Even without all the fireworks caused by furloughs and the government shutdown that occurred in 2013, Federal News Radio readers found plenty to intrigue them in 2014.

A survey of our most-read stories shows that readers were interested in a variety of federal stories, from Hatch Act violations at the IRS to the discovery of Spanish-American War photos to reductions in force at the Office of Personnel Management.

Here are our 10 most-read stories for 2014.

#1 – OSC targets Hatch Act violations at IRS, improper hiring at CBP A customer service representative at the IRS who repeatedly greeted taxpayers calling a help-line with a chant urging President Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012 could now be facing significant disciplinary action, according to the Office of Special Counsel. It’s one of three cases of improper political activity at the agency recently uncovered by OSC. Meanwhile, three career officials at Customs and Border Protection are under fire by OSC for allegedly manipulating the hiring process to install job candidates favored by political leadership into career appointments. Read more.

#2 – Navy finds hidden treasure from Spanish-American War Preparing for an office renovation, archivists at the Naval History and Heritage Command discover two wooden boxes filled with glass plate photos of the Spanish-American War. Read more.

#3 – U.S. Capitol Dome Restoration The United States Capitol Dome was constructed more than 150 years ago and has not undergone a complete restoration since 1959-1960. Age, weather and elements have created more than 1,000 cracks and deficiencies in the dome. Click through the gallery to view photos, graphics and videos of the construction. View the Photo Gallery.

#4 – Medicare Part B: The $1,200 question With apologies to Shakespeare, the most common question federal workers ask at benefits seminars is the To B or Not to B question. Should they pay $1,200 a year for Medicare Part B, or rely on their federal health plan? Short answer: It depends, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Read more.

#5 – Meet the 2014 Service to America Medal Finalists Each year, the Partnership for Public Service recognizes the outstanding achievements of dedicated federal workers with the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals. Read more.

#6 – 2014 funding: Agency-by-agency breakdown of spending bill With the unveiling of the bipartisan spending bill this week, federal agencies are getting a clearer picture of how much funding they’ll get for the rest of the fiscal year. Track which agencies will see sizable increases or which will be getting the short end of the stick. Read more.

#7 – Allied forces launch Normandy Invasion June 6, 1944 Seventy years ago today, June 6, 1944, combined Allied forces landed in France as part of the D-Day invasion. This photo gallery is made up of images from the Naval History & Heritage Command (NHHC), which has put together a website of images around Operation Overlord: Invasion Normandy. View the Photo Gallery.

#8 – Retiree COLA outpacing workers’ pay raise What’s one area where federal retirees are financially better off than feds who are still working? If you said cost-of-living adjustments, you are a winner, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. The January COLA for retirees will be bigger than the planned pay raise for active-duty feds. Read more.

#9 – OPM to RIF 300 workers from HR Solutions office The Office of Personnel Management said it’s abolishing 300 positions nationwide, about 25 percent of which are full-time workers. OPM said the budget environment where fewer agencies are hiring and training employees is causing the need to reduce staff. Read more.

#10 – Veterans make up growing share of federal workforce, so why is their morale faltering? Nearly three in every 10 new employees hired by the federal government have worked for Uncle Sam before — in uniform. But even as the federal government has found success onboarding veteran employees, new questions have been raised about the workplace environments veterans are encountering. Read more.

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