Management
SSA said it removed strict ID requirements on its phone line, but internal policy says otherwise
The agency said in a recent regulatory filing that the identification pin had been made optional for those wishing to change direct deposit information over the phone. Internal policy says they’re still required.
Exclusive
After firing of BLS chief, Lutnick tells federal statisticians that independence is ‘nonsense’
Employees should only focus on accuracy and getting “the right answer,” Commerce secretary says.
Trump administration cuts to terrorism prevention departments could leave Americans exposed
COMMENTARY | The U.S. military and law enforcement's counterterrorism efforts are largely grounded in responding to threats, while the federal government's prevention efforts have largely been winnowed due to ongoing personnel reductions.
DOGE can maintain access to federal personnel data, court rules
The DOGE affiliates will also keep unfettered access to federal education and taxpayer information.
Trump taps economist from the Heritage Foundation to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics
The nominee, E.J. Antoni, has harshly criticized the previous BLS commissioner.
FBI report: U.S. crime rates fell nationwide in 2024
Violent crime fell by 4.5% last year, including a nearly 15% drop in homicides.
Judge orders White House budget office to reveal information about spending decisions
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit mandated that the Office of Management and Budget restore a website detailing federal spending timelines.
Trump federalizes D.C. police, says takeover will enable federal employees to work in peace
Agency officials say federal staff are excited and prepared for new deployments.
IRS chief to leave agency less than two months after assuming the role
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will take over, becoming the sixth person to head IRS in Trump's second term.
Federal grants must ‘demonstrably advance’ Trump’s agenda, president orders
Trump’s new federal grants process has employees concerned over added bureaucracy and politicization.
Trump is outpacing his first term in deleting environmental information
The restriction of language and removal of information makes it harder to address climate issues, say the authors of a new report on environmental information under Trump 2.0.
New Postal Service leader lends support to controversial modernization plan
Postmaster General David Steiner said the controversial Delivering for America plan puts the U.S. Postal Service “on the right path.”
From a retired federal worker: Realizing I’m not special changed my leadership
COMMENTARY | How embracing a simple truth about federal service reshaped a leader’s approach to managing people and priorities.
All remaining DOGE staff are in political positions, despite concerns of ‘burrowing in’
No DOGE personnel have converted to permanent, career roles.
‘The neutrality of the agency has been eliminated’: Stats-based feds decry BLS chief’s firing
Employees express concern Trump's firing of the commissioner, which followed a weak jobs report, will lead to future interference with their work.
Why FEMA is essential in disasters, and how losing independent agency status hurt its ability to function
Decades of disaster response history help explain how changes to FEMA’s structure have affected its ability to manage emergencies.
Thomas Shedd departs as Labor CIO
The longtime Tesla engineer appears to still be working at the General Services Administration, according to two employees, even as he leaves his post at the Labor Department.
After Senate moves bipartisan spending bills, Dem leaders request sit down on shutdown-aversion plan
The Senate is moving fiscal 2026 funding measures with ease but there is still no overall strategy in Congress.
What should we do with the ODNI? One plank owner’s thoughts
COMMENTARY | The Office of the Director of National Intelligence began as an effort to streamline intelligence-sharing in the wake of 9/11, but current reform efforts raise questions about its future role.
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.
