Management
Trump order put states at the forefront of cyber and natural disaster response
The executive order signed this week is part of a wider push to put the onus on states and localities to prepare for disasters, rather than the federal government.
GSA to ‘quadruple' in size to centralize procurement across the government
The head of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service told employees at a Thursday meeting that the agency will “do about $400 billion” in procurement management under this effort.
Trump signs order directing the Education secretary to shut down the department
The order is sure to draw legal challenges.
Updated
VA blocks its benefits employees from speaking freely to the department’s lawyers
Attorneys at VA, who play a key role in helping veterans receive benefits, are the latest in the Trump administration to face potential sidelining.
SSA head’s 3-month plan touts workforce reductions while calling for identity and AI investment
The acting commissioner at SSA said that he has “made some mistakes” and promised to learn from them in an email to staff Tuesday.
Judge: Musk and Trump’s effort to disband USAID is likely unconstitutional
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang found that the Trump administration and Elon Musk violated the constitutional separation of powers and the Appointments Clause when it ordered the shuttering of the foreign aid agency.
Trump appeals rulings that blocked his firings of Democrats on independent federal boards
The Trump administration argued that current law limiting the reasons for the president to remove members of independent government boards is unconstitutional.
Experts fear global media agency’s gutting will strip key tools against foreign propaganda
U.S. Agency for Global Media programs serve a critical function in the face of U.S. adversaries’ efforts to wage information warfare against American allies and regions of critical interest, an influence operations analyst said.
Trump overturned two Biden rules, Congress set to clear more for repeal
The president is prioritizing deregulation in his second term.
Exclusive
Trump administration cancels translation services for those seeking to access or correct their immigration status
The lack of translation services will lead to more people being improperly denied benefits or jobs, experts say.
Exclusive
SSA weighs axing payments to 170,000 beneficiaries
The move to cease making payments to people without Social Security numbers would imperil the benefits of thousands of immigrants’ children with disabilities.
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DOGE to work with USPS to find efficiencies, DeJoy says
The mailing agency will work with GSA and the group led by Elon Musk, who has called for Postal Service privatization.
The VA is not waste, it’s a lifeline
COMMENTARY | “There’s a way to improve VA without hasty and indiscriminate cuts that will set us back and hinder our ability to provide compassionate care,” argues one VA staffer and former combat medic.
The DOGE-acolypse
COMMENTARY | All of Washington is a stage as the drama between DOGE and the three branches of the federal government play out in real time.
EPA begins eliminating offices as DOGE tightens grip on nearly all agency spending
RIFs are expected for employees in impacted areas, while DOGE is now requiring special sign off for any large EPA expenditure.
Education Department to slash nearly one-third of its workforce with sweeping RIFs
The Tuesday layoffs are a first step in Trump’s push to eliminate the agency.
Updated
Trump nixes 2025 awards for federal employees
The presidential rank awards recognize exceptional members of the senior executive service.
In Defense of Bureaucracy
COMMENTARY | The administrative state is where things get done.
Agency guidance on ‘five accomplishments’ email still inconsistent
Bureaus inside DHS are still reviewing past submissions from staff and have instructed their workers to hold off on sending more updates.
New leadership at ICE following mass deportation setbacks
The agency’s recent shuffle includes a new deputy director who led Louisiana’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department and is a former aide to the Homeland Security secretary.
