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.
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.
Breaking News
Management
A judge just put USDA’s employee relocation plans on ice
The order blocks the department from moving about 2,600 employees or closing affected offices while a legal challenge to its reorganization proceeds.
Sponsor Content
GDIT unveils revolutionary modular approach to zero trust
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Management
Disability accommodations at Labor get extra scrutiny with annual reviews
The department plans to review existing accommodations for disabilities and pregnancy-related conditions, with employees potentially asked to provide updated medical documentation.
Management
Fraud-prevention work stalled at USDA amid staffing cuts and funding disputes
Federal officials have identified ways to curb theft of SNAP benefits, but staffing losses, funding decisions and congressional inaction have slowed efforts to protect recipients.
Oversight
Labor has mostly stopped checking whether federal contractors are following disability rules
A watchdog found that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has no plans to restart routine audits, leaving less oversight of protections for workers with disabilities.
Sponsor Content
Florida Prepaid’s Call Center Never Closes Thanks to Agentforce Voice
Florida Prepaid transformed customer service with AI, now handling 75% of business-hours calls and 100% after hours—without sacrificing human trust.
Management
USDA reshapes its food assistance agency, but employee relocations remain on hold
The Food and Nutrition Service is moving ahead with its reorganization, but plans to relocate most of its employees remain on hold for now.
FEATURED INSIGHTS
Defense
The Pentagon gave $350 million in contracts to a firm closely tied to a senior Defense Department official
The contracts raise questions about whether personal and professional ties to senior defense officials gave the firm an advantage in securing Pentagon business.
Management
8 midterm races for federal employees to watch
Several high-profile races, including Senate elections in Maine, Georgia and Texas, could impact civil servants.
Workforce
HHS scraps disability accommodations over missing paperwork. Employees say they have receipts
A union leader for CDC headquarters employees said the Health and Human Services Department closing out these accommodation requests was “a deliberate choice to clear the backlog."
TSP TICKER
FUND
G
F
C
S
I
OCT 13 CLOSE
$20.2952
$20.4371
$125.9861
$112.5609
$64.0308
DAILY CHANGE
0.0121
0.0374
-0.0943
-1.2171
-0.2658
THIS MONTH (%)
0.19
0.64
2.05
0.43
-0.91
FUND
L 2070
L 2060
L 2050
L 2040
L 2030
L INCOME
OCT 13 CLOSE
$14.5714
$24.5902
$46.7158
$75.4603
$63.6231
$31.1318
DAILY CHANGE
-0.0465
-0.0785
-0.1148
-0.1565
-0.0857
-0.0131
THIS MONTH (%)
0.80
0.80
0.72
0.66
0.54
0.39
FUND
OCT 13
CLOSE
CLOSE
DAILY
CHANGE
CHANGE
THIS
MONTH
MONTH
G
$20.2952
0.0121
0.19
F
$20.4371
0.0374
0.64
C
$125.9861
-0.0943
2.05
S
$112.5609
-1.2171
0.43
I
$64.0308
-0.2658
-0.91
L 2070
$14.5714
-0.0465
0.80
L 2060
$24.5902
-0.0785
0.80
L 2050
$46.7158
-0.1148
0.72
L 2040
$75.4603
-0.1565
0.66
L 2030
$63.6231
-0.0857
0.54
L INCOME
$31.1318
-0.0131
0.39
Exclusive
Oversight
Watchdog to examine summertime hack of DHS information network, other incidents
The Government Accountability Office is expected to flag that the Homeland Security Department delayed in notifying Congress of the incidents, according to a person familiar with the review.
Workforce
Bureau of Prisons re-terminates union contracts despite court order
Attorneys for the Trump administration said there is nothing in U.S. District Judge Vernon Oliver’s preliminary injunction preventing BOP from canceling its collective bargaining agreements a second time.
Tech
VA rolls out CLEAR login option and in-person identity verification pilot
The new offering will allow participating veterans to use facial recognition to access their VA.gov accounts.
Workforce
Some former federal employees are still struggling to find the right fit
Workforce officials and lawmakers say some of the employees pushed out of government last year are still struggling to find work that matches their skills.
Pay & Benefits
Don’t let 5% become your TSP retirement strategy
Getting the full agency match is a good baseline, but if retirement is around the corner there’s more to consider before deciding what to do with the rest of your paycheck.
Workforce
Union demands federal prison leaders be held in contempt after agency ‘openly defies’ court order
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons director reportedly said in a meeting shortly before an injunction required him to restore the agency’s union contracts, “I don’t take directives from the court. I take my orders from the president.”
Workforce
Social Security ends flexible work schedules, teeing up clash with union
The agency’s top HR official says these changes are necessary to “deliver the service the public expects.” A union argues SSA violated its labor contract making this decision on its own.
Workforce
Using holiday lights to inform hurricane recovery? Award honors ‘seemingly odd’ federally funded research that brings about groundbreaking discoveries
The Trump administration has sought to upend federal support for scientific research, including through budget cuts and granting political appointees more control over the grantmaking process.
Management
What happens when the State Department loses its institutional memory?
COMMENTARY | With dozens of ambassadorial posts still vacant, the staffing of U.S. embassies is raising questions about the role of career diplomats and the experience needed to carry out American policy overseas.
Workforce
Bureau of Prisons is the latest agency ordered to reinstate union rights
As of Tuesday, at least one correctional facility has refused to recognize its union local, in apparent contravention of a preliminary injunction issued last week.
Tech
GSA still has problems with location data for federal properties, watchdog finds
The agency has agreed to five recommendations aimed at improving the accuracy and management of the information.
Tech
FBI removes Accenture contractor after missed security patch led to breach
The bureau’s cyber chief blamed a contractor’s failure to apply an available fix for an intrusion that may have exposed sensitive employee information.
