Tech

Hackers nabbed emails between congressional staff and the Library of Congress 

Affected staff were notified Friday afternoon, according to an internal email. Capitol Hill communications with the Congressional Research Service frequently involve confidential legislative drafts or policies still in the brainstorming stage.

Pay & Benefits

Feds in 2024 made almost a quarter less than their private sector peers

The Federal Salary Council, which reported the disparity, also recommended creating new locality pay areas in Kennewick-Richland-Walla Walla, Wash., and Syracuse-Auburn, N.Y.

Management

O'Malley to step down as SSA chief this month, seeks political role

Martin O'Malley won plaudits for reinvigorating a resource-starved SSA, but will leave his post early.

Workforce

Trump’s ‘DOGE’ commission promises mass federal layoffs, ending telework

The incoming administration will handle large-scale RIFs with compassion, Vivek Ramaswamy says.

Management

USDS looks for a new deputy as the Trump administration approaches 

Mina Hsiang, current administrator of the U.S. Digital Service, is expected to leave before the Trump administration takes the helm.

Tech

Lawmaker looks to improve SBA’s IT modernization after critical GAO review

A proposal from Rep. Nydia Velázquez would require that the Small Business Administration “establish and implement policies and procedures to govern information technology modernization projects.”

Management

As Trump names VA pick, firing and privatization come back into the spotlight

Trump's choice is already highlighting some of the most controversial VA priorities from the president-elect's first term.

Workforce

New Senate majority leader ‘excited’ to ‘dismantle federal bureaucracy’

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., also said that he is open to allowing recess appointments, which could let Trump bypass the Senate for certain nominees.

Management

Trusted Workforce 2.0: Moving the chains to phase three in federal vetting reform

COMMENTARY | “It's no longer just about strategy—it's about execution,” writes one expert.

Tech

How the federal CIO is prepping for the presidential transition

Cybersecurity, customer experience and effective transition efforts have been top-of-mind for Clare Matorana in the last days of the Biden administration.

Tech

DHS releases guidance for AI in critical infrastructure

The Homeland Security Department worked with its diverse AI Safety and Security Board to develop a holistic approach for securing critical infrastructure that leverages AI technologies.

Management

USPS loses $9.5B in FY24 and says another red year is coming

Postal management remains committed to DeJoy's reforms, saying it is showing positive signs.

Management

CISA Director Jen Easterly to depart on Inauguration Day

Easterly and Deputy Director Nitin Natarajan are set to leave as an administration change casts doubt on the agency’s future. 

Pay & Benefits

Retirement decisions that can't be reversed

Here are the retirement decisions that require careful consideration since they cannot be changed.

Oversight

Oversight of contract security guards at federal buildings is lacking, OIG says

In one notable example from a recent report, a guard at a federal facility told a visitor to place their firearm in a bush to access the building.

Management

Senate confirms Biden’s ethics czar, who will remain under Trump

Senate Democrats use dwindling floor time to confirm a new head for the government's ethics office, with whom Trump administration often butted heads in his first term.

Workforce

EPA employees are ‘freaking out’ over Trump’s return

Trump targeted EPA for cuts and deregulation in his first term. Employees are gearing up for a redux.

Updated Management

Which of Trump's nominees have been confirmed?

These individuals will hold huge sway in enacting the president's policies toward federal employees.

Management

Could a new Trump administration push for another federal hiring freeze?

The president-elect's previous experience with a governmentwide 79-day halt to agency hiring could inform his new approach to the federal workforce, if those lessons still apply.