Mike Causey's Federal Report is the best way to stay up to date on the latest issues affecting federal pay, benefits, and retirement. Plus, Mike's funny. New Federal Report columns can be found each weekday morning right here on FederalNewsRadio.com. Bookmark Mike's homepage or have his columns delivered directly to your email.

Feds & Politics: Neutral or Neutered?

The election is over and whether your candidate won or lost you can't miss those 24/7 political ads on TV, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. But now that it's over, do you feel that laws regulating your political activities as federal employees helped or hurt you?

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4 more years, but not like the last 4, OK?

Federal and postal unions that solidly backed the President's re-election bid hope their steadfast support - even after a two-year pay freeze - will pay off in 2013, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Presidential surprises - don't be surprised!

Presidents, whether they are re-elected lame ducks or first-time occupants of the White House, change when in office. They don't always live up to the expectations of the people who put them there or who worked hard to defeat him. Civil servants know that better than most, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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I'd love to help, but I'm Hatched!

It's election day, and millions of federal and postal workers, like their neighbors, will go to the polls. the difference is that because of the Hatch (no politics) Act, there are things government employees cannot say, do or wear — at least at the office. Some think that's unfair, while others are comfy under the Hatch Act blanket, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Purple state feds

If the political pros are correct, too-close-to- call states, like Virginia, Nevada, Florida and especially Ohio, will pick the winner in tomorrow's election. Although the swing states are very different in many ways, they each have a large percentage of well-paid, fully employed, well-educated likely voters: That would be you, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Hurricane holiday with Marlon Brando (?)

Birthday parties, prison visits or quality time with Marlon Brando reincarnated as a 23-pound cat. Those are just some of the ways Washington area feds spent their two-day Hurricane Sandy holiday, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Survivors of the storm

In politically-supercharged Washington, even a glancing blow from a monster hurricane can bring out the partisanship that makes us so unloved in other parts of the country, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. So what's your storm-of-the- century story?

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Test your knowledge of government

So, just what does an air traffic controller do? How do they become ATC and how many are there? Short answer: They control air traffic, its hard work and probably not enough of them. For details check out Senior Correspondent Mike Causey's Federal Report.

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November games: Most fun with your clothes on

What's the most fun a career civil servant can have with their clothes on? The last full week before any presidential election can be a nail- biting, gut-wrenching times for the several thousand political appointees whose jobs depend on who wins, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Milk, Bread, Toilet Paper: The Coming Storm

We're about to be slammed with a hurricane, so what's everybody in Washington doing? Stocking up on bread, milk and toilet paper, what else...

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Remembering an 'unknown' fed

Does the name George Hans Strauss mean anything to you? If you are a career civil servant, chances are he touched your work life in a number of ways, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Why some feds could lose a vacation day in 2012

Tens of thousands of federal workers stand to lose a day of annual leave this year because of the cursed 11-year itch. To find out how, when and where to scratch it, check out Senior Correspondent Mike Causey's Federal Report.

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Health, life insurance & a shrinking tax break

Health insurance is a must-have item for everybody. But there is more than health insurance at issue during the big benefits hunting season that kicks off Nov.12 and runs through Dec. 10. Sleep through it at your peril, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Beyond the Beltway worries

In wonkier parts of the Washington area, the talk of the town is about fiscal cliffs and sequestration followed by sex and the Redskins, not necessarily in that order. But beyond the Beltway, folks seem to have a firmer grip on what's important, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Sequestration + stock market = your TSP

What does the curse of the Mayan calendar, the threat of sequestration and the always jittery stock market have to do with your TSP account balance? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot. Dust off your crystal ball and buckle up, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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And today's impending disaster is...

For the past dozen years, and up until about six months ago, federal workers were worried about the family jewels, especially their health insurance and retirement packages. Now that concern has shifted to fear of layoffs and furloughs, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Falling in love: It pays to go postal

There are certain times when it pays to go postal, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says ... Especially if you are a federal employee contemplating marriage or already one half of a "mixed marriage."

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Horrible situation, wonderful response

How do you keep a promise, made to hundreds of orphans of federal workers, that they can go to any college they like on a full ride? It isn't easy, but it is being done, every day, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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A bitter diet COLA coming up ...

Federal, postal and military retirees are about to get an inflation-adjustment. That's the good news. The bad news is that it will be a diet- version and, for most, leave a very bitter aftertaste, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Frankenstein, Dracula, Nick Nolte at the gates

What's your worst nightmare? How about Dracula, Frankenstein and Nick Nolte appearing in your bedroom? Or is it the long-predicted retirement tsunami? Because maybe, after 13 years of building up, it's on its way, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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