Federal Newscast
2,310 episodes — Page 1 of 47
DoD launches a department-wide review of the military legal system
Veterans Affairs approves nearly $600 million in infrastructure improvements
Federal government employment continues to decline
Nearly 12, 000 retirement claims enter OPM’s system in April
Federal workers’ compensation is getting an overhaul
Tech Force program makes its first official hire
Defense Department launches new website to streamline military moves
Thrift Savings Plan funds rebound in April
Pentagon looks to expand protections for military families in privatized housing
Political appointees exempt from new performance evaluations
Lawmakers look to expand incentives to retain Air Force pilots and Airmen
Army changes voluntary retirement policy
Space Force selections companies for Golden Dome initiative
Lawmakers look to strengthen protections against fraud across government
Coast Guard partially reopens National Maritime Center, amid DHS shutdown
House Republicans propose a billion-dollar cut to IRS funding
House bill would create a permanent IG for Fraud
The number of so-called TSP millionaires trends downward
Space Force lays out space operations plans for next 15 years
A federal union raises alarms about the Forest Service reorganization and planned move to Utah
It's tax day and the IRS is offering help to extension filers
Air Force and DIU select two bases for potential nuclear microreactors
Unions heighten calls for a bigger federal pay boost next year
DoD expands hiring flexibilities to reduce military spouse unemployment
The Defense Department is expanding hiring flexibilities in an effort to reduce the persistently high unemployment rate among military spouses, which has held steady at around 22% or about five times the national average. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
OPM still has 55,000 federal retirement applications pending finalization
During March, OPM received close to 15,000 incoming retirement applications, but processed over 22,000. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Agencies warn about Iranian-linked hackers targeting critical infrastructure
Agencies say Iranian-linked hackers are targeting critical industries like the U.S. energy and water sectors. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Space Force could see a major increase in the proposed budget
The Space Force budget would see a major increase under President Donald Trump’s massive $1.5 trillion defense proposal. The White House is requesting $71 billion for the newest military branch. The service received approximately $40 billion for the current fiscal year, which ends on September 30. Space Force officials have long argued that the service needs to grow in order to effectively meet growing national security demands. Service officials previously said the Space Force is not only prepared to absorb a significant influx of funding, it’s also in urgent need of a large funding boost. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Service member suicide rates dropped by 11% in 2024, Pentagon finds
Despite the decline, 472 service members died by suicide last year, continuing a yearslong trend of increasing suicide rates among active duty service members. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Social Security delays new appointment schedule systems, again
The Social Security Administration's rollout of new systems for scheduling appointments and managing its caseload nationwide is on hold for now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
TSP funds see losses in March
The bad month for the TSP also means 12 of 16 funds are in the red for 2026.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Applications are open for next class of White House Fellows
The Trump administration has opened applications for the next class of White House Fellows. Those selected for the fellowship program will spend a year in Washington, D.C., aiding the work of senior administration officials. Applications are open until April 22. Once candidates are selected, the paid fellowship opportunity begins this September and ends next August. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Data centers are coming to Fort Bliss in Texas and Dugway Proving Ground in Utah
The Army has selected two companies to build massive data centers at Fort Bliss in Texas and at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The deal follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to allow private companies to use federally owned land and resources to quickly build AI data centers. While the deal is not final, the selection of the two companies will allow the arm to enter negotiations and finalize the terms of the agreement. The Army said the two companies will be “responsible for financing, building, operating, maintaining and decommissioning the data centers on underutilized land at no upfront cost to taxpayers.” The data center at Fort Bliss is expected to be operational in 2027, while the project at Dugway Proving Ground is expected to be completed by 2029. The Army Corps of Engineers will play a key role in this project’s development.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Lawmakers look to codify limits on defense contractor executive compensation
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are seeking to codify President Donald Trump’s executive order that limits stock buybacks and executive pay for certain defense contractors. A new bill, titled Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting Act, would prohibit large defense contractors from purchasing their own stock and paying out dividends. It would also prohibit linking executive pay to short-term financial metrics and cap executive compensation at $5 million. Contractors that fail to comply could face penalties, including suspending contract payments and terminating contracts. Republican Senator Josh Hawley said that defense contractors “should be focused on expanding production, not padding their bottom lines.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The EEOC seconds the Trump administration's decision to stop covering gender affirming care for federal employees
In today's Federal Newscast, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has upheld the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate federal health insurance coverage of gender-affirming care.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Cybersecurity training no longer an annual requirement for Army soldiers and civilian workers
In today's Federal Newscast, the Army is changing the requirements for cybersecurity and privacy training.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Senate Democrats want answers from AI companies about how their working with the Pentagon
In today's Federal Newscast, Senate Democrats are expanding their investigation into how the Defense Department is using artificial intelligence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Human capital issues at the top of many agencies' lists of management challenges
In today's Federal Newscast, the vast majority federal agencies are facing major human capital challenges.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
With leadership changes happening at DHS, members of Congress want to make sure the proper records are retained
In today's Federal Newscast, lawmakers want to make sure the Department of Homeland Security holds onto the records from outgoing officials. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Senate proposal would limit how the Defense Department can use AI technology
In today's Federal Newscast, a Democratic lawmaker seeks to put guardrails around the Pentagon’s use of artificial intelligence in military operations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Army is officially tightening rules around its education program
The Army is officially tightening rules around its popular education programs. The service is eliminating Credentialing Assistance for commissioned officers, limiting that benefit primarily to enlisted troops. Army officials previously said that officers already have access to various education opportunities, while enlisted soldiers face more challenges transitioning to civilian careers. Under the new policy, all credentialing assistance requests will require command approval. Soldiers failing to complete their courses will be suspended from requesting credentialing assistance for a year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
DoD attempts to make its case for Anthropic’s label as a national security risk
Attorneys argue against the judge giving Anthropic a preliminary injunction that would put the federal supply chain risk determination on hold.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Projected costs grow for DoD’s Golden Dome initiative
The Defense Department is blowing through initial estimates of what its Golden Dome initiative would cost. General Michael Guetlein, Golden Dome's manager, said Tuesday the Pentagon is “at $185 billion for the objective architecture, which delivers way out into the 2035 timeframe.” This estimate is already $10 billion more and will take five years longer than what President Donald Trump said it would cost and when it would be ready. Guetlein also says that outside projections are “estimating a very large, complex capability.” The Defense Department instead is “changing that equation, simplifying, disaggregating it, to bring down that cost equation” that won’t exceed that $185 billion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
IRS has no plan to reduce backlog of taxpayer correspondence, watchdog finds
A government watchdog says the IRS doesn’t yet have a plan to reduce its backlog of taxpayer correspondence. The Government Accountability Office says the agency’s backlog at the end of last year’s filing season remained higher than pre-pandemic levels. GAO says that without a plan the IRS risks not doing all it can to bring down the backlog; and may provide less timely service to taxpayers. The IRS says it will take GAO’s recommendations into consideration. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A new bill looks to exempt National Guard and Reserve drill pay from federal taxes
A new bill seeks to exempt National Guard and Reserve drill pay from federal income taxes. The No Tax on Drill Pay Act would eliminate taxes on income earned during Inactive Duty Training, which typically includes monthly drill weekends and other readiness training throughout the year. Congressman Andy Barr, who introduced the bill, said eliminating federal taxes on drill pay would reward the more than 800,000 Americans who serve in the Guard and Reserve. The bill follows several recent proposals aimed at making certain military pay tax-free. Last year, a group of lawmakers introduced legislation to exempt all military bonuses from federal income tax, while another proposal is seeking to fully exempt military compensation from federal income tax. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Democratic leaders wants answers about DOGE’s activities at Social Security
A top committee Democrat wants more information on DOGE’s activities at the Social Security Administration. Ranking Member Gary Peters on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is calling for a full and independent investigation of DOGE’s use of sensitive agency information. The senator’s push comes after reports that DOGE’s access to Social Security systems put Americans’ personal information at risk and potentially violated the law.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
DHS nominee gets his day in the Senate next week
President Donald Trump’s new pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security will get his day in the Senate next week. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has scheduled Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing for the morning of Wednesday, March 18th. Mullin, currently the junior senator from Oklahoma, is expected to field tough questions about his plans for overseeing the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda and other key DHS issues. Mullin has little prior experience in homeland security roles. He has championed Trump’s immigration crackdown as a member of the Senate. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
OMB has not provided comprehensive list of federal programs, watchdog finds
As the Trump administration presses forward with efforts to reduce government, a watchdog has found that there is not a comprehensive list of all federal programs to start with. Despite being legally required to do so, the Office of Management and Budget has yet to publish an inventory of all current agency programs. A new report from the Government Accountability Office recommends that OMB fill in those data gaps, and disclose any areas that are missing information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin formally nominated for DHS secretary
President Trump formally transmitted Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to be Homeland Security Secretary to the Senate yesterday. Last week, Trump announced he would have Mullin, the junior Senator from Oklahoma replace Kristi Noem, who’s expected to step down as Secretary at the end of this month. But Mullin still requires confirmation and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul has yet to announce a nomination hearing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Federal employee retirement applications hit another record high
Federal employees’ retirement applications are continuing to flood the Office of Personnel Management. In February, another 31,000 retirement claims entered the agency’s systems. That puts OPM’s Retirement Services center at yet another record high of pending applications — now reaching above 65,000 cases with pensions that are yet-to-be finalized. That’s an 88% increase since OPM’s inventory last October, when retirements from the deferred resignation program first began trickling in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A plan to limit when federal employees can cancel their union dues is off the table
A plan to limit when federal employees can cancel their union du es if officially off the table. The Federal Labor Relations Authority is rescinding a previous proposal from 2022, which would have given federal employees only a once-per-year opportunity to cancel dues payments. Since 2020, dues-paying federal employees have had the option to cancel automatic deductions for union dues at any time.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.