Iran's nuclear weapon facility buried out of reach for most weapons
Retired Lt. General David Deptula weighs in on U.S. military capabilities in case tensions between Israel and Iran becomes a wider regional conflict.
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10 minutes ago
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Watchdog finds ‘rampant abuse' of remote work among federal employees during Biden administration
A U.S. government watchdog found 'rampant abuse' of work-from-home policies by federal workers, according to a new report released on Friday. The Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which oversees the federal workforce, found 'compliance failures and weak internal oversight' as the root cause of the problem. The report focused on procedures that allowed employees to work remotely, rather than whether they were effectively performing their jobs. The report sampled badging data, timesheet, and remote-work agreements of dozens of federal employees in 2024, during President Joe Biden's administration, following a 2023 request from Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, who took issue with telework policies. 'Under the previous administration, OPMʼs telework and remote work policies were mismanaged and oversight was virtually nonexistent,' OPM Acting Director Chuck Ezell said in a statement. 'That era of telework abuse is over,' Ezell declared. 'At President Trumpʼs direction, OPM has restored in-person operations to ensure federal employees are working for the taxpayers.' On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies and departments to 'take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements' and require employees to return to the office on a full-time basis. Federal employees were required to return on March 3; therefore, the findings and recommendations of the OPM report, which aimed to develop written procedures detailing internal controls concerning remote work, are now considered closed, according to the executive summary. OPM is the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the federal government's 2.8 million employees. President Trump has claimed that many federal workers took on second jobs while still being paid by the federal government, or were not fulfilling their duties when working remotely. There was a dramatic increase in working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic in the first Trump administration. Based on a small sample of timesheets, the report found that 58.1 percent of the sampled employees failed to meet the minimum requirements for in-office work in 2024. According to OPM's inspector general, three in ten (29.7%) telework agreements had lapsed, 21 percent of those sampled had discrepancies in their paperwork, and 15 percent did not have any approved agreements on file. The report did not investigate why this was the case, but suggested that possible reasons included 'weak or missing management controls,' 'negligence or carelessness,' and 'intentional fraud or abuse.' Under the order signed by President Trump mandating a return to in-office work, limited exemptions are allowed as determined by departmental heads. Similarly, new internal controls and compliance reviews have been set for employees who continue to telework. When workers were summoned back into their offices five days per week in March, many were met with less-than-desirable conditions, from cramped workspaces to dirty bathrooms. In addition to the return to the office, the Trump administration also sought to cut costs by reducing space and staff. Multiple federal employees across various agencies and departments told news outlets at the time that they found themselves working elbow-to-elbow as staff consolidated into smaller workspaces. Understaffed cleaning crews are reportedly struggling to keep up with the demand for tidy spaces, resulting in dirty bathrooms with no paper towels. Some staff were asked to bring their own toilet paper or help out by taking their trash home, a federal employee told USA Today.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
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Mark Cuban Corrects Elizabeth Warren As She Slams JNJ, PFE For Higher Prices And Zero Taxes On Big Pharma: 'PBMs Corrupt Healthcare'
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. A heated debate over the U.S. healthcare system erupted on X, pitting billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban against Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) over the root causes of soaring drug prices. What Happened: The clash, unfolding as of Friday, has reignited discussions on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and Big Pharma's tax practices, with the Senate poised to address reform amid rising public scrutiny. Enter Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner and founder of Cost Plus Drugs, who fired back with a pointed correction. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — In a post quoting Warren, Cuban argued that PBMs—not Big Pharma—are the true culprits behind inflated drug prices. 'PBMs corrupt healthcare,' he wrote, explaining that these intermediaries control formularies and manipulate prices to maximize rebate revenue, with three major PBMs negotiating over 90% of rebates for commercial insurance plans. Warren, in her post, had blamed pharmaceutical giants like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) for charging Americans the 'highest drug prices in the world' while paying 'zero dollars in federal taxes.' Citing data from her Senate Finance Committee role, Warren highlighted how these companies, alongside AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV), Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), and Merck & Co Inc. (NYSE:MRK), have exploited tax loopholes from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to shield billions in profits. 'Republicans want to make it worse. I'm fighting back,' she declared, sharing a CNBC headline and urging action against what she calls a 'rigged tax system.' Why It Matters: Cuban has been a critic of the healthcare system, saying that it should be simple. According to him, it's become overly complicated by big insurance companies and PBMs. These groups, he says, act as middlemen, controlling not just the costs but also the accessibility of care. He blames PBMs for lack of transparency, inflated specialty drug prices, rebate distortion, formulary restrictions, and 'Sh–ing on' on independent pharmacies. Some significant firms engaged in the PBM business listed in the U.S. include;Stocks YTD Performance One Year Performance CVS Health Corp. (NYSE:CVS) 51.15% 9.57% Cigna Group. (NYSE:CI) 14.54% -6.95% UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) -39.11% -36.60% Meanwhile, here is how some pharmaceutical sector ETFs have performed;Pharma ETFs YTD Performance One Year Performance VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (NASDAQ:PPH) 1.69% -4.48% iShares US Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:IHE) -0.49% -1.85% Invesco Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:PJP) -3.23% -1.64% SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:XPH) -4.06% 2.61% KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF (NYSE:KURE) 20.55% 22.94% First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (NASDAQ:FTXH) -5.44% -6.27% Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical (NYSE:PILL) -23.49% -14.63% The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, were mixed in premarket on Friday. The SPY was down 0.30% at $595.67, while the QQQ was 0.015% higher at $529.07, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Next: Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Photo courtesy: Shutterstock This article Mark Cuban Corrects Elizabeth Warren As She Slams JNJ, PFE For Higher Prices And Zero Taxes On Big Pharma: 'PBMs Corrupt Healthcare' originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
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Thurston County Auditor's Office wins five national awards for public service projects
Jun. 20—The Thurston County Auditor's Office won five Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for standout programs that improved election security, expanded access to services and strengthened community trust, according to a county news release. The NACo Achievement Awards recognize innovative and effective county programs that make a difference for residents. "We work every year to improve how we serve our community," Mary Hall, Thurston County auditor, said in the release. "We innovate because it helps us do better. These awards reflect the spirit of our office, always looking for better ways to work." The auditor's office earned awards for the Elections Security Enhancement Program; the Saturday Passport Fairs; Voting Access at Your Library; Public Transit Partnership for Voter Access; and Your Neighbors, Your Elections. Thurston County Elections launched a major security upgrade for its new Voting and Ballot Processing Center, using federal grant funds. The Elections Security Enhancement Program installed ballistic-resistant materials like bulletproof glass, doors and sheetwork to create a secure safe room for election staff. The office also added on-site law enforcement during elections and worked closely with local and federal agencies to assess threats and improve emergency plans. To meet high demand for passport services, the auditor's office held two Saturday Passport Fairs in 2024. These events helped over 70 people apply for passports and took more than 50 passport photos. They were designed for people who couldn't make it during the week and helped reduce weekday wait times. The first fair included staff support from Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland's office and the Seattle Passport Agency. Thurston County Elections partnered with Timberland Regional Library to offer voter assistance at four library branches during the 2024 general election for the Voting Access at Your Library program. Trained library staff helped voters register and print replacement ballots, and election officials handled ballot collection. For the Public Transit Partnership for Voter Access program, Intercity Transit extended bus service to the Voting Center past 8 p.m. on Election Day, improved Americans with Disabilities Act access and updated route maps to highlight voting locations. Elections staff also used Intercity Transit's community vans to move between facilities, saving money and reducing parking issues. To help build trust in elections, Thurston County created a video campaign called "Your Neighbors, Your Elections" featuring real election workers sharing why they care about their jobs. Filmed inside the Ballot Processing and Voting Centers, the short videos show staff pride and commitment to integrity.
