erich Wagner gets into what changes for workers and why the fight isn’t over. buff.ly/HjpH1vu

VA allows union contract to expire for most employees

Individuals hired as departmental police officers, firefighters and security guards, exempted from Trump’s anti-union orders, remain covered under the expired collective bargaining agreement, albeit...

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USPS is gearing up for the midterms, but a court-blocked executive order and suspicious mailings have added complications. @jory_heckman gets into how the agency is preparing for election season. buff.ly/oHUfx8c

USPS ‘ready to deliver’ ballots in midterms without mail-in voting EO restrictions 

The Postal Service's law enforcement agency is investigating suspicious letters sent to several state officials who oversee election operations.

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HUD lost nearly a third of its workforce. Now housing groups say they’re having a harder time getting answers from the agency. Sean Michael Newhouse has the fallout. buff.ly/uyhO7do

HUD’s staffing cuts hurt certain housing services, watchdog finds

Housing organizations told the Government Accountability Office that they now face more obstacles getting in touch with department employees in a timely manner.

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COMMENTARY: What if a federal job application could help a foreign adversary map America’s most valuable expertise? @LindyKyzer argues it’s time to bring HR into the counterintelligence conversation. buff.ly/M5l3U0p

The next counterintelligence threat may be hiding in federal hiring

COMMENTARY | Foreign adversaries are exploiting resumes, recruiting and professional relationships to pursue sensitive information. Federal agencies need to recognize the risks without making it...

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That bigger retirement check? Medicare costs and earnings limits could eat into it. Federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan lays out what federal retirees need to know before 2027. buff.ly/uIP8QMU

Federal retirees face more than a COLA change in 2027

From Medicare premiums and Social Security earnings limits to a federal pay freeze, several changes could affect retirees’ finances and the benefits available to them next year.

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The federal pay tables millions rely on are getting a long-overdue makeover. But OPM isn’t stopping at a website refresh. @jory_heckman reports on the agency’s bigger push to bring AI and other new technology into the federal workforce. buff.ly/P8ZPwXd

OPM revamps online pay tables, spearheads AI adoption across federal workforce 

The agency's CIO Adam Starr described the pay table refresh as part of a broader plan to “make every part of the federal experience tech-first."

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ICYMI: Which races should feds have on their radar this fall? Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy breaks down eight key contests, from Maine to Texas, with implications for the people who keep the government running. buff.ly/8prn7mB

8 midterm races for federal employees to watch

Several high-profile races, including Senate elections in Maine, Georgia and Texas, could impact civil servants.

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The administration was placing political appointees in jobs under a new classification before the public had a clear picture of who was filling them. Sean Michael Newhouse traces how the appointments came to light and what we still don’t know. buff.ly/oGRr8wE

Trump quietly hired political appointees under a new job classification, good government group...

While Schedule G is not officially set up in regulation, the Office of Personnel Management emphasized that the position category for political appointees was established by executive order and that...

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A bigger retirement check sounds good, right? But with health insurance premiums climbing, federal retirees may not have as much extra cash as they’d hoped. Erich Wagner explains what’s coming. buff.ly/3JEoUNW

Cost-of-living adjustments for federal retirees to increase next year

Former federal workers are set to receive between 2.6% and 3.6% more from their retirement annuity next year, according to new numbers from the Social Security Administration.

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Federal contractors still have disability obligations, but Labor has shelved the routine audits meant to check compliance. Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy on what that means for oversight of a $793 billion contracting system. buff.ly/o1jDqGU

Labor has mostly stopped checking whether federal contractors are following disability rules

A watchdog found that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has no plans to restart routine audits, leaving less oversight of protections for workers with disabilities.

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