Author Archive

Natalie Alms

Staff Reporter, Nextgov/FCW

Natalie Alms
Natalie Alms is a staff reporter at Nextgov/FCW covering federal technology policy, service delivery, customer experience and the government's tech workforce. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (N.C.) Post. Connect with Natalie on Twitter at @AlmsNatalie.
People

Dozens of employees at U.S. DOGE Service dismissed

Personnel from Elon Musk's efficiency service were the latest to be dismissed.

People

GSA to cut at least 100 employees, feds inside the agency say

Employees within the agency’s Technology Transformation Services received calls from supervisors Wednesday informing them of their impending dismissals.

People

OPM reveals new details about its CIO

Greg Hogan joined the agency a day into the Trump administration, replacing a career official that had been named to the position a week prior.

People

Trump orders agencies to plan for widespread layoffs and attrition-based hiring

The order tasks agencies to work in conjunction with Elon Musk’s DOGE to dramatically reduce government capacity.

Digital Government

OPM skirted agency norms in assessing the privacy of its new email system

Anonymous federal employees filed a lawsuit alleging that the new email system could be placing their sensitive personal information at risk.

Digital Government

Senate Democrats call for DOGE to halt until details are provided

The letter to the White House chief of staff and counsel notes that some of billionaire Elon Musk’s actions via DOGE “may be illegal or unconstitutional.”

People

Musk’s DOGE efforts pose a ‘constitutional crisis,’ experts warn

Elon Musk has spent the first two weeks of the Trump administration parachuting into government offices, leaving extensive — and some say legally prohibited — changes in his wake.

Digital Government

Musk's role as ‘special government employee’ raises ethics questions

The SpaceX founder and CEO's moves across federal agencies break with tradition and could result in legal action.

People

Trump administration opens the door to politicize government tech executives

“This sounds like another method of censorship and control of the federal career workforce,” one former government tech executive said of a Tuesday memo issued by the Office of Personnel Management.

Digital Government

Musk takes aim at GSA tech shop

Elon Musk posted on X that the 18F team behind the IRS Direct File program has been “deleted,” though one staffer told Nextgov/FCW they were still able to work at the time of publication.

Exclusive People

As the Trump administration gathers names of recent hires, some are being asked to justify their jobs

New federal workers are the easiest to fire and the administration is gathering information on their names, backgrounds, roles and performance.

People

Musk visits and asserts growing influence at GSA

Musk has former employees installed at the government’s HR shop, and several have appeared at its acquisition, tech and real estate agency as well.

People

Musk visits OPM following workforce assignments for DOGE

Amanda Scales, a former employee of Elon Musk’s AI company, was recently tapped to be the chief of staff at OPM.

People

Gregory Barbaccia named federal CIO

The Palantir alum has also served in the Army and as an intelligence analyst.

People

GSA announces new FAS, TTS leadership

The new leaders are interested in working with Elon Musk’s DOGE.

Artificial Intelligence

Trump signs AI executive order

The order calls for the development of an AI action plan and sets up a process for revoking actions taken under President Biden’s previous AI executive order signed in October 2023.

Exclusive People

U.S. Digital Service employees are being re-interviewed under DOGE transition

Some employees who were in the U.S. Digital Service already when it became part of the DOGE fear the interviews are an assessment of their loyalty.

People

OPM’s new CIO replaced on second day of Trump administration

Greg Hogan will serve as the new CIO for the personnel agency, following Melvin Brown II’s one-week stint in the role.

Digital Government

Trump signs order setting up DOGE with a focus on government tech

Trump is wielding — and renaming — the US Digital Service in service of the DOGE.

Artificial Intelligence

Trump axes Biden’s AI executive order

President Donald Trump vowed to repeal the order during campaigning and in his presidential platform.