Digital Government
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One year after President Donald Trump rescinded the funds, various groups and lawmakers have kicked off a month of action to push for their restoration.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.
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.
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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.
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IRS lacks transparent plans to leverage tech in the face of staffing cuts, GAO and employees say
Agency leaders are “shoving AI at us,” one IRS employee said, despite the fact that “they don’t have the right tools for us yet.”
Sessions introduces bill to set up a new Treasury fraud watchdog
The proposal from the co-chair of the House DOGE Caucus comes after President Donald Trump fired nearly 20 agency inspectors general last year.
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VA has touted appointment wait time reductions, but new data shows a more mixed reality
A comparative analysis of select wait-time data for new patients at more than 100 medical centers indicates the department has made progress in some areas, but not all.
Appeals court removes limits on DOGE access to SSA data despite ‘alarming’ revelations
The Friday decision follows a January court filing in which the government conceded that DOGE associates may have improperly accessed sensitive data at the agency.
Treasury is creating a database with pandemic aid recipients’ sensitive information
Critics say the scope established in the agency’s systems of record notice “is an astonishing and dramatic departure from prior Treasury practice.”
Social Security delays launch of new nationwide caseload system
The agency is postponing the rollout of new, national systems the same month they were set to be deployed. It was still working out specifics for how it would move claims processing to a national setup.
Trump signs executive order setting rules for mail-in voting and eligibility lists
The president has long disputed the mail-in voting process since his 2020 election run. The order is very likely to face legal challenges.
Trump moves to pay TSA agents as shutdown talks stall in Congress
Emergency order would cover airport screeners who have gone without full pay since mid-February but not other DHS employees, as lawmakers remain deadlocked on funding.
