Management

OPM implements years-in-the-making update to federal hiring process

The "rule of many" aims to give federal hiring managers more information and choices as they evaluate job candidates.

Updated Management

Some funding frozen by Trump could soon expire due to new fiscal year, Democrats warn

Congress will need to reach a bipartisan consensus by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.

Management

FEMA begins security overhauls following cyber incident and employee firings

The agency recently blocked users from accessing multiple websites and made password changes to an internet security tool in efforts to shore up its cyber posture, people familiar say.

Management

Boosting timber harvesting in national forests while cutting public oversight won’t solve America’s wildfire problem

COMMENTARY | The shrinking of the federal forest workforce is among several factors that have more impact on forest fire risk than the time it takes to approve timber harvesting projects.

Management

The untold saga of what happened when DOGE stormed Social Security

Former acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek said he first tried to collaborate with DOGE officials and then he tried to shield the agency from them.

Management

Union criticizes IRS plan to shutter 9 taxpayer assistance centers

The tax agency said that no employees would lose their jobs because of the closures.

Management

Social Security announces leadership team light on government experience

The agency’s new leadership roster — announced alongside a reorganization plan sources say is short on details — is intended to bring a fresh perspective into SSA, its commissioner said. Critics argue they lack the expertise usually required of most agency leaders.

Management

Trump campaigned on closing the Education Department. Reality is more difficult.

Despite a wide range of cuts by the Trump administration, the momentum to completely disband the Education Department has, for the moment, largely run aground on Capitol Hill.

Tech

Agencies and industry announce efforts to further Presidential AI Challenge

The Trump administration is angling to leverage private sector partnerships and an all-hands agency approach to establish a robust U.S. AI workforce and education platform.

Management

Centralization might not be the best model for delivering common government services

COMMENTARY | The second Trump administration's approach to shared services may offer agencies less flexibility and potentially lower performance by centralizing acquisition. It's a shift from the president's first term.

Updated Management

Here’s how Trump’s planned regulations could impact federal employees 

The president’s regulatory preview indicates how officials plan to follow his deregulatory directives. 

Management

Report: Federal agencies have deployed nearly 33,000 employees to assist ICE

Only around 15% of employees working on immigration enforcement are full-time immigration enforcement staff.

Pay & Benefits

OPM lays out early plans for law enforcement-only pay raise

Federal employee groups decried President Trump’s plan to raise pay for most civilian employees by just 1% next year while giving military service members and law enforcement officers 3.8%.

Pay & Benefits

The milestone ages that matter most for retirement planning

From catch-up contributions to required distributions, federal employees face key ages that can shape retirement income, benefits and tax planning.

Management

OPM tech lead Greg Hogan leaves post

The personnel agency’s handling of sensitive agency data — and who can access it — has been at the center of many lawsuits since the start of Trump 2.0.

Management

Despite shutdown deadline, little movement in Congress on spending deal

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to say during a press conference whether he will negotiate a stopgap spending bill with Democrats, or use the go-at-it-alone approach that succeeded in March. 

Exclusive Workforce

VA to set caps on its workforce, eliminate positions and tighten controls on hiring

The Veterans Affairs Department secretary is creating a new "baseline" that cannot easily be exceeded, according to internal memo.

Workforce

More unions sue following second edict banning them, alleging retaliation

Although left off the initial list of agencies where the Trump administration wants to ban unions, two labor groups said they were targeted after seeking to enforce their collective bargaining agreements.

Workforce

FEMA’s staffing shortages have hindered past disaster recovery efforts, GAO says. Now the agency has even fewer workers

A watchdog report found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has had to reassign employees working on ongoing disaster recovery to respond to new disasters and deploy staffers to perform jobs they’re largely not trained to do.