Transition
Trump administration lacks standing to sue to enforce anti-labor executive order, union says
The American Federation of Government Employees argued that the Trump administration’s effort to procure a “declarative” judgment in favor of an executive order stripping two-thirds of the federal workforce of their collective bargaining rights is effectively fishing for a federal judge’s advisory opinion, which is unlawful.
Updated
As re-firings begin, judge demands Trump administration tell probationary employees they were not let go for poor performance
Court declines to block more firings of recently hired staff, saying individual agencies are now making their own decisions.
ANALYSIS: A less burdened customer collective also means a more powerful one
Don't confuse the Trump administration's push for agencies to have a leaner acquisition framework as making everything easier for contractors. Keeping them as customers might just get harder.
DOGE is building a ‘master database’ of sensitive information, top Oversight Democrat says
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is calling on the Social Security Administration’s watchdog to investigate whistleblower claims that the efficiency team is compiling potentially sensitive data across several government agencies.
Rubio denies that Trump will politicize the Foreign Service and slash embassies
State Department says a draft executive order, which would have created new loyalty requirements for career staff and eliminated many offices, is fake. A reorganization of the department is still expected shortly.
OPM proposes rule to formally revive Schedule F
The federal government’s dedicated HR agency estimates that 50,000 federal workers will be stripped of their civil service protections and become at-will employees.
Updated
VA is selectively enforcing Trump’s order stripping workers of union rights
VA Secretary Doug Collins this week issued a notice allowing employees at the department whose unions have not been involved with lawsuits against the Trump administration to retain their collective bargaining rights.
Updated
Mass layoffs paused at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
A union argued that CFPB has violated an order limiting how it can conduct reductions in force.
SBA hit with more layoffs
The agency's COVID-19 EIDL Servicing Center staff were told they would be fired on Friday.
Breaking News
White House extends federal hiring freeze until July for most
The Trump administration’s halt on federal civilian hiring, which was supposed to be lifted Monday, will be extended through July, per a memo released late Thursday.
Unions sue to stop demolition of mediator agency
The congressionally authorized Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service worked to avoid costly litigation between labor groups and their employers—in both the private and public sectors—until President Trump ordered officials to effectively shutter the agency last month.
Trump administration wants new headquarters for the Housing and Urban Development Department
The headquarters announcement comes days after the president repealed decades-old executive orders in an effort to reshape where agencies decide to establish their office locations.
Featured eBooks
Exclusive
COMMENTARY: Trump officials explain his plan to make government acquisition great, for once
Three senior Trump officials explain why revamping the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the $1 trillion in government spending it governs each year, is now a top priority.
Trump orders structural changes to rules covering $1T in federal spending
The Tuesday mandate — which aims to streamline the way government buys goods and services — was accompanied by a second order requiring agencies to predominantly use commercial products, rather than custom-built.
Exclusive
White House pitches layoffs, local office closures and program eliminations at USDA
“These are the people that are directly where the farmers are,” one official says of the planned cuts.
WT Survey: Contractors see dark clouds hanging over the market
Our survey shows widespread concerns over budget constraints and federal workforce cuts by the Trump administration, with small businesses feeling the most impact.
SBA investigating staff for talking to press, former colleagues
SBA’s general counsel warned staff Monday it was investigating employee communications with media and former colleagues in a memo. It was promptly shared with reporters.
How cyber vulnerabilities and workforce cuts threaten the crisis lifeline program
A bipartisan, bicameral measure is hoping to prevent cyber incidents from limiting access to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline after a 2022 attack on a system operator disrupted calls to the hotline.
Federal contract oversight employees contemplate resignation offer, as agency faces layoffs and mission realignment
Employees at the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs had less than two weeks to decide whether to opt into the second round of the deferred resignation program.
Deep cuts hit HHS tech offices
Current employees say that dramatic cuts to leadership and career staff within FDA and HHS have left critical projects at risk.
Employees swarm to second ‘deferred resignation’ offer, though some are receiving unexpected responses
At USDA, 16,000 employees have signed up for the “DRP.”
