


VA staff finished 2M disability claims faster than ever this year
The department is about 15% ahead of its claims workload pace from last summer.

Pentagon & Congress
Survey shows surge in support for US leadership in foreign affairs
Almost two-thirds of respondents in the Reagan Institute poll pushed for a bigger role for U.S. leaders on the global stage.

TriWest switch sparks ‘deluge of misdirected calls,’ Health Net says
Health Net is seeing a 200% increase in calls to their claims center, many because of problems reaching the new West Region contractor.

Vets won’t see disruptions in VA services amid White House changes
VA leaders have pledged to keep services operating normally, even as several senior staffers depart office.

VA eases benefits rules for cancers from Post-9/11 service, K2 tours
Gulf War veterans and Post-9/11 vets suffereing from leukemia and bladder cancer will get presumptive benefits status under a new decision by VA.

Advocates reach deal with DOD on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ dismissals
The new deal could help tens of thousands of veterans previously kicked out of the ranks under the military's former 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.

Some vets get 12 extra months of college benefits under new VA rules
Veterans Affairs officials are updating their GI Bill eligibility rules in response to a Supreme Court ruling last spring.

New Orleans attack suspect identified as Army vet ‘inspired by ISIS’
The man who reportedly drove a truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers in New Orleans, killing 15, has been identified as a U.S. Army veteran.

Breaking down the number of veterans in the 119th Congress
This Congress begins with more members who are military veterans than any session in the last eight years.

Major leadership shakeup, new budget battles coming to VA in 2025
The major Veterans Affairs stories we're keeping an eye on in 2025.

Rollback of DOD anti-extremism efforts coming in 2025, experts predict
The piecemeal progress of extremism-prevention efforts during the past four years is more than can be expected out of the Pentagon in 2025, experts said.
