Topic: U.S. Office of Personnel Management

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Major gay marriage cases in federal court and where they stand

Battles over same-sex marriage have been raging in the federal courts for several years. Two could reach the US Supreme Court within a year: one challenging California's ban on gay marriage under Proposition 8, and the other seeking to invalidate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Here are the cases to follow.

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Backlog consequences: VA withholds bonuses

The VA is withholding bonuses from senior officials who oversee disability claims and will instead spend the money to reduce the backlog, officials announced Monday. In fiscal 2011, when $2.8 million in bonuses were awarded, the number of disability claims pending for longer than 125 days jumped from less than 200,000 to nearly 500,000.
No more telecommuting? Not a problem for most American workers.

First Yahoo!, then Best Buy revoked their employee policies allowing telecommuting, stirring a furor in the blogosphere. The reality is that, for better or worse, few US workers enjoy that kind of flexibility, data show.
Presidents' Day 2013: Actually, there’s no such thing

We don't care what that newspaper ad says, there's no official 'Presidents' Day' holiday. By law, it's 'George Washington’s Birthday' honoring the Father of Our Country, and only him.
Major gay marriage cases in federal court and where they stand

Battles over same-sex marriage have been raging in the federal courts for several years. Two could reach the US Supreme Court within a year: one challenging California's ban on gay marriage under Proposition 8, and the other seeking to invalidate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Here are the cases to follow.
Decoder Wire Why you should stop calling today Presidents' Day (+video)

True, many refer to today's national day off as Presidents' Day, but federal law actually lists the holiday as Washington's Birthday.
Decoder Wire Why Abraham Lincoln's birthday isn't a federal holiday

President's Day celebrates Abraham Lincoln, right? Nope. There is no 'President's Day.' It's actually legally known only as 'Washington's Birthday,' leaving Old Abe out the cold.
The Circle Bastiat TSA unionization may open floodgates

More than 40,000 TSA workers were given collective bargaining rights last month. Will this make unionizing more widespread?
03/02/2011 02:35 pm
The New Economy When snow stalls states, MTA transit, who's hit the worst?

The weekend snowstorm, which forced six states into emergency mode and partially paralyzed New York's MTA system, hit hourly workers especially hard.
12/27/2010 02:45 pm
Working on Black Friday? A look at who doesn't get the day off.

Federal workers, for one, don't necessarily get the day after Thanksgiving off. Neither does anyone in retail, because Black Friday requires 'all hands on deck.' But getting today off is a perk for many.
11/26/2010 01:47 pm
Ex-rangers ride to the rescue of the world's national parks

Retired U.S. National Park Service workers formed Global Parks to share their expertise abroad.
06/04/2010 10:48 am
The Circle Bastiat Why New York's Antitrust Division's growing aggression is bad for you.

The Antitrust Division’s sentencing statistics over the last two decades show a steady trend toward higher corporate fines for cartel offenses and longer jail sentences for individuals, passing the cost for trials and incarceration onto tax payers.
05/21/2010 06:38 pm
Legal challenge of federal gay marriage ban begins

Plaintiffs argue that the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which bans gay marriage, is unconstitutional. The federal trial opened Thursday in Boston.
05/06/2010 08:03 pm
Decoder Wire What does it mean when the federal government shuts down?

With snow continuing to fall on Washington Wednesday evening, it looks likely that most government workers will get a longer 'snowcation.' The longest weather-related shutdown lasted a week in 1996. This one is at 3-1/2 days and counting.
02/10/2010 06:22 pm
Storm dumps snow on Mid-Atlantic, closing airports and government

With major airports and the federal government shut down, effects from this week's snow storm will linger beyond the time needed to dig out. The unemployed may be impacted by Congress' snow days, unless lawmakers are able to rush through a bill extending their benefits.
02/10/2010 04:03 pm
Decoder Wire Federal government closes: Why can't they all work from home?

All D.C.-area federal agencies were closed Monday after the snowstorm last weekend. Shutting down the federal government costs $100 million a day in lost productivity.
02/08/2010 06:45 pm
Three big differences between House and Senate healthcare bills

Even if the Senate healthcare bill is approved, reconciling it to the House bill will take a concerted effort on three major points: who bears the cost, the public option, and abortion funding.
12/21/2009 04:15 pm
Will Senate Democrats' healthcare reform tradeoffs seal the deal?

The healthcare reform tradeoffs reached Tuesday - no public option but expanded Medicare access - may help Senate Democrats win more moderates' votes. But it's still not clear they've got to 60.
12/09/2009 12:00 am
Obama pushes gay rights, but not without criticism from activists

Many gay rights activists think Obama isn’t doing enough. But he’s in no rush on same-sex marriage or the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.
10/10/2009 01:00 am
Why police are keeping quiet on Census worker Sparkman death

Just because Census worker Bill Sparkman was found hanging from a tree with the word 'fed' written on his chest doesn't mean he was murdered in an antigovernment act. Sparkman died in an insular county of moonshiners and pot-growers, and police are wary of taking a wrong step.
10/01/2009 01:00 am
Grisly hanging of Census worker: an antigovernment act?

FBI is investigating worker's death in Kentucky. Is crime-scene reference to 'fed' a clue or a feint?
09/24/2009 01:00 am
In giving same-sex partners benefits, Obama walks a tightrope

Gay-rights advocates want the president to live up to his campaign promises, but he might be wary of taking up their cause with so much already on his plate.
06/17/2009 01:00 am
Who backs government retirement plans? Taxpayers.

Personal finance Q&A with Steve Dinnen.
04/09/2009 01:00 am
Obama gets mixed reviews on government 'openness'

Some advocates say his policies on federal whistleblowers are too much like Bush’s.
03/19/2009 01:00 am