A team of reporters from the Wall Street Journal has investigated the massive explosion at the Imperial Sugar Co. refinery in Georgia and concluded that a lack of local government inspections, attention from the plants' owners, and federal government oversight combined to create the fireball that ignited on Feb. 7, 2008.  The problem, as Paulo Prada, Betsy McKay and Stephanie Chen write, was "all because of dust."

The Washington Post’s Carol D. Leonnig details a troubling audit by the Interior Dept’s inspector general on unsafe parks, dams, schools and fish hatcheries. For example, there could be dangerous levels of carbon monoxide around a Yosemite Park tunnel. Thirteen schools ...

That’s apparently what President Bush thinks, judging from the budget he submitted to Congress. The budget calls for a 3.4 percent increase for members of the military—and a 2.9 percent increase for other federal employees. The Washington Post’s Stephen Barr chronicles Congress’s reaction. Democrats and Republicans are ...

Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post reports on a new survey of foreign service officers, 44% of whom gave Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a "poor" or "very poor" overall job rating.  Many FSOs say they might leave the service for other employment rather than working through to retirement.  Some ...

Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post reports that the Department of State will cut 10 percent of existing diplomatic personnel in 2008.  Vacancies were created around the world when mid- and upper-level diplomatic personnel moved to staff American embassies in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Many of these vacancies may now become ...

Stephen Barr writes in the Washington Post's Federal Diary that merit-based pay at the Federal Aviation Administration is causing more employees to join labor unions and file lawsuits.  Some employees charge that the new system has reduced their pension projections by thousands of dollars per year.  Others charge excessive secrecy ...

The 2007 Service to America Medals have been awarded, bringing to light the work of America's finest public servants.  This year, the Partnership for Public Service awarded 10 medals for achievements at Defense, Energy, HUD, the Navy, State, and the VA.  Max Steier, founder of the Partnership, noted "the true ...

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security created a second deputy secretary for management position.  Apparently, the workload was too great, which is possible considering that DHS has been hemorrhaging top staff since it was created.  Even after the work was split between two positions, it wasn't enough to keep ...

Got a federal program you think is a waste of money?  Or one you think has helped you or your family?  You can see what kind of marks the federal government gives its own programs at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/.  The program is a result of the Office of Management and ...

The Department of Defense is beginning its move towards paying department employees on the basis of individual employee performance, Stephen Barr reports in the Washington Post.  Government employee labor unions and advocacy groups have raised numerous objections to transition, which could end up affecting up to 200,000 people.  See Barr's ...