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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thousands of USDA employees were facing moves across the country. Now a judge has hit pause, with the future of the department’s reorganization still in question. @jory_heckman tracks where the fight stands. buff.ly/2FDM6lq

USDA is reshuffling its food assistance agency, but the big question is still up in the air: Who’s actually going to have to move? @jory_heckman has the latest twist in a reorg tangled up in court. buff.ly/kBGx8jz