Workforce
FBI agents would get increased whistleblower protections under bipartisan bill
The measure’s sponsor, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has previously slammed the FBI over its enforcement of existing whistleblower protections.
Defense
Defense tech office cuts staff down to 40
The cuts to the Defense Technical Information Center are intended to refocus it on “its core statutory mission” according to a Pentagon spokesperson.
Workforce
A second appeals court has allowed Trump’s anti-union EO to go into effect
A three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit Court rejected claims that President Trump’s barring collective bargaining for two-thirds of the federal workforce was retaliatory in nature, finding that the administration would have done so regardless of labor groups’ various legal challenges.
Workforce
Deep staff cuts at a little-known federal agency pose trouble for droves of local health programs
The Health Resources and Services Administration has lost approximately a quarter of its staff between February and June, challenging its ability to provide grant funding to public health programs across the nation.
Management
VA to end abortion services in cases of rape and incest
The department had only provided a few hundred abortions since the Biden administration authorized them in 2022, VA says.
Exclusive
Management
After shedding most employees, DOJ looks to shift around Civil Rights staff to fill ‘deep need’
Some offices have lost 75% of their attorneys but are still being asked to reassign those who remain to higher priority areas.
Pay & Benefits
TSP funds post mixed returns in July
While domestic investments in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program posted gains last month, its international fund faltered.
Workforce
At least 148,000 federal employees have left government under Trump, good government group reports
The Partnership for Public Service acknowledged that it’s difficult to track the number of civil servants who have departed because the Trump administration has not publicized much of the information.
Management
Trump nominates financial executive to be GSA administrator
The nominee, Ed Forst, is a longtime Goldman Sachs alum.
Management
Sharing services is essential for the federal government. Here’s how to make it work
COMMENTARY | Tackling the big problems facing federal agencies requires collaboration that goes beyond performance metrics to reach a solution.
Oversight
Agency layoffs do not constitute illegal impoundments, GAO rules
RIFs are not themselves violations of federal spending law, watchdog says, though the administration is violating the law in other ways.
Oversight
Democrat asks agency watchdogs to tally the cost of DOGE
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is estimating that the efficiency project has racked up around $21.7 billion.
Pay & Benefits
How federal employees can check if their retirement estimate is accurate
Estimating your post-retirement income isn’t just math, it’s about getting the right data, understanding your service credit and avoiding costly missteps.
Oversight
Veterans Affairs whistleblowers may not be getting settlement benefits due to a lack of oversight, watchdog reports
The Government Accountability Office warned that VA needs to do a better job of tracking whistleblower settlement agreements.
Workforce
Senate panel advances bills to protect whistleblowers, fix CBP workers’ retirement benefits
More than 1,300 CBP officers spent more than a decade contributing toward their retirement annuities for which they were not eligible, due to a mistake the agency made in 2008.
Workforce
Government layoffs are making us less safe in cyberspace, experts fear
There’s been a mass exodus of government cyber expertise during the Trump administration.
Workforce
USDA says reorg disfavors layoffs, predicts most employees will accept relocations
A significant percent more than a majority will come" to new locations, Agriculture Department official says.
Oversight
OSC recognizes federal mine safety employees who blew the whistle about skipped inspections
The award comes as watchdog organizations have warned that Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, the agency that protects government whistleblowers, could weaken oversight.
Pay & Benefits
How to avoid Medicare Part B late enrollment penalties
Planning to retire soon? Here’s what to know about timing your Medicare enrollment to steer clear of costly penalties.
Workforce