Ideas
Ending data silos: Inside the new executive order to fight waste, fraud and abuse
Federal agencies must improve data access and break down barriers to collaboration.
Exclusive
People
Treasury eliminates offices and outsources work, with more layoffs coming
Initial cuts were focused on employees who provide U.S. Treasury bond-related retail services to investors.
People
Loss of NSA leaders will cause disruptions, agency’s former chief says
Gen. Paul Nakasone praised former NSA Director Timothy Haugh and former NSA Civilian Deputy Director Wendy Noble, who were fired from their positions last week.
Digital Government
GSA preps for layoffs at TTS
The coming reductions in force are the latest in a series of workforce cuts within the Technology Transformation Services.
Acquisition
Plan for sweeping FAR changes nears release
The General Services Administration, NASA and Office of Federal Procurement Policy are working to create a leaner acquisition framework that could attract more companies to the market.
Acquisition
Google, GSA agree to major governmentwide software discount
Google estimates the discount could save federal agencies up to $2 billion over the next three years.
Emerging Tech
Blackburn introduces 3 bills focused on quantum tech investment
All of the legislation has bipartisan backing and intends to “promote continued innovation” in the field.
People
Trump signs order targeting former CISA head Chris Krebs
Krebs previously led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and contradicted baseless claims President Donald Trump made in 2020 that the election that year was rigged against him.
Cybersecurity
Treasury regulatory office reports ‘major information security incident’
The disclosed breach into the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency comes just months after another incident involving Chinese hacks into Treasury Department offices.
People
Interior fires senior leaders after fight over DOGE access to key payroll system
Several officials in the department’s CIO shop who were not fired are taking the latest deferred resignation offer, meaning that the office is nearly cleared out, with only two of nine leadership roles permanently filled.
People
Project 2025 wanted to hobble the federal workforce. DOGE has hastily done that, and more
The controversial policy blueprint sought to cut back on civil servants’ powers, but the Trump administration’s turbulent method of execution wasn’t part of the plan.
Cybersecurity
Senator puts hold on Trump cyber nominee, citing ‘cover up’ of telecom security report
An unreleased 2022 report is said to contain vital information about the security posture of the U.S. telecommunications sector, according to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is blocking Sean Plankey’s nomination to lead CISA.
People
Census CIO to depart at the end of April
Luis Cano, who has been with the U.S. Census Bureau since 2017, announced that he would retire from federal service on April 30.
Cybersecurity
China is trying to recruit current and former feds, intelligence document warns
The notice is one of the first public acknowledgements from the U.S. intelligence community showing how adversaries are leveraging DOGE-led layoffs to target the government.
Digital Government
Experts suggest AI could address FOIA backlogs, even as public records staff are terminated
The number of FOIA requests filed in fiscal year 2024 surpassed 1.5 million, which represented a 25% increase from FY 2023.
Breaking News
People
SCOTUS: Trump can temporarily move forward with mass firing of some probationary employees
The Supreme Court's ruling applies to 16,000 recently reinstated feds, but some of those are still protected by another court decision.
Cybersecurity
Top NSA, Cyber Command officials pulled from premier cybersecurity conference
Notifications about their speaking engagements went out Tuesday afternoon, just days after President Trump fired the head of NSA and Cyber Command.
Emerging Tech
DARPA begins scaling a quantum computer with 15 companies
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency selected the inaugural cohort for its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative as federal researchers work to identify the best path for quantum computing.
Digital Government
Democrats confront SSA about disruptions to constituent SSI accounts
This is the first oversight effort of Senate Democrats’ new Social Security War Room.
Digital Government