Independent agencies targeted by Trumpâs latest executive order
These practices undermine such regulatory agencies' accountability to the American people and prevent a unified and coherent execution of Federal law,â Trump wrote in the directive.
IRS expected to fire 6,700 employees beginning Thursday
Staff in their probationary periodsâmostly recent hires, though in some cases longtime federal workersâreceived notice that they must report into the office Thursday and bring all of their government equipment, identification cards, parking permits and other documents.
Dismantling government wonât make it more efficientâinvesting in it will
President Trump began his second term in office by signing an executive order to create the Department of Government Efficiency and institute a sweeping federal hiring freeze, exempting only positions related to immigration enforcement and security.
OPM fires its own probationary period staff
OPM has been recently embroiled in at least a dozen lawsuits raised by people concerned about alleged privacy violations brought by the agency and staffers working in it under Elon Muskâs Department of Government Efficiency.
Missouri Sues Starbucks Over DEI Policies
In other words, since 2020, Starbuck[sâ workforce] has become more female and less white.â The Missouri Attorney General argues that by hiring workers âbased on at least one of Starbucksâ preferred immutable characteristics rather than an evaluation of an applicantâs merit and qualifications,â the hiring pool is skewed âtowards people who are less qualified to perform their work, increasing costs for Missouriâs consumers.â Attorney General Bailey claims that âMissouriâs consumers are required to pay higher prices and wait longer for goods and services that could be provided for less had Starbucks employed the most qualified workers, regardless of their race, color, sex, or national origin.â
What to do on the day after?
One of Trumpâs executive orders gives a senior presidential aide until the end of April to come up with a plan to fix hiring (or, at least, cut the time-to-hire to 80 days) and bring better performance management to the federal government.
OPM skirted agency norms in assessing the privacy of its new email system
The PIA released last week is signed by OPMâs new chief information officer, Greg Hogan, who was quickly installed after the new Trump administration pushed Melvin Brown II, a career federal employee, out of the personnel agencyâs CIO role.
Ethics and whistleblower officials fired by Trump
Under Dellinger, OSC had determined that former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro violated the Hatch Act for comments about the 2024 presidential election and alleged that Neera Tanden, a senior official in the Biden White House, also broke that law by fundraising for political candidates on social media.
OPM asks to dismiss email server lawsuit, citing misinterpretation of law
The initial suit, filed in the Washington, D.C. District Court by two anonymous federal employees, claims OPM â working with Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency â violated the 2002 E-Government Act by bypassing a required privacy impact assessment, or PIA, before standing up the email platform.
DOGE enters NOAA, accesses IT systems and removes the top HR official
The Department of Government Efficiency has requested and been granted access to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationâs IT systems and is already making personnel changes, multiple sources briefed on that matter have confirmed, raising concerns the new, Elon Musk-led team could interfere with scientific processes.
Senior Democrat wants to know who in the Trump White House got Top Secret clearance without a complete background check
On his first day in office, Trump issued a memo, directing the White House counsel to grant for up to six months top secret / sensitive compartmented information security clearances to designated personnel.
Democrats worry RFK Jr. could purge âthousandsâ of federal health employees
Senate HELP Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., â who is a medical doctor and member of the Finance Committee, which ultimately will vote on Kennedyâ nomination â said at the end of Thursdayâs hearing that he is still undecided.
Employee groups, Democrats, experts warn feds not to accept âdeferred resignationâ offer
Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, issued a statement Tuesday blasting the measure as one that, if successful, could create critical skills gaps at agencies and hurt mission delivery.
Trump Administrationâs Funding Freeze Temporarily Blocked
will result in immediate and devastating harm to Plaintiff States.â The attorneys general claim that the memo will prevent states from providing âcertain essential benefits for residents, pay public employees, satisfy obligations, and carry on the the important business of government.â Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell will hear the request for an emergency temporary restraining order later today.
White House rescinds widespread freeze on federal funds that caused chaos inside agencies
The sweeping order to freeze all federal grants, loans and assistance not provided directly to individuals led to significant confusion inside of agencies as employees faced uncertainty as to whether their programs and initiatives were affected.
Britainâs Rachel Reeves needs a growth miracle
A stage-managed build-up of pledges ahead of time included more housing near rail stations, more freedom for pension funds, plans to make it harder for courts to block infrastructure, and a potential easing of U.K. visa rules for artificial intelligence innovators.
Ukraine is pinning hopes on Putin exasperating Trump
Rather than making a clean break and halting military aid to Ukraine as urged by some MAGA loyalists, including Trumpâs former chief strategist Steve Bannon, Kellogg wants to use American strength to secure peace â even if it takes months.