Management

Bisignano to lead IRS in addition to SSA duties, raising questions about the Senate confirmation process

Experts warned that the move could further facilitate the consolidation of Social Security and IRS databases for use in immigration enforcement.

Management

Shutdown poised to drag into next week as layoff threat looms

Senate once again fails to approve spending bill and the two sides remain far divided.

Management

Shutdown freezes earlier job-cut battles as Trump signals fresh layoffs

Employees involved in litigation are caught up in furloughs, though group says Trump is seeking to delay accountability.

Management

Government spirals into shutdown with Trump promising mass layoffs

A last-ditch effort to keep government funded failed Tuesday night. Agencies will begin furloughing staff on Wednesday.

Management

Disparities emerge in FEMA disaster assistance after Hurricane Helene

An analysis of FEMA housing assistance following Hurricane Helene reveals that higher-income households in North Carolina's rural counties received more aid, raising concerns about equity in disaster relief distribution.

Management

Reductions in force could make bad situation worse for federal contractors during government shutdown

Some federal contractors have already reported problems connecting with their contracting officers.

Management

The ultra risks of a routine shutdown

COMMENTARY | If Democrats risk a government shutdown this week, they may unwittingly play into the most dramatic shift of power to the executive branch in recent history.

Management

A new ‘activist’ OPM is incrementally reforming the civil service, Part 2

COMMENTARY | OPM's new reforms show promise, but the agency should be wary of trying to apply a centralized, uniform standard to agencies varied in mission and expertise.

Management

Even a brief government shutdown might hamper morale, raise costs and reduce long-term efficiency in the federal workforce

With the political parties currently wide apart over the terms of even a short-term budget resolution, the government is set to shut down on Oct. 1, 2025, barring an 11th-hour deal that appears far off.

Management

The end of the ‘Fork in the Road’

A new online retirement system, coupled with record summer claim volumes, has created delays and confusion for federal employees transitioning to annuitant status, even as OPM works to streamline processing and reduce errors.

Management

Senate report accuses DOGE of risking Americans’ data by operating outside federal law

A report released by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said a lack of restrictions on DOGE employees’ collection of sensitive data can result “in serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, privacy violations, and risk of corruption.”

Management

IRS announces the phased end of paper check refunds

The Trump White House set a Sept. 30 deadline for the Treasury Department to stop cutting paper checks, although the IRS said it will still be issuing a “limited number” of checks where there is no alternative option. 

Management

Trump budget office is hiding federal spending information, ethics nonprofit alleges

Federal courts have ordered the Office of Management and Budget to publish information about how agency funding is disbursed, but Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington contends that officials are using footnotes to obfuscate disclosure.

Management

Facing a shutdown, budget negotiations are much harder because Congress has given Trump power to cut spending through ‘rescission’

Lawmakers are navigating a familiar budget crisis, but a rarely used presidential tool is shifting the balance of power and raising stakes for both parties.

Management

Trump’s reported use of the FBI against political opponents reflects earlier controversies from the J. Edgar Hoover era

COMMENTARY | Recent developments involving the agency have sparked comparisons to earlier episodes in the agency’s history.

Management

A new ‘activist’ OPM is incrementally reforming the civil service, Part 1

COMMENTARY | The Office of Personnel Management has the opportunity to implement real civil service reforms, if it can get away from its one-size-fits-all management approach.

Updated Management

Census advisory committee meets despite Trump administration nixing it

A Trump executive order directed the cancellation of “unnecessary” councils that advise on agency operations.