Finance

IRS Free File Reaches Only 3% of Eligible Taxpayers

The IRS Free File Program (FFP) reaches only about 3% of eligible taxpayers annually, even as e-filing has become nearly universal, according to a new...

Government Operations

Army's Multi-Domain Task Force Up To Four Units Amid Troop Cuts

The Army activated the 4th Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) at Fort Carson, CO, on Oct. 8, bringing the force to nearly 2,100 soldiers, according to a new...

Government Operations

Farm Credit Administration Lacks Quorum With Two Seats Vacant

The Farm Credit Administration's three-member board has only one sitting member, serving on an expired term, and two vacant seats, leaving the regulator of...

Government Operations

Army Combat Vehicle Prototypes Arrive as Program Is Reevaluated

The Army's XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle program has delivered first prototypes from both competing contractors, but its Milestone B decision has...

Follow the Money

FTA's Proposed Transit Funding Formula Adds Demographic Bonuses

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has proposed adding birth and marriage rate bonuses to the formula that sets federal funding shares for transit...

Congress

Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Caseload Still Unresolved

The Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR) was designed as a time-limited program, yet it continues to draw annual appropriations and carry...

Congress

Cost-of-Living Changes for Civil Service Annuities Clarified

The formula for cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to federal civil service annuities and how it compares to Social Security's adjustment process carries...

Congress

Hurricane Isaias Raises FEMA Aid Questions for Congress

A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report examines the federal response to Hurricane Isaias, highlighting questions about FEMA staffing, disaster...

Politics

State and Local Election Rules Face Federal Pressure and Court Blocks

Federal executive branch measures issued under the Trump administration would reshape how state and local officials conduct elections, from voter...

Immigration

Visa Interview Wait Times Surge as State Department Staffing Falls

Nonimmigrant visa interview wait times have risen nearly eightfold since before the pandemic, while State Department staffing shortages have contributed to...

Congress

Supreme Court Ruling Raises Questions About GAO's Executive Powers

A recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential control over executive officials could raise new constitutional challenges to certain powers exercised by the...

Congress

Congress Examines Oversight of Thousands of GAO Recommendations

Federal watchdogs have tracked more than 17,000 unresolved recommendations to improve government operations but generally cannot compel agencies to...

Politics

GAO Finds Gaps in $126M U.S. Effort to Stop Gun Trafficking to Mexico

Federal agencies spending roughly $126 million to combat firearms trafficking to Mexico cannot demonstrate whether that money is working, according to a new...

Politics

Competing Cyber Rules Hinder Critical Infrastructure Response

Competing federal cybersecurity rules are making it harder for critical infrastructure operators to respond to cyber threats, according to a new GAO report...

Congress

Conditions Attached To Federal Funding Face Constitutional Limits

Congress's broad power to attach conditions to federal funding has real constitutional limits, and a new Congressional Research Service report maps exactly...

Politics

Suing the Federal Government: How Courts Shape Policy Mid-Case

Federal courts are able to block or reshape government policy long before a case reaches final judgment when the policy is contested in a civil suit. A new...

Health

Most Improper Medicaid Payments Due To Lack Of Documents, Not Fraud

The total amount of Medicaid fraud is unknown, according to a new Congressional Research Service report. However, the research distinguishes fraud from the...