Defense
Not For the First Time, COVID Takes Back Seat to a More Pressing Crisis
The evacuation of refugees from Afghanistan depends on cramming people into closed spaces—during a global pandemic.
Defense
Afghanistan Airlift Ops Have Rescued 101,300 From Kabul
But numbers out each day are dropping as Taliban tighten grip on airport, security threats rise.
Management
Republicans Demand Answers on Ouster of Social Security Commissioner
GOP lawmakers call the firing of Andrew Saul “unlawful” and ask the comptroller general to outline how acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi’s powers may be constrained by the Vacancies Act.
Defense
Biden Holds to Aug. 31 Evacuation Deadline, But Orders Up ‘Contingency Plans’ for Afghanistan Pullout
Military, contracted planes have airlifted 87,900 people from Kabul as of Wednesday—but the Taliban is now clamping down on who can leave.
Exclusive
Defense
Kabul Evacuee With Potential ISIS Ties Detained at Qatar Base
Up to 100 evacuees have been flagged for further scrutiny during the more comprehensive screening they received at their first stop after Afghanistan.
Defense
US Helicopters Rescued 169 Americans Outside Airport; More Ops Could Follow
Biden “will mobilize every resource necessary” to save more, but U.S. has yet to test Taliban checkpoints. Meanwhile, fuel-strained air operations resume.
Pay & Benefits
What Still Needs to Happen for Feds to Get a Pay Raise Next Year
President Biden has until the end of this month to formally announce his plan to give federal workers an average 2.7% pay raise in 2022.
Defense
‘Cannot Ensure Safe Passage’: U.S. Tells Americans in Kabul to Get to Airport On Their Own
Biden says U.S. forces may have to stay past Aug. 31 to help evacuate stranded personnel.
Pay & Benefits
Federal Firefighters to See Pay Increase Next Week
The pay raise, intended to ensure firefighters receive at least $15 per hour, was promised by President Biden earlier this year and will be retroactive to June 30.
Defense
U.S. Ramps Up Emergency Kabul Airlift to Get 5,000 to 9,000 Out Per Day
American commanders are in direct talks with Taliban, who now control all outside access to the airport
Defense
Foreign Governments Scramble To Leave Afghanistan Amid Violence and Chaos
"It’s sad that the West has done what it’s done," says UK defense secretary as NATO, UN, G7 react to Taliban takeover.
Defense
Inside Reach 871, A U.S. C-17 Packed With 640 Afghans Trying to Escape the Taliban
The Air Force evacuation flight from Kabul to Qatar came near the record for most people ever flown in the Boeing airlifter.
Defense
New Marine One Expected to Start Flying President Biden Soon
The White House and the Marine Corps are developing commissioning plans.
Management
Biden Nominates Ex-Merit Systems Protection Board Chair for Labor Authority
The White House also announced plans to nominate a new slate of Democratic appointees to the board that oversees the Thrift Savings Plan.
Workforce
Agencies Struggle to Implement Mass Testing for Unvaccinated Feds
The Biden administration is requiring at least weekly COVID-19 testing for the unvaccinated, but the White House has offered few details about how that will happen.
Management
Immigration Prosecutors Were Told Not to Push for Deportation in Cases Like His. He Was Ordered Deported the Next Day.
Under a new Biden policy, more than 100,000 immigrants could have their cases dropped. But that discretion is left to individual prosecutors, and many are letting the deportation machine roll on.
Workforce
Biden Announces Vaccine-or-Masks Mandate for Feds, Some Contractors
Federal employees will have a choice: get vaccinated, or wear masks when indoors at federal facilities and subject themselves to regular COVID-19 testing.
Management
Biden: Onsite Contractors Must Attest to Vaccine Status or Be Subject to Restrictions
The White House rolled out a slew of initiatives to boost vaccinations in the United States.
Defense
Biden’s 6-Month Clock On Russia-U.S. Nuke Talks Starts Now
Officials met for the first time in Geneva on Wednesday. They’re set to come together again in September.
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