Digital Government
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Inside DOGE’s early days of pressure campaigns, rule breaking and ‘chaos’
Twenty-three hours of court testimony offer a rare glimpse into the Trump cost-cutting group that officials say “felt more like a club” than the agencies they were breaking.
When disaster strikes, census data can help show who is in harm’s way
The agency’s updated OnTheMap for Emergency Management tool shows how population and workforce data can support rapid response and recovery operations during hurricanes, floods, wildfires and other natural disasters.
Senate Democrats push Social Security on employee reassignments to phone line
The agency is directing employees who normally process benefits to answer phone lines instead.
CMS touts early uses of new biometric verification tools for Medicare.gov
Amy Gleason, acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service and strategic advisor to CMS, said 60% of accounts created since the rollout “have all been using one of these modern credentials.”
Much of the government’s technology isn’t accessible, internal report finds
Just over a third of the government’s most-viewed websites met legal requirements that they be accessible for people with disabilities.
IRS CEO largely dodges questions about data sharing at IRS, SSA
Frank Bisignano cited “current litigation” for why he could not provide further details about IRS data sharing with ICE, and he disputed court records detailing how DOGE employees handled data at SSA.
Accessing Social Security disability benefits became harder in 2025, researchers find
Changes like the push to online servicing and introduction of AI on SSA phone lines made it difficult for certain recipients to access the agency.
LGBTQ data is disappearing under Trump, reports find
Government agencies have gotten rid of gender identity and sexual orientation data elements from over 360 data collections over the last year.
These former government tech leaders are prepping day-one plans for a future administration
Mikey Dickerson, the first head of the U.S. Digital Service, is a senior advisor for the effort, called the Tech Viaduct.
Washington promises UFO disclosure. History suggests otherwise.
Disclosure may not reveal alien visitors, but it will reveal something equally important: how science, measurement and skepticism slowly turn mystery into understanding.
House Democrats say TrumpRx portal exaggerates prescription discounts
Despite the White House’s claim that the platform offers the world’s lowest prices on prescriptions, Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report saying “for nearly half of the drugs listed on TrumpRx, that is either misleading or completely false.”
New White House design team aims for ‘delightful’ websites — changing design ethos in the process
Trump’s chief design officer says that his work shouldn’t be controversial, but his team’s track record has raised questions about who their websites are for, who they leave out and whether the White House can garner trust based on sleek design alone.
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VA doesn't know how many calls it's answering or how long veterans are waiting to get through
The department's failure to track call data is putting "veterans who may need timely and critical care at risk," the inspector general finds.
Labor launches new open data portal
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the new portal features “better integration with other federal data sources and enhanced artificial intelligence compatibility for finding, visualizing and using data.”
Lawmaker pitches blueprint for post-DOGE privacy overhaul
Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., wants to redo the government's main privacy law to ensure people’s information is “handled responsibly” when in government hands.
Exclusive
‘Suicide is only one option': Social Security staff newly assigned to phone duties raise concerns over training
Experts and SSA employees question wisdom of telling callers in crisis that suicide is an option.
Senators demand to know the IRS’ path forward following the end of Direct File
The IRS ended the online, direct-to-government filing program last fall and is doubling down on the free tax filing options it offers through tax prep companies in a partnership called Free File.
Trump’s nutrition website directs users to Elon Musk’s Grok
The inclusion of Elon Musk’s chatbot in the government website follows backlash over the chatbot creating millions of sexualized images of women and children.
Super Bowl gears up for massive security operation
While immigration officials will reportedly not be present at the San Francisco game this weekend, a raft of federal, state and local agencies will be on site to keep the event safe from various threats.
US withdraws from the Open Government Partnership — which it helped create
“Anyone who has followed developments over the last year will not be surprised by this decision of the U.S. government,” the CEO of the multilateral global initiative said in a statement.
