USSS Reforms: More Funding & Training After Trump Incident
USSS implements reforms after Trump incident: disciplinary actions, updated training, increased funding ($3.5B), and a surge in applications. Focus on security and protectee safety.
Supreme Court OKs Trump’s Federal Workforce Reduction Plans
The Supreme Court reversed a lower court order, allowing federal agencies to proceed with Trump's workforce reduction plans (RIF). Mass firings are likely, impacting government services. Legal challenges continue.
Trump’s Education Department Drawdown: Interagency Conflicts?
Trump's executive order mandated Education Department drawdown, sparking disputes over program control transfer to the Labor Department. Democrats object, citing lack of authority and potential inefficiencies in managing education grants.
Trump’s Qatari Jet: Security Risks & Legal Concerns
Trump's plan to use a Qatari jet as interim Air Force One raises security risks, legal concerns (emoluments clause), and counterintelligence dangers. Upgrades are impractical within the desired timeline.
Taft’s Government Efficiency: A Historical Perspective
Taft's approach to government efficiency, contrasted with Trump's, highlights a shift in reliance on experts and congressional collaboration. The Taft Commission aimed for economy and performance through streamlined administration.
Congress, Trump & CRA Resolutions: Policy Reversals
Congress used CRA resolutions to repeal policies, from energy preservation to vehicle emissions. Trump approved 3 resolutions, signaling a deregulatory agenda. Concerns raised about abusing the CRA for broader policy changes.
Trump, Iran, and Nuclear Deal: Diplomacy or Conflict?
Trump's diplomacy leads to US-Iran talks amid military threats. Iran's weakness and nuclear program concerns drive urgent negotiations for a deal. Key issues include enrichment and regional activities.
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 Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon, Kellogg wants to use American strength to secure peace — even if it takes months.
See where and how Biden grew the federal workforce
Quickly after his election, Jen Psaki, then a transition advisor, said career civil servants were “the heart and soul of government” and it was a priority for Biden to rebuild federal agencies that “wouldn't function without the thousands of people who have served for decades.”
An open letter to the public administration and public management communities
Ten careerists in the Homeland Security Department were listed on a “watchlist” of “America’s most subversive immigration bureaucrats.” Individual employees are finding themselves called out by name in an effort to “putthem in trauma.”
As Trump’s teams get set to deploy to agencies, concerns remain over his transition approach
After an extended standoff in which Trump refused to sign memoranda of understanding with various parts of the Biden administration, the former and future president last week reached an agreement with the White House that will allow his landing teams to physically enter federal offices.
Harris concession opens agencies to Trump—if he opts in
There remains a significant hurdle to that process, however: Trump has still not signed an agreement with the Biden White House, nor the General Services Administration, the federal agency that manages the presidential transition, that would allow those landing teams to deploy.