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PODCAST

The FED Weekly

Welcome to The FED Weekly, the go-to podcast for current and retired U.S. federal employees who need to stay informed on the issues that matter most. In a rapidly changing political landscape, we deliver concise, weekly updates on the legislative, executive, and agency-level actions that have a direct impact on your professional life and financial future.

government

All Episodes

17:15

FED News Weekly 9-15 Nov (Episode 24)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/11/16

In this episode of The FED Weekly, we cover the record-breaking 43-day federal government shutdown, its severe financial impacts on federal employees, and disruptions to public services. Despite the shutdown, the 2025 Federal Benefits Open Season remains scheduled for November 10 – December 8, with some health, dental, and vision plans being discontinued, requiring affected participants to select new coverage. Key updates for retirees include final retroactive payments following the repeal

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20:00

The FED Weekly 2-8 Nov 2025 (Episode 23)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/11/09

In this episode of The FED Weekly, we deliver a comprehensive update on critical issues affecting federal employees and retirees during the ongoing government shutdown. Highlights include missed paychecks, reliance on emergency resources, and intense financial strain across the federal workforce. Legislative deadlock persists, with debates over healthcare and new bills, such as the Shutdown Fairness Act, aiming to provide immediate relief. Recent judicial interventions upheld SNAP benefits

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19:42

The FED Weekly 25 Oct - 1 Nov 2025 (Episode 22)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/11/02

We cover the ongoing government shutdown, highlighting the deadlocked budget negotiations that have left 730,000 federal employees working without pay. Primary legislation discussed includes the Shutdown Fairness Act (S. 3012), which aims to secure immediate pay for essential staff, and proposed changes to retroactive pay guarantees, raising uncertainty for furloughed workers. Judicial action prevented a lapse in SNAP benefits and blocked mass federal workforce reductions during the

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20:10

The FED Weekly 19-25 Oct 2025 (Episode21)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/10/26

This episode of The FED Weekly covers key updates affecting federal employees and retirees from October 19–25, 2025. We discuss steep 2026 health insurance premium hikes—12.3% for Federal Employees Health Benefits participants and 11.3% for Postal Service enrollees—which far outpace the modest cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirees (2.8% for CSRS and 2.0% for FERS). The episode details plan discontinuations ahead of Open Season and highlights partial Medicare claims relief amid the

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20:21

The FED Weekly 12-18 Oct 2025 (Episode 20)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/10/19

In this episode of The FED Weekly, we cover the critical challenges facing federal employees and retirees for the week of October 12-18, 2025. Key topics include the deepening financial crisis from the ongoing government shutdown, with hundreds of thousands missing paychecks and facing uncertainty over back pay. Military pay was protected through an executive order, heightening workforce tensions. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a sharp 12.3% increase in 2026 Federal

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20:02

The FED Weekly 5-11 Oct 2025 (Episode 19)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/10/12

This episode of The FED Weekly covers the significant changes affecting federal employees and retirees for the week of October 5–11, 2025. Key topics include the announcement of the 2026 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) open season, with average premium increases of 12.3%—the second year of double-digit hikes—and notable carrier discontinuations. The episode highlights the financial pressure from missed paychecks due to the ongoing government shutdown, compounded by mass layoff

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17:36

The FED Weekly 28 Sep - 4 Oct 2025 (Episode 18)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/10/06

This episode of The FED Weekly covers significant developments for federal employees and retirees from September 28 to October 4, 2025. A government shutdown defined the week after the Senate failed to pass a funding bill, with health care subsidies at the center of the dispute. The episode also details the massive culmination of the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, resulting in over 150,000 federal workers leaving their jobs—historically the largest such event in the

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16:03

The FED Weekly 21-27 Sep 2025 (Episode 17)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/09/28

In this episode of The FED Weekly, we recap critical issues for federal employees and retirees during the week of September 21-27, 2025. The primary focus is the escalating government shutdown crisis, which has been heightened by the Senate's rejection of a House funding bill and the cancellation of key votes, raising fears of furloughs and disrupted benefits processing. The show highlights the ongoing suspense surrounding the 2026 FEHB premium rate announcements, following this year’s

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14:58

The FED Weekly 14-20 Sep 2025 (Episode 16)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/09/22

This week’s episode of The FED Weekly covers the escalating threat of a government shutdown as Congress remains deadlocked over funding bills ahead of the September 30 deadline. Lawrence explains how competing short-term funding proposals are fueling uncertainty for federal workers and retirees. President Trump’s 2026 alternative pay plan—offering a 1% raise for most and 3.8% for some law enforcement—raises concerns about future retirement annuities due to its impact on high-3 salary

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17:40

The FED Weekly 7-13 Sep 2025 (Episode 15)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/09/15

This week on The FED Weekly (7-13 Sep 2025), we cover major updates affecting federal employees and retirees. Congress introduced the Claiming Age Clarity Act to simplify Social Security claiming age terms, aiming to help retirees make more intelligent decisions about when to start benefits. Another bill, the Keep Billionaires out of Social Security Act, aims to prevent Social Security office closures and boost funding for better service, reflecting pushback against digital-only approaches

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18:40

The FED Weekly 31 Aug - 6 Sep 2025 (Episode 14)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/09/08

This week, the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program announced a historic 13.5% premium hike for 2025—significantly outpacing proposed federal pay raises and eroding purchasing power for employees and retirees. Expanded IVF and anti-obesity drug coverage are driving up costs. In retirement news, the Thrift Savings Plan topped $1 trillion in assets, showcasing strong investment returns despite increased market dependence for future security. The newly enacted One Big Beautiful

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15:07

The FED Weekly 24-30 Aug 2025 (Episode 13)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/09/01

In this week’s episode of The FED Weekly, Lawrence covers urgent updates for federal employees and retirees. The 2025 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program premiums are set to rise by a historic 13.5%, the most significant increase in almost 20 years, while dental and vision plan hikes are more moderate. With government funding still stalled in Congress and a potential government shutdown looming, federal workers face job uncertainty and possible income disruption, though annuity and

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17:47

The FED Weekly 17-23 Aug 2025 (Episode 12)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/08/25

This episode of The FED Weekly covers crucial updates for federal employees and retirees for August 17-23, 2025. Host Lawrence outlines the impending 2026 pay freeze, significant increases in FEHB health insurance premiums, and the removal of gender-affirming care coverage from all federal health plans starting in 2026. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act introduces several new tax deductions, but won’t fully counterbalance the financial strain from pay and benefit changes. The episode also

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25:07

The FED Weekly 10-16 Aug 2025 (Episode 11)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/08/18

With Congress adjourning for the August recess, a government shutdown looms as key budget bills remain unresolved. Divided proposals over federal spending heighten uncertainty, threatening paychecks and agency services. Major union battles escalate, including terminations of collective bargaining agreements at the VA and EPA, while unions mobilize to protect worker rights and challenge policies undermining civil service protections. The 2026 federal pay raise remains uncertain, facing a

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27:06

The FED Weekly 3-9 Aug 2025, Episode 10

The FED Weekly ·

2025/08/11

This episode of The FED Weekly covers major updates affecting federal employees and retirees for August 3-9, 2025. Key topics include OPM’s directive to remove COVID-19 vaccine records from personnel files, new legislation to protect employee access to personnel files, and revised rules for probationary periods that make it easier to terminate new hires. Legal setbacks for federal unions are discussed, along with union-led resistance to proposed cuts and privatization at NASA and USDA,

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14:19

The FED Weekly 27 Jul - 2 Aug 2025 (Episode 9)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/08/04

This episode of The FED Weekly covers key policy updates impacting federal employees and retirees for the week of July 27 to August 2, 2025. Major tax changes from the Big Beautiful Bill Act, including adjustments to federal tax rates, deductions for seniors, and new credits for overtime and family leave. The episode examines President Trump’s Executive Order 14319 on “Preventing Woke AI,” which sets strict ideological neutrality standards for federal AI procurement, and recent OPM guidance

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18:20

The FED Weekly 20-26 Jul 2025 (Episode 8)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/07/28

This is your essential briefing for the week of 20-26 July 2025. It has been a watershed week for the federal civil service. A landmark Supreme Court decision has fully unleashed the administration's workforce reduction plans, and a stunning court filing has revealed exactly which offices are in the crosshairs. Meanwhile, the massive "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" is now law, and while the worst fears about retirement cuts were not realized, its passage has sent shockwaves through the federal

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20:13

The FED Weekly 13-19 Jul 2025 (Episode 7)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/07/21

This week, the foundations of the federal civil service experienced seismic shocks. A landmark Supreme Court decision effectively dismantled long-standing job protections, unleashing a wave of workforce reduction actions across multiple agencies. Simultaneously, the administration advanced a legal theory of "at-will" employment and created new hiring authorities that could fundamentally alter the non-partisan nature of government work. For both current and retired employees, this turmoil

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20:56

The FED Weekly 6-12 July 2025 (Episode 6)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/07/13

The second week of July 2025 brought seismic shifts to the U.S. federal workforce, marked by a coordinated effort to reshape the civil service. A landmark Supreme Court ruling on July 8 cleared the way for the administration to proceed with mass layoffs, known as Reductions-in-Force (RIFs), across the government.President Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBB) on July 4. While severe proposed cuts to Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) benefits, such as increased

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14:30

The FED Weekly 29 Jun - 5 Jul 2025 (Episode 5)

The FED Weekly ·

2025/07/07

During the week of June 29 to July 5, 2025, major federal legislative developments preserved key benefits for current and retired federal employees. The Senate version of H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” removed all proposed cuts to pensions and health benefits previously included in the House version, including elimination of the FERS supplement and shifting annuity calculations to a “high-5” salary basis. NARFE declared this a victory for federal workers and retirees. Additionally,

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