Management

FEMA vows readiness as it prepares responses to concurrent crises

The emergency management agency has all the staff it needs for Helene and Milton work, administrator says.

Workforce

USPS employees in hurricane-ravaged areas deal with loss—and still make their deliveries

Postal workers are navigating downed power lines, fallen trees, sinkholes, and their own tragic circumstances as they carry mail for devastated communities.

Management

‘All hands on deck:’ From Hawaii to Texas, FEMA employees pitch in on Helene response

FEMA personnel, even those not deployed, are working long hours to get supplies where they are needed.

Pay & Benefits

OPM announces leave transfer program for feds affected by Helene

Federal employees will soon be able to donate unused leave to their colleagues who need time to recover after Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction across the Southeast.

Management

Federal agencies have deployed 3,600 employees in Helene response

Biden promises feds will stay as long as necessary, and FEMA says it may tap volunteers from other agencies to aid in response.

Pay & Benefits

HHS expands health benefits eligibility for 9/11 responders under new rule

The interim final rule, published on the 23rd anniversary of the terror attack, opens eligibility for the World Trade Center Health Program to resolve coverage gaps for Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, responders.

Management

Biden’s FEMA director tried to fix the agency. Did she succeed?

Deanne Criswell discusses new reforms at FEMA, funding challenges and how the agency approaches emergency response.

Management

FEMA is promising to be more 'forward-leaning' this hurricane season

The agency wants to get its staff deployed earlier in the process ahead of what is shaping up to be an intense period of potential disasters.

Management

FEMA is making an example of this Florida boomtown. Locals call it ‘revenge politics’

The Biden administration is trying to punish Lee County for rebuilding flood-prone homes. The state’s Republican politicians are fighting back.

Management

Maryland delegation to launch bipartisan push for funds to rebuild collapsed Baltimore bridge

A pending bill would allow the state to avoid incurring 10% of the costs of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Management

Indigenous Pacific wildfire survivors on Maui can finally get FEMA help

The new fiscal 2024 spending bill has re-established Compact of Free Association citizens' access to federal safety net programs after it was inadvertently removed by the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.

Management

Rebuilding the collapsed Baltimore bridge ‘will not be quick or easy or cheap,’ Buttigieg says

Reopening the Port of Baltimore is among the Biden administration’s top priorities in the aftermath of the collapse.

Management

Biden vows to rebuild collapsed Baltimore bridge as feds lead emergency response

Six people remain missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River early Tuesday when a cargo ship lost control and crashed into a support column.

Workforce

Lawmakers debate the role of an overworked and under-resourced FEMA

Despite some hiring success, FEMA is taking on more tasks while operating at 65% capacity.

Management

10 strategies HHS could use to bolster its preparedness for public health emergencies

COMMENTARY | The Health and Human Services Department should lean in on improving employee engagement and collaboration, writes one observer.

Management

With catastrophes on the rise, a new report outlines how agencies can integrate their response

A new study from the National Academy of Public Administration and the IBM Center for the Business of Government details strategies the federal government can take to absorb the shock of unprecedented national and international events and mitigate their institutional risks. 

Pay & Benefits

With wildfires looming, Congress must act to prevent an exodus of firefighters

COMMENTARY | Firefighters protect communities and people, asking for little in return: equipment to do our jobs safely, benefits that recognize the inherent dangers of our work, and pay that is sufficient to take care of our families, writes one advocate.