Digital Government
VA wants more input on proposals to streamline benefits application forms
The Department of Veterans Affairs is sourcing feedback on two proposals to shorten the length of benefits forms but has thus far only received a total of nine comments since the recommendations were posted last month.
Beeck Center leader reflects on ‘bipartisan opportunity’ for government efficiency
Efforts at the federal level generated a lot of headlines, but at the state level, where the goal is delivery, a lot more progress can be made, said the head of the Georgetown University-based center.
Exclusive
GSA and National Design Studio collaborate to boost Login.gov experience
The partnership is focused on making the government’s in-house identity service easier to use without compromising on security.
America at 250: What the Census reveals about our journey
As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, the Census Bureau offers a vivid way to trace the country’s growth, movement and change from the earliest days of the republic.
Anti-fraud overhaul clears House despite Democratic concerns over privacy and IG independence
Many Democrats opposed the measure due to fears the Trump administration would exert more political influence on inspectors general as well as concerns about privacy risk.
GSA publishes ‘Elimination, Optimization and Automation’ playbook for government agencies
The playbook’s framework has already helped the agency save hundreds of thousands of hours, and other agencies can now make use of it to launch their own automation initiatives.
GSA joins White House’s fraud prevention task force
The agency said it will support the unit’s efforts by identifying waste, fraud and abuse across government contracting programs.
Exclusive
The White House is ordering agencies to place its new app on all employees’ government phones
The newly created, often overtly political app places the Trump administration into unprecedented and “dangerous” territory, IT experts say.
DOGE is about making government services easier to access, its head says
In a rare public speaking appearance in which DOGE was discussed, its acting administrator Amy Gleason painted a different vision of its work than that pursued during the government-slashing efforts last year.
Senators ask watchdog to probe IRS Free File program
The IRS is relying on the Free File partnership with tax prep companies to offer most Americans a free way to file online after cancelling Direct File, a government-run alternative.
Advocates pledge action to restore digital equity grants
One year after President Donald Trump rescinded the funds, various groups and lawmakers have kicked off a month of action to push for their restoration.
White House withholds $1.3B in Medicaid payments to California amid broader fraud crackdown
Vice President JD Vance said the administration will audit states’ Medicaid Fraud Control Units and threatened to “turn off” federal funding for the watchdogs if their fraud prevention efforts are found to be deficient.
Featured eBooks
A NOAA-backed tool shows the hidden value of healthier shorelines
The SHORE-BET calculator helps communities estimate the long-term value of marsh restoration and living shorelines, putting numbers behind storm protection, habitat gains and other benefits that are often easy to see up close but harder to measure broadly.
The State Department looks to build on the success of online passport renewal
The agency’s second attempt at moving the passport renewal process online has enabled millions to navigate the process in a fraction of the time it used to take.
House votes to make IRS publish call metrics online
The bill would require the tax agency to release detailed, real time and monthly call metrics. The House also passed a technology proposal meant to move the IRS off paper.
Congress tries again on national preemptive data privacy law
House Republican leaders unveiled two new bills last week in the latest federal attempt to regulate data privacy, preempting states’ existing laws.
Treasury missed security controls in giving DOGE system access, GAO finds
The finding is among the first oversight reports Congress’ watchdog has released about the controversial cost-cutting team.
Exclusive
GSA taps Greg Hogan as head of government’s identity proofing service, Login.gov
Hogan previously worked at the Office of Personnel Management, an early DOGE stronghold, and more recently in the White House’s National Design Studio.
Agencies doled out $186B in improper payments last year, GAO says
That fiscal year 2025 improper payment number is up by $24 billion from the previous fiscal year, even as the Trump administration says that it’s tamping down on fraud.
NIST is giving fingerprint examiners better tools for a messy job
A newly annotated fingerprint dataset combined with open-source software could help forensic examiners work more consistently, train more effectively and sort through evidence faster.
