Federal Newscast

U.S. Postal Service finalizes election ballot mail portal

The Postal Service is finalizing a new portal to provide election officials with a simple, secure and efficient way to share lists of individuals receiving ballots by mai

August was a month of rebounds for the TSP

August was a month of rebounds for the Thrift Savings Plan. All TSP funds ended in the black, the highest increase being the I Fund at 3.3%, followed by the C and S Funds

Defense Dept opens use of three major AI tools for employees

Defense Department employees can now use three major AI products at work. The department on Monday launched military versions of OpenAI's ChatGPT and Elon Musk's Grok to

GSA orders Trade Agreement Act changes for AbilityOne and National Prison Industries

The General Services Administration has removed the AbilityOne Commission and National Prison Industries' exception from the Trade Agreements Act for all of its contracts

400 federal positions will now earn salaries of up to $400,000

Up to 400 federal positions can now earn salaries of $400,000. A new final rule from the Office of Personnel Management allows the higher pay rates for hundreds of worker

Federal wildland firefighters can now earn higher pay rates

Federal wildland firefighters can now earn higher pay rates for more types of work. A recent final rule from the Office of Personnel Management authorizes a 25% “hazard p

Thousands of feds who took the DRP have essentially been replaced

Thousands of federal employees who left the government via the deferred resignation program have essentially been replaced. That's according to new data analysis from the

NSA isn’t complying with federal laws on whistleblower protections, IG finds

The National Security Agency doesn’t appear to be complying with federal laws that require the agency to outline whistleblower protections in its nondisclosure agreement.

Lawmakers call for investigation into CISA workforce cuts as threats increase

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is coming under scrutiny for workforce cuts as cyber and physical threats to critical infrastructure rise. A group of

Agencies are getting some help with logging cybersecurity data

Add the employees at the Agriculture Department's Rural Development Agency to the growing list of successful feds who have won grievances before an arbitrator after losin

Space Force opens its own recruiting squadron

The Space Force has opened its own recruiting squadron nearing seven years after the newest service was created. The 320th Recruiting Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-R

Military's newest branch sees significant funding increase

The Space Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request would significantly increase funding for missile warning, missile tracking and command and control programs. That would accou

Air Force updates rules for civilian job applicants

The Department of the Air Force is updating its rules for determining whether civilian applicants are a good fit for federal jobs. New interim guidance says candidates mu

FAA hires 2000 gamers as new air traffic controllers

The Federal Aviation Administration has hired over 2,000 new air traffic controllers, all with a shared passion: videogames. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says in a

Lawmakers want insight into staffing and funding at statistical agencies

A top House democrat is demanding a hearing to examine the effects of the Trump administration’s actions at federal statistical agencies. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking mem

MSPB officially transitions away from its authority over adverse action appeals

The Merit Systems Protection Board is officially transitioning away some of its authority over adverse action appeal decisions. A new final rule from MSPB removes all ref

Army loses 18% of civilian workforce at two major depots

The Army has lost 18% of its civilian workforce at two of its major depots. The Government Accountability Office found that the Anniston and Red River Army Depots lost ne

Federal retirement claims backlog at lowest point in 2026

The backlog of federal retirement claims is at the lowest point in 2026 with just over 24,000 in OPM's inventory. New data shows OPM processed more than 17,000 claims las

Federal union warns Forest Service reorganization could worsen federal wildfire response

A federal union is urging the Forest Service to reverse course on its upcoming reorganization plans. The National Federation of Federal Employees warns that shuttering fa

96% of DOGE’s claimed savings on federal grants cannot be verified

The Department of Government Efficiency touted that it saved $110 billion across federal contracts, grants and leases. But many of DOGE’s claims don’t have supporting evi