DHS to again stop paying employees in May if shutdown continues Republicans took a new step on Tuesday to end the 67-day standoff, but there is still no immediate end in sight.

DHS says the money keeping paychecks flowing runs out after the first May pay period. If the shutdown drags on, tens of thousands could be right back to working without pay or furloughed, again. Sr. Correspondent Eric Katz has details: buff.ly/sJauKhr #DHS #shutdown

Agencies report over 3,000 AI use cases in 2025 The number of reported use cases more than doubled from 2024, revealing the federal government’s continued appetite to acquire advanced artificial intelligence for its workflows.

Agencies reported 3,611 ways they’re using #AI in 2025, more than double last year. HHS, NASA and VA lead, with VA driving most high-impact uses, including chatbots, clinical summaries and anomaly detection.

Inspectors general targeted for funding cuts in Trump’s FY27 budget Oversight groups warn that slashing budgets spent on rooting out fraud and waste will “fundamentally hamper” accountability and operations.

Inspectors general hit with proposed budget + staffing cuts in FY27 request, with some of the steepest reductions at Interior & Justice. Watchdog groups warn it could mean fewer audits, fewer investigations and weaker oversight. via Sean Michael Newhouse

FAA sets records in effort to hire gamers as air traffic controllers The agency received over 12,000 applications in less than two days, making the effort “wildly successful,” according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

FAA opened air traffic controller hiring to gamers and got 12K+ applications in under two days. Applications are already closed. Officials say most were qualified and point to gaming skills like focus and fast decision-making as a fit for the job.

OPM proposes hazard pay for more federal firefighting activities Under recently unveiled regulations, federal wildland firefighters would be eligible for a 25% increase in pay when they work on prescribed burns, a proactive tool to mitigate the risk of wildfires.

Federal wildland firefighters don’t just fight fires, they also set them. Now, that work could come with a 25% pay bump. OPM is proposing hazard pay for prescribed burns, bringing it closer to how active wildfire response is compensated. Erich Wagner has details: buff.ly/Lnaml8Z #wildfires

RFK: Cuts at HHS haven’t led to problems, but we’re hiring 12,000 new employees "Nobody in the agency wants to cut these programs," Kennedy said, suggesting instead they were required by the White House.

HHS plans to hire 12k employees after cutting about 20k last year, with RFK Jr. saying services weren’t affected. He called the move “rightsizing” and said the cuts were directed by the White House, as some former employees continue to challenge the layoffs. via Eric Katz buff.ly/1sgoSBI #HHS

Contractors sue to block Trump’s federal DEI executive order The lawsuit alleges minority-owned businesses are being forced to trade their First Amendment rights for federal contracts.

Minority contractors sue Trump admin over anti-DEI order, claiming they're forced to "trade their First Amendment right to speak about race and discrimination for fair access to federal contracts." Sean Michael Newhouse explains here: buff.ly/AGjCYlX #DEI #firstamendment

GSA and OPM will soon share the same headquarters The General Services Administration will temporarily move into the Office of Personnel Management’s building before both agencies ultimately transfer to a renovated GSA headquarters.

Two agencies with cross-government responsibilities, GSA and OPM, will soon share the same HQ.

“We will be very tightly packed for the next couple of years, but it's going to be great,” the OPM director said.

Read more, via @seanthenewsboy: buff.ly/2gToXgV

Senators demand OPM withdraw plan to access feds’ medical records More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers warned that a little-scrutinized proposal to collect claims-level data related to the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits…

More than a dozen senators are asking OPM to reverse a move to collect federal employees' health care activities, saying it could violate privacy laws and confidentiality standards buff.ly/zoJfgoc

Labor groups sue to block FLRA’s political seizure of union elections Federal employee unions warned that fast-tracked changes centralizing control of union representation petitions with the agency’s political appointees will bog down, rather than streamline, the…

Federal labor unions are suing over a new rule they say will further politicize the federal workforce. More here:

Severe staffing cuts at GSA are harming agencies across government, watchdog says Due to the reductions, agencies reported that they were unsure about who to contact at GSA and had to delay project timelines.

GSA implemented significant staffing cuts without analyzing impacts on its work, and agencies throughout government are feeling the impacts via @seanthenewsboy buff.ly/rqia6uf

When retirement calculations don’t move on the same timeline Retroactive pay changes and delayed annuity adjustments underscore how federal retirement processing often depends on timing, coordination, and most importantly, patience.

Postal workers dealing with retroactive pay and high-3 recalculations are finding that even agreed-upon raises can take months (or longer) to show up in annuity adjustments, depending on when OPM receives and processes the data.

Inspectors general targeted for funding cuts in Trump’s FY27 budget Oversight groups warn that slashing budgets spent on rooting out fraud and waste will “fundamentally hamper” accountability and operations.

Inspectors general are facing proposed budget and staffing cuts under the fiscal 2027 request, raising concerns about reduced oversight capacity across agencies already operating with fewer resources. Sean Michael Newhouse has details here: buff.ly/5CZkyCK #IG #inspectorgeneral #FY27

Hegseth orders termination of union contracts Though some unions within the Defense Department are protected from the action by federal court orders, the American Federation of Government Employees’ locals remain vulnerable.

DOD leaders are moving to terminate most union contracts, escalating a broader push to limit federal collective bargaining under a national security rationale. AFGE locals remain exposed, while some unions are temporarily shielded by court orders. via Erich Wagner buff.ly/6ho8Aba #dod #unions

VA has touted appointment wait time reductions, but new data shows a more mixed reality A comparative analysis of select wait-time data for new patients at more than 100 medical centers indicates the department has made progress in some areas, but not all.

EXCLUSIVE: New #VA data shows a mixed picture on wait times, with some facilities and specialties improving while others are getting worse. Reporting from Eric Katz and Natalie Alms:https://buff.ly/1bDr0lb #Veterans #VeteransAffairs

How to ensure your federal retirement benefit is correct OPM processed more than 33,000 retirement claims in early 2026. Learn how your FERS benefit is calculated and how to verify your creditable service.

If you're planning to retire from federal service, going digital could save you two months of waiting: paper retirement claims take 95 days to process while digital claims are done in just 34 days. Fed retirement expert Tammy Flanagan helps you sort this and other things out, here:

Staff cuts, new rules and reassignments: IRS nears finish line for tax season marked by upheaval The head of the IRS has argued that despite the workforce reductions there is “no staffing shortage here.”

The #IRS is processing tax refunds after a year marked by 26,000 staff cuts, closing its first full filing season under a smaller workforce. Read more from Sean Michael Newhouse: buff.ly/fSVCsFj #TaxDay #refunds

Fewer federal employees are ‘thriving’ and more are ‘struggling’, according to new survey The Trump administration in 2025 nixed an annual survey of federal employee engagement and morale, but polls from other organizations provide insights.

Trump admin nixed the annual federal employee survey in 2025 to comply with anti-diversity orders. Alternative polling reveals a sharp decline in worker morale across government. Read more from Sean Michael Newhouse here:

Trump’s budget calls for 2027 pay freeze Though the president’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal calls for a 7% pay raise for military service members, it fails to mention civilian federal employee compensation.

Trump's 2027 #budget proposal includes no pay raise for federal civilian employees. Last year OMB told agencies to expect a pay freeze, but Trump ultimately approved 1% raises for most civilian workers. Erich Wagner explains it all here:

Privatization, eliminations and consolidations: Major reforms from Trump's budget The president's fiscal 2027 blueprint contains significant overhauls to the work carried out by federal agencies.

HHS cut nearly 20,000 employees last year. Now it's looking to slash more programs and consolidate offices. Eric Katz has more on Trump's latest #budget blueprint: buff.ly/Hmuzme1 #HHS

Trump’s federal workforce changes cost the economy more than $165.6B, analysis finds The Partnership for Public Service report includes the costs of the deferred resignation program, severance pay for laid-off civil servants and federal employees who were on paid administrative leave…

A new analysis estimates the Trump administration’s federal workforce changes have cost the economy more than $165.6 billion, driven by disengaged workers, buyouts, layoffs and grant cuts across science agencies. Reporting by Sean Michael Newhouse

FEMA came up with a goal to cut half its staff without a plan to get there, records show The total was prescribed by DHS officials and sent to the White House.

FEMA staffing cuts were set as a topline target before any implementation plan existed and then reverse engineered, according to new court filings and testimony, which say officials were even told to model a 50% reduction. Eric Katz reports here: buff.ly/wdPbz1A #FEMA

House Dems: OPM ‘omitted’ employee departures from retirement backlog investigation In responding to a December 2025 congressional inquiry, the Office of Personnel Management noted the separation of around 35 customer service representatives last year, but failed to mention more…

House Dems say #OPM left out more than 100 departures from its retirement services office in a response to Congress on delays processing federal retirement claims. Erich Wagner reports: buff.ly/nraThvH

How to ensure your federal retirement benefit is correct OPM processed more than 33,000 retirement claims in early 2026. Learn how your FERS benefit is calculated and how to verify your creditable service.

Before you join #OPM's retirement claims queue, make sure your FERS math actually checks out and your service credit is right. Fed #retirement expert Tammy Flanagan walks through what counts, what gets reduced and where people get tripped up. buff.ly/foPuwP7 #retirementplanning

VA's failure to use its new authority to boost pay for doctors draws bipartisan criticism Department officials, including those in the Trump administration, have long complained that legal pay caps are hurting retention and veteran care.

VA still hasn’t implemented a law to boost doctor pay, and lawmakers in both parties are now pressing the department as physician losses outpace hires and a key recruitment tool sits unused. Read more from Eric Katz: buff.ly/DEU6gJ5 #va #veterans #veteranshealthcare

A hiring rule meant to help people with disabilities get federal jobs instead left them more vulnerable to DOGE mass firings Several fired Schedule A employees who spoke with Government Executive say they’re still struggling to find new full-time employment after losing their federal jobs.

Fed workers with disabilities hired through Schedule A were easier to fire during the #DOGE mass probationary cuts, and some say the very program meant to open doors left them exposed. Reporting by Sean Michael Newhouse: buff.ly/EnLSBLu

OPM to FEHB carriers: Cut costs, MAHA style In the federal HR agency’s annual letter to insurers, officials called for the end to cash incentives for childhood vaccine adoption and urged insurers to require therapy before prescribing GLP-1…

OPM tells #FEHB insurers to drop cash incentives for kids’ vaccines and require therapy before covering GLP-1 obesity drugs, signaling a shift in how the program approaches care and cost control. More information from Erich Wagner: buff.ly/PI10YVr #healthcare

Insights from the inside: How former feds think we ought to reform the federal government COMMENTARY | A report by seven former senior federal employees shows what DOGE done right would look like.

COMMENTARY: Public policy expert Don Kettl revisits the “We the Doers” report by seven former senior federal employees and lands on a blunt takeaway: #DOGE didn’t deliver, and this is what real government reform could look like if anyone actually followed it.

DHS employees to begin receiving paychecks this week The Homeland Security Department is still shut down but Trump has ordered immediate back pay anyway.

DHS employees are set to get back pay after nearly two weeks without pay, but the #shutdown still isn’t over. Sr. Correspondent Eric Katz has the details here: buff.ly/JX8PSoV #DHS #homelandsecurity

Privatization, eliminations and consolidations: Major reforms from Trump's budget The president's fiscal 2027 blueprint contains significant overhauls to the work carried out by federal agencies.

Trump’s 2027 #budget would cut thousands of #TSA jobs, eliminate dozens of programs and reshape major agencies across government. Sr. Correspondent Eric Katz breaks it down here: