Oversight
Senators demand details on DOGE’s data access following revelations of improperly shared SSA data
While Sens. Michael Crapo, R-Idaho, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., are asking for more information from SSA, Democrats in the lower chamber want to compel the agency to hand it over using a “resolution of inquiry.”
Management
Eleanor Holmes Norton to retire from Congress after decades of advocating for federal employees
Norton has been a “loyal friend” to the American Federation of Government Employees, said National President Everett Kelley.
Management
Path to averting a shutdown remains elusive as lawmakers debate DHS funding
About half of the federal government would cease full operations if Congress cannot come up with a plan by Friday night.
Workforce
AFGE demands resignations of Noem, Miller following member’s slaying
The nation’s largest federal employee union said key leaders involved in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and dissent “defamed” VA nurse Alex Pretti by erroneously describing him as a “domestic terrorist.”
Tech
Former State official targeted in suspected Chinese spying effort tied to Venezuela research
The case highlights how former federal officials’ subject-matter expertise can make them targets for foreign intelligence efforts, raising new concerns about post-government research and national security.
Management
Some FEMA employee layoffs put on hold, while reform council renewed
The pause in reducing Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) employees comes as the U.S. faces a winter storm.
Workforce
'The violent death of one of our own': VA employees ask for more from their agency after nurse is fatally shot
Workers look to leadership for support, though so far it has pointed the finger at its political opponents after federal officers shot and killed a VA employee.
Management
Trump dispatches border czar to Minnesota amid protests over federal shootings
Tom Homan will oversee ICE operations in Minneapolis after the deaths of two U.S. citizens shot by federal immigration officers.
Tech
Government by AI? Trump administration plans to write regulations using artificial intelligence
The Transportation Department, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer. “We want good enough.”
Management
Government Executive joins NAPA for a year-long 250th anniversary project
The collaboration with the National Academy of Public Administration will run through 2026, and focus on the work of public servants.
Workforce
Man fatally shot by Border Patrol agents was a federal employee at VA
The intensive care unit nurse was 37. His death could have widespread implications for federal operations.
Workforce
Laid off HHS employees win judge approval to seek class action suit
Employees say they are entitled to financial compensation for the errors HHS made when trying to force them out.
Oversight
DHS IG sees 'no value' in GAO report urging internal collaboration on Coast Guard investigations
Investigators from the Government Accountability Office also recently published critical reports on the Coast Guard’s efforts to combat sexual misconduct.
Workforce
GAO: Effectively ending telework increased attrition at Social Security
The government watchdog reported that the already beleaguered Social Security Administration is at risk of “losing many staff in the near term” as a result of the Trump administration’s push to excise the workplace flexibility from federal agencies.
Oversight
Agriculture’s failure to force SNAP card upgrades is causing $555M in lost benefits, watchdog says
The Trump administration’s imperative to combat fraud has largely focused on recipients scamming the system, rather than becoming victims of fraudsters themselves.
Workforce
Out of government, former USAID employees continue to offer their expertise
Former development workers founded Aid on the Hill to lobby members of Congress about international assistance.
Workforce
NTEU, White House spar over whether unions can challenge their ouster administratively
The Trump administration contends unions can seek review of their ouster from most federal agencies on national security grounds before the Federal Labor Relations Authority, but labor groups say that analysis misconstrues a term of art in federal labor law.
Management
Michael Lynch becomes GSA deputy administrator again
Lynch previously held the deputy administrator’s responsibilities from March to July 2025 under then-GSA acting administrator Stephen Ehikian.
Pay & Benefits
Could this be true?
An influx of federal retirees due to the Deferred Resignation Program and other separation programs has led to a litany of new questions on how to receive retirement benefits.
Workforce