Defense
Air Force says Qatar jet retrofit will cost less than $400M
Other defense officials have estimated it could be over $1 billion.
Management
Small Business Administration would have to relocate field offices from ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ under House-passed bill
The agency previously said it would move six of its regional offices from cities that have laws limiting their cooperation with federal immigration agents.
Workforce
The evolution of telework in the federal government: A cautionary tale
COMMENTARY | How early telework gains during the pandemic collided with post-COVID realities inside federal agencies.
Management
Vought calls for more OMB staff after spearheading governmentwide cuts
Architect of Trump’s government overhaul says he does not want to "traumatize" feds and some agencies have staff "doing incredible work."
Workforce
Trump administration debuts permitting modernization plan, even as staff cuts could jeopardize it
The new plan builds on Biden-era work, but how implementation goes during Trump-era workforce reductions remains to be seen.
Pay & Benefits
Should you stay or should you go? 10 tips for navigating your federal retirement decision
What to consider—financially and emotionally—before leaving government service.
Oversight
Education Department is stonewalling inspector general investigation into staff cuts, Democrats allege
The department’s inspector general informed congressional leaders that officials weren’t turning over requested information and are putting conditions on interviews with staff.
Pay & Benefits
Oversight Dems: Commerce reneged on probationers’ health benefits
Some recently fired probationary workers have also been unable to access their personnel records to show to insurance companies and prospective employers.
Workforce
CISA projected to lose a third of its workforce under Trump’s 2026 budget
The White House’s latest spending proposal projects nearly 1,000 jobs will be slashed at the nation’s lead civilian cyber agency. Related cyber and intel programs across government also face funding rollbacks.
Workforce
Feds on the job hunt are taking advantage of professional development opportunities tailored to them
Initiatives are focusing on topics ranging from wellness and career coaching to artificial intelligence.
Workforce
State Department ‘appears’ to be violating court order by issuing layoffs as soon as June 13, judge says
The Trump administration says it has paused planned RIFs at 17 agencies, but State is “a special case.”
Pay & Benefits
Senators fix their sights on OPM’s pay memo for political appointees
Eight Democrats decried recent guidance encouraging agencies to pay Schedule C political appointees the maximum federal salary of $195,200 as an attempt to hire “underqualified and overpaid political elites.”
Workforce
Appeals court: Has Trump neutered the Civil Service Reform Act?
A three-judge panel on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals revived a lawsuit challenging the gag order on federal immigration judges in light of the president’s decision to fire the U.S. special counsel and members of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Oversight
Potential shortcomings in USAID–State Department merger plan raise concerns
The inspector general found that the new hiring numbers aren’t based on any workforce strategy, the realignment implementation plan isn’t finished and the agency team overseeing the transfer is set to disband.
Management
Trump wants Congress to slash $9.4B in spending now, defund NPR and PBS
The rescissions request allows the White House budget office to legally freeze spending on some accounts for 45 days.
Workforce
Trump is planning to slash 107,000 federal jobs next year. See where
New details in the president's budget detail some of the proposed workforce reductions, though the final cuts will likely be steeper.
Management
White House budget request includes $45 million in additional DOGE funding
The request would support an estimated 150 full time employees, 80% of whom would be paid out of agency reimbursements, rather than DOGE-specific funds.
Defense
Pentagon won’t say how many civilians have left since February
The department has used a mix of layoffs and voluntary resignations to cut workforce.
Workforce
Federal judge blocks dissolution of union at TSA
Though the Transportation Security Administration has broad latitude to design and administer its own personnel system, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman found its contract with AFGE to be a “self-imposed restriction” on that power.
Oversight