The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”

A draft report on reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been significantly reduced in size, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The Interior Department's consolidation efforts is coming with a cost to National Parks and other components of the agency.

OPM officials told agency HR leaders Tuesday that President Trump has Article II constitutional authority to remove tens of thousands of career federal workers in jobs over potential “resistance to po...

The National Treasury Employees Union is suing the Trump administration in an attempt to gain records of career federal employee positions that may be targeted for removal of job protections. NTEU’s lawsuit, filed last week against the Office of Personnel Management, alleged that OPM violated the Freedom of Information Act by not responding to the union’s FOIA request from August. The union had requested documentation of employees who will be potentially impacted by the Trump administration’s “Schedule Policy/Career” order, which seeks to make tens of thousands of career federal employees at-will workers and easier for agencies to fire. “The government cannot hide information that is critical to safeguarding workplace rights and protections for frontline federal employees in multiple agencies across the country,” NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald said in a statement. “We expect OPM and the administration to identify as soon as possible which federal jobs are being targeted so we can do everything we can to stop the reclassifications.” Under federal statute, agencies are required to respond to FOIA requests within 20 days. In “unusual circumstances,” that timeframe can be extended for an additional 10 days. But NTEU said in its lawsuit that OPM has not responded to the FOIA request at all, and that the time period for responding has lapsed. NTEU submitted its initial FOIA request on Aug. 20. “There is no legal basis for OPM’s failure to respond to NTEU’s request or for its failure to produce the requested records within the statutory time period,” NTEU wrote. The federal union is arguing that OPM’s failure to respond to the FOIA request is unlawful, and calling for a release of the requested records. An OPM spokesperson did not immediately respond to Federal News Network’s request for comment. NTEU’s push for information comes after President Donald Trump in January signed an executive order to revive the federal employment classification previously known as “Schedule F.” Though it is now called “Schedule Policy/Career,” the effort mirrors a former executive order from Trump’s first term that sought to remove job protections from broad swaths of the career federal workforce. OPM proposed regulations for implementing the new employment classification in April. Although the regulations are not yet finalized, they have been moved into the “final rule stage,” and are slated for possible publication by the end of November, according to the White House’s regulatory agenda. The White House website states that the final rule will impact “policy-influencing positions” and that the rule’s implementation will “increase career employee accountability.” All federal positions that are reclassified as “Schedule Policy/Career” will become at-will, and employees will no longer be able to appeal adverse actions against them. “This will allow agencies to quickly remove employees from critical positions who engage in misconduct, perform poorly, or obstruct the democratic process by intentionally subverting Presidential directives,” OPM states in the regulatory agenda item. The Trump administration has generally argued that the reclassifications will hold federal employees more accountable and provide more flexibility to agencies. But federal unions, as well as many lawmakers and workforce experts, have said reclassifying employees in this way will lead to politically motivated firings, and an erosion of the apolitical nature of the career civil service. Earlier this year, OPM also published guidance to set initial expectations for agencies to implement the Schedule Policy/Career employment classification. The guidance targets a wide range of federal positions that may be subject to reclassification. OPM has estimated that about 50,000 career federal employees in “confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, and policy-advocating” positions will be reclassified as a result of Trump’s order. But OPM’s latest estimate is on the lower end of the scale: Documents from Trump’s first term showed that around 200,000 career federal positions could have their job protections stripped. NTEU previously sued the Trump administration in January after the initial Schedule Policy/Career executive order was released. The first lawsuit alleges that Trump’s order violates established federal hiring principles and the due process rights of federal employees. Combined, Greenwald said the two lawsuits from NTEU “are about making sure that the American people have their government services delivered by federal employees who were hired based on merit and skill, not partisan affiliation.”The post Federal union sues OPM, seeking release of ‘Schedule Policy/Career’ records first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Office of Management and Budget has released some funding for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, after an earlier decision to effectively defund CIGIE led to the shuttering of multiple Office of Inspector General websites. OMB apportioned just under $4.3 million for CIGIE, according to an announcement from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). The pair of senators had pushed OMB to release funding for CIGIE and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. “We are pleased that following our continued outreach, OMB is releasing the funding that Congress provided for CIGIE to continue its vital work,” Grassley and Collins said. “This action, building on OMB’s earlier decision to release funding for PRAC, ensures that these important oversight entities can remain focused on delivering the accountability American taxpayers deserve. Our oversight of the administration’s actions, and CIGIE’s work, will continue.” Grassley and Collins added that the funding will last CIGIE through Jan. 30. OMB is also conducting a “programmatic review of CIGIE’s activities,” they said. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post first reported on the funding decision. In late September, OMB decided not to apportion funding for CIGIE in fiscal 2026, despite funds being available through the shutdown. Tammy Hull, the acting chairwoman of CIGIE, informed lawmakers of OMB’s decision, warning that the shuttering of the council would “result in the loss of shared services and cost-efficiencies” that support 72 offices of inspectors general across government. On Oct. 1, multiple agency IG websites went offline due to the funding decision. CIGIE provides hotline capability and website services for 28 OIGs through Oversight.gov. As of Tuesday afternoon, Oversight.gov was back online after being down for nearly seven weeks. Congress created CIGIE in 2008 to professionalize the IG community. In addition to providing web and hotline services, CIGIE also conducts training, develops quality standards, and serves as an accountability function within the OIG community through its Integrity Committee. But Trump administration officials have accused IGs of corruption, without offering evidence. “Inspectors general are meant to be impartial watchdogs identifying waste and corruption on behalf of the American people,” OMB spokesman Armen Tooloee said in September regarding the original decision to defund CIGIE. “Unfortunately, they have become corrupt, partisan, and in some cases, have lied to the public. The American people will no longer be funding this corruption.” President Donald Trump fired 17 IGs at the outset of his second term, in a move a federal judge later ruled to be illegal because he didn’t provide the required notification to Congress. CIGIE in the recent past has also drawn the ire of conservative groups that view it as part of the “administrative state.” In a 2023 lawsuit, lawyers for Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari argued that CIGIE’s Integrity Committee was “a threat to the Constitution.” The Integrity Committee was investigating Cuffari’s actions as IG, including his handling of a review into deleted Secret Service texts from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.The post OMB reverses course on defunding CIGIE first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Education Department, in the latest step of the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the agency, has begun transferring its employees to other federal agencies. The department said Tuesday that it signed six new interagency agreements to transfer some of its programs and employees to the departments of Labor, Interior, State and Health and Human Services, in order “to break up the federal education bureaucracy.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon told employees in an all-hands meeting that the department is soft-launching plans to reassign its work to other parts of the federal government, before calling on Congress to permanently shutter the agency. McMahon, in a transcript obtained by Federal News Network, told employees that Education is currently transferring its employees out to other agencies “on a temporary basis.” That temporary reorganization, she said, will give the Education Department a proof-of-concept to show lawmakers. At that point, the Trump administration will call on Congress to pass legislation that will officially shut down the department and codify the reorganization. The department, she added, has already transferred 13 employees to the Labor Department, “so that we can be more efficient and economical,” and that more interagency agreements will soon be signed to transfer other staff. McMahon said the Education Department’s budget still covers those 13 detailed employees, and that the Education and Labor Departments are currently “co-managing” them. McMahon told employees that she has spoken to members of Congress about this reorganization plan, and is planning to move programs out of the Education Department “on a temporary basis” for now. But in the end, she said the Trump administration’s goal is to find enough votes in Congress “to close the Department of Education.” “If it has worked, and we have proven that this is the best way to do it, then we’ll ask Congress to codify this and make it a permanent move out of the Department of Education into whatever agency that program has gone into,” McMahon told employees. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March, calling for the dismantling of the Education Department. McMahon told lawmakers during her confirmation hearing that the Education Department is set up by Congress, and “it clearly cannot be shut down without it.” The department, so far this year, has lost about half of its employees through mass layoffs and voluntary separation incentives. McMahon didn’t mention immediate layoffs or workforce reductions as part of this phase of the reorganization plans, but acknowledged shutdown-era layoffs could return in early 2026. McMahon said the Education Department has cancelled reduction-in-force notices it sent to about 20% of its remaining workforce during the 43-day government shutdown. The continuing resolution passed by Congress and signed by Trump put those RIF notices on hold at least through Jan. 30, 2026. But beyond that point, McMahon acknowledged that RIFs may return. “Moving forward, that creates unrest. It creates uncertainty for all of you, and I understand that,” she told employees. “I know how difficult it is to make decisions that, from my perspective, are going to affect people’s lives and their livelihood and their teams and what they’re working on. And it is not an easy decision.” McMahon said a majority of the public didn’t support plans to close the Education Department, when the Trump administration first announced its plans. However, she said the majority of the public does support shifting these programs to other agencies to make them more efficient. “When the goal will be to have congressional votes to close the Department of Education, we are not closing education. We’re lifting education up, and each of us in this room has a chance to be part of history, and that this is part of our legacy,” she said. The six interagency agreements will move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies. The Labor Department, in particular, will oversee much of the federal funding that will go to K-12 schools, including grants for schools serving low-income communities. The department says states and schools shouldn’t expect any disruptions to their funding, except that federal funds will now come from the Labor Department. “The funding will not change. That may flow through a different account or a different building,” McMahon told employees. The reorganization would move two of the Education Department’s largest programs, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Postsecondary Education, to the Labor Department. However, the Education Department will still retain student loan oversight and accreditation of colleges to ensure they are eligible to receive students’ federal financial aid. Critics of the reorganization say that the agencies taking on Education programs and personnel don’t have expertise in these policy areas, and that the transfer could disrupt some of its essential programs. “That national mission is weakened when its core functions are scattered across other federal or state agencies that are not equipped or positioned to provide the same support and services as ED staff,” AFGE Local 252 President Rachel Gittleman said. The Associated Press contributed to this story The post Education Dept soft-launches employee reassignments to other agencies, in latest step of closure plans first appeared on Federal News Network.

NPR interviews with current and former officials reveal more of the backstory around the military's strikes in the Caribbean.

At least 900 military veterans, and perhaps thousands of others, could reap benefits after rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Erika Evans will begin her term as elected city attorney of Seattle on Jan. 1.

A new report finds over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments have been affected by the National Institutes of Health’s funding cuts.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it is redefining the scope of the nation’s bedrock clean water law to limit the amount of wetlands it covers.

FEHB participants who would otherwise lose insurance coverage next year will be auto-enrolled into a higher-premium plan if they take no action in Open Season.

David Richardson's resignation comes amid mounting criticism over FEMA's response to the devastating Central Texas floods in July, which claimed more than 130 lives.

  A federal union is suing the Trump administration for not handing over a list of employees that agencies might be targeting to remove their job protections. The new lawsuit from the National Treasury Employees Union alleges that the Office of Personnel Management violated the Freedom of Information Act by not providing those details. The union’s legal action comes after the Trump administration earlier this year revived an effort to make large portions of the federal workforce at-will and easier to fire. (Lawsuit alleging FOIA violation by OPM - National Treasury Employees Union)The Department of Homeland Security is giving bonuses to Transportation Security Administration employees who worked through the partial shutdown. More than 270 Transportation Security Officers at Logan airport in Boston are among the first TSA employees to receive a bonus from DHS for working without pay during the 43-day shutdown. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem awarded these TSOs a $10,000 bonus on Saturday in appreciation for their dedication and commitment over the last seven weeks. DHS said it is paying for these bonuses using carryover funds from fiscal 2025. Noem announced the administration's plan to give these bonuses on Friday. (270 TSOs receive $10,000 bonus for working during shutdown - Department of Homeland Security)About 4,000 federal employees who were previously told they were going to be laid off should be receiving a cancellation notice by the end of the day. The spending agreement Congress passed last week gave agencies five days to rescind all reductions-in-force that were announced during the shutdown. OPM said the cancellation notices to employees need to include how much back pay the workers will receive. The employees are owed payments equal to what they would have been paid, had they not been laid off in the first place.(RIF actions affected by continuing appropriations - Office of Personnel Management)Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s acquisition system reforms could meaningfully reshape how the Pentagon does business, only if the department can avoid the mistakes of the past. Acquisition experts say the reforms could help to break down entrenched silos across the department’s acquisition enterprise and drive greater coordination and integration. But the success of Hegseth’s reforms will hinge on whether the department can change its culture and equip the workforce with the skills needed to operate differently. Otherwise, the system can quickly revert to its old ways. And whether the department has the workforce to support such a sweeping overhaul is unclear. DoD has already lost 5% to 8% of its civilian workforce since the start of the Trump administration.(DoD acquisition reform: What will it take to make it last? - Federal News Network)SAIC continues its bloodletting, just three weeks after moving on from its CEO. The federal contractor parted ways with three more executives and consolidated business groups. The company said Josh Jackson, its executive vice president for the Army, David Ray, its space and intelligence EVP, and chief innovation officer Lauren Knausenberger will pursue other opportunities outside of the company. Additionally, SAIC will merge its Army and Navy business groups into one and bring its Air Force and Combatant Commands, and the Space and Intelligence business groups together to become the Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group.(3 more SAIC executives to leave the company - SAIC)Agencies are being reminded to patch unsecure devices that are being targeted by hackers. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said some federal agencies haven’t fully patched vulnerable Cisco devices. CISA directed agencies to update that software back in a September emergency directive. But in new guidance last week, CISA said it’s aware of multiple organizations that haven’t updated to the minimum software version. The cyber agency warned that the vulnerable Cisco device software poses a significant risk to all organizations.(Updated implementation guidance for emergency directive on Cisco - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)The Department of Homeland Security is facing calls to release an unclassified report on security flaws in U.S. telecommunications networks. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, urging them to publish the report from 2022. They say not publishing it undermines the public debate over how to best secure U.S. telecom networks. The lawmakers point to the recent "Salt Typhoon" campaign, in which suspected China-backed hackers successfully broke into American telecom systems and devices. (Wyden, Warner telecoms security letter - Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) )The Department of the Navy’s new Innovation Adoption Kit lays out a unified framework for evaluating, implementing and scaling innovative technologies across the naval enterprise. The memo is designed to help commanders and program managers bridge the gap between emerging commercial solutions and mission-ready capabilities. It offers practical methods to accelerate the transition from pilot to program of record and tailor agile approaches to fit within the Navy’s operational and acquisition constraints. Officials say these tactics can be applied across a wide range of missions.(Navy unveils toolkit to speed adoption of emerging technologies - DON CIO)The post National Treasury Employees Union sues Trump administration first appeared on Federal News Network.

Sixty former staffers describe an environment of suspicion and intimidation within the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency.

The National Science Foundation won’t be going far.

The lawmakers pushed the commission in a letter to “take immediate action” to ensure Americans aren’t footing the bill for the nationwide buildout of data centers.

The president gave no reason for his abrupt move, but the nominee had been criticized by conservative influencer Laura Loomer.

Administration allies say they are fed up with the Defense Department’s third-most senior leader and his foreign policy surprises.

A workers union contends more than 200 ED staff could see their RIFs halted under the broad language of Congress’s funding deal.

NASA staffers are raising concerns over a dozen buildings on its Goddard Space Flight Center's campus in Maryland being emptied.