Law and Order

Agencies Cite Good Cause for 71% of Expedited Rules

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released September 4 found that agencies cited good cause to bypass public notice-and-comment procedures for...

Government Operations

VA Health Records Overhaul Stalls Despite Restart Push

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has spent years struggling to modernize its electronic health records system, a critical infrastructure project...

Defense

DHS Rejects Plan to Restore Chemical Facility Vetting

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that if high-risk chemicals were weaponized, the impact could range from fatalities within the...

Follow the Money

State Dept. Has 9 Open GAO Priorities on Fraud, Aid

A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, publicly released Sept. 8, 2026, addresses the U.S.'s continued channel of billions in support to...

Macroeconomics

EDA Expands Mission While Facing Staffing Cuts

The Economic Development Administration (EDA), the only federal agency with economic development as its sole mission, has seen its staffing fall to 198...

Government Operations

Banks Hesitate to Serve Legal Cannabis Despite Federal Guidance

Cannabis-related businesses experience bank account closures, high fees for bank accounts, and high interest rates for business loans, according to a recent...

Government Operations

EPA Proposes Rescinding PFAS Drinking Water Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) May 2026 proposal to rescind drinking water standards for four PFAS compounds threatens to unwind one of...

Law and Order

Secret Service Fails to Update Protection Policies Consistently

The Secret Service has failed to consistently update its protection policies in response to security incidents, leaving gaps in safeguards for the...

Follow the Money

Banks Sidestep SEC Oversight on Risk Disclosure, GAO Report Says

Shareholders lost more than $29 billion in investments in two banks that failed in spring 2023 and operated without a holding company between the end of...

Government Operations

SBA Disaster Loan Limits Lag Behind Rising Costs

Homeowners and small businesses hit by disasters face a critical mismatch between what they can borrow and what rebuilding actually costs. A recent...

Defense

Enginuity Power Systems Ends Hollinger Group Lobbying Deal

Enginuity Power Systems ended its relationship with Hollinger Group Consulting LLC, a lobbying firm that had represented the Alexandria-based defense...

Follow the Money

Buddy Covers Inc. Ends Contract With Hollinger Group

Hollinger Group Consulting LLC filed a termination for Buddy Covers Inc. in the first quarter of 2026. The filing was officially signed Sept. 7, 2026.

Health

GAO Finds Oversight Gap in Black Lung Medical Benefits

Coal miners who have developed black lung disease face a fractured system for getting the benefits they need. A recent GAO report published in May reveals...

Government Operations

Federal Watchdog Finds Medical Equipment Purchasing Gaps

The Department of Veterans Affairs obligated over $608 million in fiscal year 2024 for high-tech medical equipment and related services, including...

Macroeconomics

Social Security Trust Fund To Deplete by 2034

A Congressional Research Service report on Social Security trust fund investment reveals a program facing structural strain. The trust funds currently hold...

Congress

Congress Breaks With Tradition to Fund DHS Enforcement

Congress broke with the traditional appropriations process to resolve a historic series of Department of Homeland Security funding lapses, ultimately...

Government Operations

Pension Corporation Swings to $64.9B Surplus After Pension Rescue

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has achieved a historic financial turnaround, swinging from a $79.4 billion deficit in fiscal year 2016 to a...