People
GSA deputy Stephen Ehikian to depart post
Ehikian — who, until recently, served as GSA’s acting administrator — is the latest day one Trump appointee to leave the government.
Digital Government
Labor seeks to require confidential unemployment data from states
The Labor Department is considering creating a single, national claims database for unemployment compensation information.
Artificial Intelligence
How a national lab is using data and AI to try to speed up permitting
The work to get better environmental permitting data began under Biden and is continuing under Trump.
People
Transportation launches administrative consolidation effort
Whether the push to consolidate IT and HR systems will include layoffs isn’t yet clear.
Exclusive
People
Meet the Trump appointee apparently maintaining 'unheard of' ties to Tesla
Thomas Shedd, who heads the Technology Transformation Services at the General Services Administration, reported on his public financial disclosures that he is “on a leave of absence” from Tesla in a rare arrangement, according to experts.
People
Airbnb co-founder and DOGE associate to head new federal design office
Joe Gebbia has been working on modernizing retirement processes at the Office of Personnel Management as part of his work with the Department of Government Efficiency.
Breaking News
People
IRS is canceling its layoff plans, will ask some it fired or pushed out to return
After pushing 26,000 employees out, the tax agency is scrambling to find enough personnel to carry out its duties.
Digital Government
Trump signs order calling for improved government design
The new “America by Design” effort includes a recruiting push for relevant talent — though the administration has shed many government designers since Trump took office.
Digital Government
Login.gov to add passports as identity proofing option
Trump appointees have called the in-house service a priority for anti-fraud efforts.
Exclusive
Artificial Intelligence
Trump administration hopes AI can mitigate staffing losses, federal CIO says
Gregory Barbaccia, who was named the federal chief information officer just a week into the new administration, said one of his priorities is learning how to do more with less.
Acquisition
FAR Council releases changes to 6 sections of acquisition regulation
The White House celebrated the changes as a milestone in its effort to overhaul and simplify the rules surrounding federal buying.
Digital Government
SSA said it removed strict ID requirements on its phone line, but internal policy says otherwise
The agency said in a recent regulatory filing that the identification pin had been made optional for those wishing to change direct deposit information over the phone. Internal policy says they’re still required.
Modernization
GSA doubles FedRAMP authorizations compared to last year
GSA overhauled FedRAMP in the spring to streamline the process and introduce more automation.
Digital Government
Trump is outpacing his first term in deleting environmental information
The restriction of language and removal of information makes it harder to address climate issues, say the authors of a new report on environmental information under Trump 2.0.
Digital Government
NIST releases final digital identity guidelines after years of drafts
The new guidelines remove mentions of equity that NIST had included in previous draft updates.
People
Thomas Shedd departs as Labor CIO
The longtime Tesla engineer appears to still be working at the General Services Administration, according to two employees, even as he leaves his post at the Labor Department.
People
Trump nominates financial executive to be GSA administrator
The nominee, Ed Forst, is a longtime Goldman Sachs alum.
Policy
Democrat asks agency watchdogs to tally the cost of DOGE
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is estimating that the efficiency project has racked up around $21.7 billion.
Digital Government
SSA to make planned ID checks for additional phone transactions ‘entirely optional’
In regulatory filings made earlier this month, SSA had estimated that the planned requirements would result in over three million field office visits.
Digital Government