Ralph Smith

2 weeks ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

I recently received an unexpected, lengthy report from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). The agency’s mission is to provide “the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.”The report was eight pages long. It was entirely about the efforts being made by the agency to find the remains of my uncle, the pilot of a Vought F4U-1D Corsair plane as a member of the US Marine Corps Reserve in World War II.

2 weeks ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

It has been a long and winding road regarding whether MSPB Chair Cathy Harris will remain in that job. It is getting much closer to the end now with the Supreme Court weighing in on the issue. The Supremes overturned a stay, issued by the District Court in the District of Columbia concluding the stay was inappropriate.

2 weeks ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

On May 17th, FedSmith published an article noting the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a stay by a lower court that allowed the administration to proceed taking steps for implementing an executive order expanding exclusions from the federal labor relations program. The focus of the case is an executive order issued by President Trump on March 27, 2025, entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs.

3 weeks ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

The Executive Order challenged in a recent court decision overturning an injunction of the Order is entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs. The labor relations exclusions in the Executive Order signed by President Trump on March 27, 2025, modified Executive Order 12171 of November 19, 1979 signed by President Jimmy Carter. The Carter Executive Order was entitled Exclusions from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program.

3 weeks ago | fedsmith.com | Ralph Smith

Inflation is generally down. Here is a quick summary:The “Core CPI”, which does not include the cost of food & energy, increased 0.2% in April. This was below a forecasted rate of 0.3%. The 12-month rise in CPI dropped to 2.3% in April from 2.4% in the previous month. This is the smallest increase since 2021. The increase in the core CPI in the past 12 months was unchanged in April and remained at 2.8%The latest consumer price index (CPI) was up 0.2% over the month, while annual inflation rose 2.3%.