Julian E. Barnes began his second tour of duty at U.S. News in December 2001.

A senior editor on the Investigative Team, Barnes has written about national security, congressional spending, health care, and education. War Profiteers looked at a controversial Air Force plan deal to lease planes Boeing. The New SAT looked at the origins in the recent revolutionary changes to the nation's most important educational test.

Prior to rejoining U.S. News, Barnes worked for the New York Times, writing for the metro, continuous news, and business desks. For the business desk he wrote front-page stories on faulty toys, dietary supplements, and the failure of rising helmet use to curb head injuries.

From 1996 to 1998, Barnes was an associate editor at U.S. News, covering the Monica Lewinsky scandal, campaign finance, race, and affirmative action.

Before coming to Washington, Barnes worked in Little Rock for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where he covered police and urban issues, as well as the occasional Whitewater story.

Barnes graduated in 1993 from Harvard College where he was President of the student daily newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.