News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

The following news summaries are from OPM AM, the daily newsletter of the Office of Personnel Management. OPM AM is available on OPM Mainstreet, the agency's electronic bulletin board, at 202-606-4800.

THE FEDERAL DIARY--Federal retirees are scheduled to get a 2.9 percent cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment next year. "This will be the first time in several years that retired feds get a COLA in January instead of April" (The Washington Post).

HEALTH--"Prescription drug sales are flourishing, but the boom is largely bypassing the corner drugstore in favor of mail-order pharmacies" (The Washington Post).

GSA--GSA punishes an employee who proposed saving the government money on its phone bills. A government arbitrator found in favor of the employee after he filed a grievance and, later, a lawsuit (The Washington Times).

OF INTEREST--"If there's one product American business can produce in large amounts, it's Doublespeak" (USA TODAY).