Updated Management

Chance of a government shutdown rises as the Senate fails to advance spending bill

With both parties rejecting each other’s short-term funding proposals, Congress is heading into a weeklong recess with no deal in place and a government shutdown looking increasingly likely.

Tech

Pentagon bans tech vendors from using China-based personnel following a ProPublica investigation

The Defense Department has tightened cybersecurity requirements for its cloud services providers. The changes come after ProPublica revealed how Microsoft’s use of China-based engineers left sensitive government

Management

Innovation from the ground up: How state and local leaders are shaping the future of performance management

COMMENTARY | At a national summit, state and local officials showcased how evidence, data and collaboration are reshaping performance management and pointing to lessons for every level of government.

Management

State Department hopes to use agentic AI to assist employee tasks, CIO says

That kind of autonomous action would go beyond the current capabilities of the agency’s AI chatbot, StateChat.

Pay & Benefits

The best dates to retire in 2026

Step into retirement on the right day with this annual guide.

Management

US rolls toward a 'terrible' government shutdown, no exit ramp in sight

As lawmakers dig in, federal employees face mounting uncertainty over pay, operations and the ripple effects of another prolonged funding lapse.

Workforce

CDC ends telework for employees with disabilities, union says

Telework is a common example of a reasonable accommodation, which agencies are legally required to provide to workers with disabilities with limited exceptions.

Workforce

Bill to nullify Trump’s union executive orders introduced by 48 senators

All Senate Democrats and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have signed on as sponsors of the Protect America’s Workforce Act, while the measure is just two signatures away from guaranteed floor debate in the House.

Management

RFK pressured CDC to dismiss career scientists until they backed his views, ousted director says

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy is putting politics ahead of science and risking Americans’ health, top officials pushed out and dismissed at CDC tell Congress.

Management

DOGE caucus co-chair says the cost-cutting unit’s work will continue

Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said he is focused on using data to weed out fraud across the government.

Pay & Benefits

Plan to expand PACT Act eligibility for 9/11 Pentagon personnel introduced

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., wants to provide Defense Department personnel present at the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks access to benefits provided by the landmark veteran health care bill.

Pay & Benefits

Lawmakers sound alarm on administration of USPS health care program

The Office of Personnel Management still has less than half of the IT staff needed to support postal workers’ employer-sponsored health insurance program as it prepares for its second-ever open season this fall.

Oversight

GAO: Trump violated law for sixth time in withholding FEMA funds

A new Government Accountability Office report says the Trump administration delayed funding for federal programs that provide food, shelter, and temporary housing, raising questions about compliance with federal law and the timing of aid.

Management

AI-based suicide prevention efforts at VA always have human involvement, official says

“We do not currently have any plans that I'm aware of to use AI as a treatment device instead of providers,” Evan Carey, acting director of VA’s National Artificial Intelligence Institute, told lawmakers.

Management

Rule limiting ‘outstanding’ performance ratings for agency senior executives finalized

The final rule also strikes promotion of diversity and inclusion as a criteria for appraising senior executives.

Management

House GOP unveils 7-week stopgap funding bill, Dems say it makes shutdown more likely

Congressional Democrats are not backing down from their funding bill demands even as Republicans move forward with a plan to avert a shutdown.

Workforce

Protestors denounce cuts to NASA’s staff, budget and union rights

Several speakers at the protest also urged Congress to pass a continuing resolution that prevents the Trump administration from impounding agency funding.

Management

Cuts to CFPB staffing could complicate enforcement of Trump’s executive order on ‘debanking’

An executive order seeking to stop banks from discriminating against customers could be undermined by the administration’s gutting of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which had been investigating the practice.