Workforce
Judge halts ‘favorite EO’ question on federal job applications
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole issued a stay blocking federal agencies from asking an essay question civil service advocates call a “loyalty question,” but found he could not prevent consideration of answers already provided by job applicants.
Oversight
Hatch Act complaints against Trump officials continue to pile up as investigations go on for nearly a year
Attorney General Todd Blanche and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy are the latest administration officials to be accused of breaking the ethics law.
Tech
‘Digital employees’ are coming to the Defense Logistics Agency
Nearly 200 agentic-AI bots are already running autonomously as the combat support agency pushes ahead with AI-powered tools, CIO says.
Tech
25 years after 9/11, spy agencies face old lessons and new threats
Former intelligence officials describe a nation better equipped to disrupt terrorist plots, but still wrestling with the costs of its response and how to prevent the next crisis under escalating technology threats.
Sponsor Content
Government Efficiency Depends on How Work Moves
Government efficiency isn’t just about automation. See where information bottlenecks are hiding—and how leading governments are removing them.
Tech
On 9/11’s 25th anniversary, modernizing government starts with remembering our past
COMMENTARY | Federal agencies still struggle to share information across organizational boundaries. The lessons of the post-9/11 reforms could help agency leaders build the data infrastructure needed for modern government and AI.
Workforce
How 'Star Trek' inspired generations of NASA scientists and astronauts
The show’s vision of a diverse future in space didn’t just stay on television. It influenced NASA’s workforce, recruitment and even the agency’s relationship with the public.
Workforce
What does 9/11 mean for young public servants who hardly remember it?
Although they may have limited memories of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, some people say the events still shaped their career decisions.
Sponsor Content
From Experimentation to Execution: The State of Agentic AI in the Federal Government
How ready is the federal government for agentic AI? Explore the latest adoption trends, barriers, and strategies in our new report.
Workforce
Bill would let federal whistleblowers sue if disciplined over violating NDAs
New legislation from Virginia Democrats seeks to beef up federal whistleblower protections as the Trump administration weighs drastically expanding agencies’ use of non-disclosure agreements.
FEATURED INSIGHTS
Pay & Benefits
What 9/11 can teach federal families about benefits
The federal workers’ compensation program can provide critical support after a work-related injury, illness or death, but families need to know what to document and which benefits to claim.
Management
USPS workers most impacted by mail-in ballot EO haven’t been trained yet, union warns
If the Supreme Court clears the way for USPS to implement the Trump administration’s mail-in ballot executive order, the American Postal Workers Union says its members will have little time to prepare for these changes.
Workforce
Don’t let federal agencies judge their own discrimination cases
COMMENTARY | The current system would leave workers at the mercy of the agencies they accuse of discrimination, argues AFGE's civil rights leader.
TSP TICKER
FUND
G
F
C
S
I
SEP 11 CLOSE
$20.2046
$20.6154
$123.4852
$114.8158
$65.9683
DAILY CHANGE
0.0027
-0.0240
1.0581
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0.3432
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0.15
-1.11
-0.32
-1.51
-0.25
FUND
L 2070
L 2060
L 2050
L 2040
L 2030
L INCOME
SEP 11 CLOSE
$14.6079
$24.6514
$46.8123
$75.5604
$63.6253
$31.0724
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0.1046
0.1766
0.2743
0.3890
0.2480
0.0639
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-0.45
-0.45
-0.42
-0.36
-0.24
-0.08
FUND
SEP 11
CLOSE
CLOSE
DAILY
CHANGE
CHANGE
THIS
MONTH
MONTH
G
$20.2046
0.0027
0.15
F
$20.6154
-0.0240
-1.11
C
$123.4852
1.0581
-0.32
S
$114.8158
0.8473
-1.51
I
$65.9683
0.3432
-0.25
L 2070
$14.6079
0.1046
-0.45
L 2060
$24.6514
0.1766
-0.45
L 2050
$46.8123
0.2743
-0.42
L 2040
$75.5604
0.3890
-0.36
L 2030
$63.6253
0.2480
-0.24
L INCOME
$31.0724
0.0639
-0.08
Tech
Trump signs veterans benefits order calling for improved data sharing
The order instructs the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to conduct a broad review of information technology-related contracts to ensure greater interoperability.
Pay & Benefits
GSA announces per diem increases for feds this fall
Beginning in October, the amount federal agencies reimburse employees for daily lodging associated with official travel will increase by at least $3.
Management
Trump is staffing up agencies with political appointees. They’re not sticking around, new analysis finds
The Partnership for Public Service previously reported on high turnover among Senate-confirmed political appointees during the president’s second term. In a new report, researchers from the nonprofit find a similar trend with non-Senate-confirmed ones.
Workforce
For federal executives, retirement means losing more than a job
COMMENTARY | Retirement planning often focuses on benefits and finances. For senior federal employees, leaving government can also mean giving up a title, mission and professional identity, while agencies face the loss of decades of expertise.
Pay & Benefits
Air traffic controllers are still waiting on 2.8% of their congressionally approved pay raise
Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford says the agency needs to improve how it uses its existing workforce before he will release the rest of the increase.
Management
CDC, after months of delays, gives employees 20 days to resubmit disability accommodation documentation
CDC is spending months, if not longer, to process reasonable accommodation requests because HHS-wide layoffs and separation incentives decimated the department’s human resources functions.
Tech
NSA looks to AI to help analysts sift through vast data troves
The tools can speed up work that takes days or weeks, the agency’s cybersecurity chief said.
Oversight
Musk should testify about overstated savings from DHS contract cancellations, Democrats argue
The Government Accountability Office reported that contract terminations pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency yielded a net of $92 million — much less than the Homeland Security Department’s public report of as much as $10.5 billion in potential savings.
Management
FEMA’s future looks clearer. Disaster aid is still uncertain
The emergency management agency is rebuilding after a year of upheaval, but the Trump administration’s approach to disaster declarations and federal recovery funds is leaving states unsure what support they can count on.
Updated
Management
USDA employees dispute ‘inflated’ claim that most staff asked to relocate will do so
USDA employees say they have nothing to lose by saying they plan to relocate, even if they have no intention of moving, or are only considering it as a last resort.
Workforce
Former pardon atty calls MSPB ‘a dead end,’ sues for reinstatement
Liz Oyer, who was fired from her position as pardon attorney last year over her refusal to recommend that Mel Gibson’s right to own a firearm be restored, said the Justice Department did not follow its own policies when it removed her.
Pay & Benefits
Reliable rules for your retirement recordkeeping
Pro-tip: Don’t let messy files stall your federal exit.
