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Our online community now tops 150,000 federal workers and supporters across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Each briefing distills the day’s most consequential developments, adds clear-eyed legal analysis, and pairs it with mindfulness tools that keep you steady no matter how turbulent the news cycle becomes. If this newsletter helps you stay informed, please pass it on: https://fedlegalhelp.com/newsletter. Your advocacy broadens the protective circle for every federal employee.

BETA Available (Discounted Pre-launch): Interested in our course to challenge your RIF on your own before the MSPB?

Southworth PC is opening a beta of our RIF MSPB Course—40+ written modules, checklists, and templates that walk you through every stage of a Merit Systems Protection Board RIF appeal, with focus‑videos and fresh insights dropping into the course over the next week (and for life). It is beta, so the first version is not quite done (expect all videos and first version resources by August 4). But some people are facing deadlines now and need it, so we are releasing what we have now.

Until next Monday, you can lock in lifetime access for $149—$50 below public launch of $199 starting next Moday, $250 below final price—regularly priced at $399 starting September 4, all backed by a no‑questions 7‑day refund. You get lifetime updates. Filing deadlines move fast; missing one can end your appeal. If you are interested, click now to secure your seat before the price jumps on August 4: http://fedlegalhelp.com/mspbcourse—and to see the resources we have assembled.

Top Three News Stories:

1. Senator Presses 20 Agency Watchdogs to Reveal the True Cost of “DOGE” Re-Orgs

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent letters to inspectors general at GSA, OPM, OMB and 17 other agencies, asking each to calculate what it has spent on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative—including buyouts, deferred-resignation leave, outside consultants and relocation packages. Blumenthal said prior estimates “dramatically understate” the price tag and warned that opaque bookkeeping could hide Antideficiency Act violations. The IGs were given 45 days to reply, setting up reports just before the fall appropriations crunch. Government Executive

Legal Insight: 

IGs have subpoena power and can compel cost data from component CFOs, so agencies must be ready to justify every DOGE-related obligation. If an IG finds an unauthorized spending breach, it must notify Congress and the president. Career employees asked to certify questionable invoices can refuse and file a protected disclosure with OSC; retaliation for such refusals is a prohibited personnel practice. Unions may request the IG correspondence under the Freedom of Information Act once it is transmitted to Congress.

2. GAO: Mass Layoffs Do Not Constitute Illegal Budget “Impoundments”

In a legal opinion released July 31, the Government Accountability Office rejected claims that agency RIFs amount to unlawful impoundments of appropriated funds. GAO found that Congress gave DHS’ reorganized offices lump-sum appropriations with no staffing floors, allowing management to spend funds on severance, buyouts or contractor support in place of salaries. The watchdog stressed, however, that agencies must still track how layoff costs affect program performance and report any program shortfalls in their next budget submissions. Government Executive

Legal Insight:  

GAO opinions carry weight with appropriators but are not binding on courts; unions could still argue in litigation that specific layoff plans violate program-integrity statutes. For now, agencies can continue obligating severance and VSIP funds without fear of an Antideficiency Act citation. Employees who believe mission delivery is suffering should document impacts; that evidence can support future congressional or IG inquiries and bolster arguments for back-filling critical vacancies when the hiring freeze lifts.

3. 17 Senate Democrats Urge EPA to Reinstate 140 Staffers Benched for Dissent

A letter led by Sen. Ed Markey calls on EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to bring back more than 140 employees placed on paid administrative leave after signing a memo criticizing rollbacks in chemical-safety and climate programs. The senators say the mass sidelining looks “strikingly retaliatory” and could violate whistle-blower protections. EPA has not commented beyond stating the workers remain on pay status while “conduct reviews” proceed. Government Executive

Legal Insight:

Generally, ordinary administrative leave is capped at 10 workdays per employee per calendar year under 5 C.F.R. § 630.1303. If EPA keeps someone off duty longer, it must convert the status to investigative leave or notice leave and issue a written justification; any stretch that exceeds 10 consecutive or 30 total workdays in a calendar year must be reported to OPM. Employees who believe the leave was used to punish protected speech can file a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel; if OSC finds reasonable grounds, it may ask the MSPB for a stay that returns the employee to duty while the case is investigated. Unions may request non-privileged records that explain the agency’s decision under 5 U.S.C. § 7114(b)(4). Staff should save all leave notices and related emails—they are key evidence in OSC, MSPB, or EEO proceedings.

Mindful Moment of the Day: 

Inbox Sunset Ritual     

Five minutes before sign-off, scan today’s sent folder and mentally label each thread: “Resolved,” “Waiting,” or “Tomorrow.” Then—eyes softly lowered—inhale for four, exhale for six while visualizing those labels sliding into their own boxes on a shelf. Neurologists call this “psychological closing of open loops,” which shrinks the default-mode network activity that causes after-hours rumination. The ritual turns Outlook from stress trigger to closure signal, so your off-duty brain can file memories instead of reheating them at 2 a.m. Your family, your REM sleep, and tomorrow’s clarity will all say thanks.