Management
‘Last chance to stay where you are.’ USDA gives some employees facing relocation a shot at unfilled local jobs
A Natural Resources Conservation Service employee said most critical vacancies available at his grade level would amount to a "voluntary downgrade," but would spare him from relocating across the country.
Tech
USPTO looks to AI agents to ease examiner workloads
The office’s Acting Commissioner for Patents Barry Schindler said putting agents in the hands of its examiners “can shorten that [review process] to one year, because you can pick up the phone and have conversations.”
Tech
ICE wants AI to take on more of its legal workload
The agency is looking for software that can help its attorneys manage the growing demands of litigation, investigations and other legal matters.
Management
‘A rushed and complicated system.’ Federal employees say they’re in the dark over limited top ratings
A mandate to limit outstanding performance scores has managers playing a numbers game and risks pitting teammates against each other.
Sponsor Content
Atlassian and AWS help federal agencies leave legacy systems behind
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Oversight
Oversight of nuclear material security cut back due to civil service reductions, GAO finds
The Government Accountability Office also reported that the National Nuclear Security Administration has more than lost its recent hiring gains.
Tech
State Department orders ‘super intelligence’ wording across all official communications
An internal cable from the agency extends Trump’s terminology change to emails, speeches, websites and official titles, while preserving legal language and historical records.
Oversight
Trump’s IG pick at the VA is ‘watering down’ oversight, some employees allege
As the Veterans Affairs inspector general faces mounting workforce challenges, some employees and former watchdogs raise questions about the office's trajectory.
Sponsor Content
What Comes After Certification? The Shift to Compliant Security Operations.
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Workforce
Union seeks new avenue to restore VA contract
The American Federation of Government Employees asked a federal judge to issue an “indicative” ruling that would only take effect if OKed by the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
FEATURED INSIGHTS
Tech
This cybersecurity agency is supposed to protect U.S. elections. Officials fear it’s been compromised by Trump
President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget proposal would reduce funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency by another $700 million, which could necessitate 900 additional layoffs.
Exclusive
Tech
Senator warns hundreds of federal web addresses may lack key spying protection
The list includes websites for FBI tips, intelligence job applications and the Veterans Crisis Line.
Management
Enforcement ‘surge’ from DOJ, IRS uncovers $490M in suspected tax fraud
Justice and IRS officials said this won’t be the last tax fraud enforcement surge of its kind. But it's not yet clear how much money they'll claw back from suspected fraudsters.
TSP TICKER
FUND
G
F
C
S
I
OCT 20 CLOSE
$20.3163
$20.5579
$124.4986
$111.3885
$63.4757
DAILY CHANGE
0.0030
0.0380
0.3543
1.4491
0.0455
THIS MONTH (%)
0.30
1.23
0.84
-0.61
-1.77
FUND
L 2070
L 2060
L 2050
L 2040
L 2030
L INCOME
OCT 20 CLOSE
$14.4202
$24.3350
$46.3385
$74.9377
$63.3214
$31.0708
DAILY CHANGE
0.0492
0.0831
0.1369
0.1967
0.1252
0.0364
THIS MONTH (%)
-0.25
-0.25
-0.09
-0.04
0.06
0.19
FUND
OCT 20
CLOSE
CLOSE
DAILY
CHANGE
CHANGE
THIS
MONTH
MONTH
G
$20.3163
0.0030
0.30
F
$20.5579
0.0380
1.23
C
$124.4986
0.3543
0.84
S
$111.3885
1.4491
-0.61
I
$63.4757
0.0455
-1.77
L 2070
$14.4202
0.0492
-0.25
L 2060
$24.3350
0.0831
-0.25
L 2050
$46.3385
0.1369
-0.09
L 2040
$74.9377
0.1967
-0.04
L 2030
$63.3214
0.1252
0.06
L INCOME
$31.0708
0.0364
0.19
Workforce
Judge again orders reinstatement of Bureau of Prisons union contracts, but stops short of contempt
U.S. District Judge Jordan Oliver found that the agency’s re-termination of its collective bargaining agreements last week violated last month’s preliminary injunction but said he would not police individual contract infractions.
Workforce
VA allows union contract to expire for most employees
Individuals hired as departmental police officers, firefighters and security guards, exempted from Trump’s anti-union orders, remain covered under the expired collective bargaining agreement, albeit only for “mandatory” conditions of employment.
Management
USPS ‘ready to deliver’ ballots in midterms without mail-in voting EO restrictions
The Postal Service's law enforcement agency is investigating suspicious letters sent to several state officials who oversee election operations.
Tech
CMS hopes to quadruple provider suspensions over next 6 months, official says
A new exclusion authority is the Trump administration’s latest step in a technology-enabled drive to restrict fraud, waste and abuse.
Updated
Oversight
HUD’s staffing cuts hurt certain housing services, watchdog finds
Housing organizations told the Government Accountability Office that they now face more obstacles getting in touch with department employees in a timely manner.
Tech
AI offers Secret Service unique mission enhancements, official says
Threats against the Secret Service’s full-time protectees are up over 40% since last year. The service’s CIO and CAIO Chris Kraft said AI “can help us as we investigate those threats, monitor those threats [and] bring together correlations between seemingly disparate information.”
Pay & Benefits
Federal retirees face more than a COLA change in 2027
From Medicare premiums and Social Security earnings limits to a federal pay freeze, several changes could affect retirees’ finances and the benefits available to them next year.
Defense
The next counterintelligence threat may be hiding in federal hiring
COMMENTARY | Foreign adversaries are exploiting resumes, recruiting and professional relationships to pursue sensitive information. Federal agencies need to recognize the risks without making it harder to recruit the talent they need.
Tech
OPM revamps online pay tables, spearheads AI adoption across federal workforce
The agency's CIO Adam Starr described the pay table refresh as part of a broader plan to “make every part of the federal experience tech-first."
Management
Trump quietly hired political appointees under a new job classification, good government group reports
While Schedule G is not officially set up in regulation, the Office of Personnel Management emphasized that the position category for political appointees was established by executive order and that the agency issued implementing guidance.
Pay & Benefits
Cost-of-living adjustments for federal retirees to increase next year
Former federal workers are set to receive between 2.6% and 3.6% more from their retirement annuity next year, according to new numbers from the Social Security Administration.
Management
ICE resists automatic activation of body cameras despite oversight concerns
Federal investigators found gaps in guidance for immigration officers’ use of body-worn cameras, raising concerns about whether the agencies can ensure the devices are used as required.
