Federal Newscast

The Pentagon inspector general found the Army and Navy miscalculated the number of low-scoring recruits entering the military through their preparatory programs. The watchdog found the services used recruits' improved test scores instead of the scores they had when they first signed up. As a result, both services exceeded the legal limits of recruits with low test scores entering the program. The courses are designed to help recruits meet academic and physical standards before starting basic training. The services also failed to notify the Secretary of Defense and Congress that they had exceeded that limit, as required by law.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More than 60% of the government's security clearance data last year was either inaccurate or incomplete. That's according to a recent review conducted by the Government Accountability Office. In a new report, GAO says delays and issues with IT systems continue to make the security clearance process a top management challenge in the federal government. The issue has remained on GAO's High-Risk List since 2018.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal retirement numbers at the Office of Personnel Management are continuing to skyrocket. In November, OPM took in another 23,000 applications from retiring employees. That's on top of more than 20,000 that entered OPM's systems in October. Together, those numbers mean retirement applications are triple the volume they were at this time last year. In total, OPM's retirement inventory is now closing in on 50,000 applications that are still awaiting finalization. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The House has passed a $900 bill defense policy bill, which includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members. The must-pass legislation now heads to the Senate. Once it clears the chamber, the bill will go to President Trump for his signature. The bill seeks to streamline the way the Pentagon buys its capabilities. Congressional leaders said the legislation would deliver "the most significant acquisition reforms in a generation." It also fully supports Trump's priorities, including banning all diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the Defense Department and fully funding the department's border security efforts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recent changes to the Postal Service's network could mean slower deliveries of prescription drugs in the mail. A study from the Brookings Institution finds 6% of Americans live far away from a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, rely heavily on mail-order prescriptions and live in areas impacted by USPS consolidation. Brookings finds nearly half of all Americans face at least one of those scenarios. USPS this year has been running trucks less often between its processing plants and post offices to transport mail and packages. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The nation's largest federal employee union is urging Congress to vote against the House rule for the 2026 defense policy bill. The American Federation of Government Employees says negotiators removed a bipartisan House provision that would have restored collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of Defense Department civilian employees. The union says removing that language means the legislation fails to protect basic rights of workers who maintain ships and aircraft and support service members. AFGE is calling on lawmakers to reject the procedural rule and restore the worker protections before the National Defense Authorization Act moves forward.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More discouraging news for the Pentagon's prospects of obtaining a clean financial audit by the current 2028 deadline. A new evaluation by the Defense Department inspector general finds the department's plan to remediate one of its key, longstanding material weaknesses, an inability to keep track of government property in the possession of contractors, doesn't appear to be working. DoD intended to fix the problem largely by tracking the contractor-managed property in a software module within the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment. But according to the IG, key DoD leaders haven't mandated the use of that module, and the military services haven't updated their own systems to properly interface with it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More moves to reorganize the Army take effect today. The new Army Western Hemisphere Command will officially come into being with its headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The new organization combines the existing U.S. Army North, U.S. Army South and Army Forces Command under one umbrella before those organizations are formally disestablished next October. The new command will also absorb the Army's 18th Airborne Corps, Air Traffic Services Command and the 1st Army. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is requiring all federal supervisors to enroll in a new training program on performance management. A new memo says the mandatory training will cover how to both reward and discipline employees, as well as how to create effective performance plans. All supervisors are required to complete OPM's new training by February 9, 2026. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal executives may soon see even more changes coming from the Trump administration. The Office of Personnel Management is now encouraging agencies to consider possible reassignments of Senior Executive Service members. In a new memo, OPM argues that the SES has not served as a “mobile corps” of managers, and members are instead being “entrenched” at agencies. The new memo comes after OPM also advised agencies to consider lowering their staffing allocations for senior-level positions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most funds in the Thrift Savings Plan saw minimal growth in November with 15 of 16 coming in higher than where they finished in October. But no fund saw an increase greater than 0.64% for the past 30 days. And only the S fund saw a month over month decline, dropping 0.45%. The I Fund remains the biggest winner for the year with a total increase of 28.54%, while four L Funds also produced returns of greater than 20% in 2025.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal agencies are trying to eliminate underutilized space in their buildings. But a watchdog report finds the Postal Service generally isn't asking those same questions. The USPS inspector general's office finds the agency hasn't collected space utilization data for more than 60% of its properties. USPS operates more than 34,000 properties across the country. The IG's office says that by not collecting this data the agency missed out on an opportunity to save nearly $15 million. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Customer satisfaction with benefits and services provided by the federal government is higher than it's been in nearly two decades. That's despite a tumultuous year where agencies have seen a major downsizing of the federal workforce. Scores are higher on average, but the latest scorecard from the American Customer Satisfaction Index does show a few agencies are seeing lower scores. The Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Homeland Security are among the agencies with lower customer experience scores. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration says it's finished updating federal employee records to remove some of the negative consequences of this year's mass firing of probationary employees. Federal agencies say the personnel records have all been updated to reflect the fact that those workers were not fired for performance reasons. That step was ordered by a federal judge, who found agencies wrongly asserted that employees' terminations were connected to their performance. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Federal Aviation Administration is giving 776 air traffic controllers and technicians a $10,000 bonus for working during the 44-day partial government shutdown. The bonuses will be sent to those employees who maintained perfect attendance during the shutdown. Recipients will receive an automated notification this week and receive their payment no later than December 9. The FAA's decision to offer bonuses to employees follows a similar effort by TSA to reward Transportation Security Officers who also worked during the government shutdown.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

● A new survey finds that nearly every service member living in privatized military housing has experienced serious problems in their home and many of those issues go unresolved. The Change the Air Foundation recently found 97% of service members reported at least one significant problem in their military-provided home, with mold, mildew, and water damage cited most frequently. Out of 3,401 respondents, three-quarters said their family's health had been negatively impacted by their housing conditions, and nearly half said a medical provider had confirmed the connection.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Army has selected nine installations as potential sites for microreactor power plants under its next-generation Janus nuclear power program. Meanwhile, the Defense Innovation Unit issued a solicitation for commercial advanced nuclear technologies to support the effort. The nine sites the Army identified through comprehensive analysis include Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. The Army said the final number and location for these microreactors will be determined as part of the acquisition process, but the service is committed to maximizing the number of sites.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. Cyber Command has a new chief artificial intelligence officer. Brig. Gen. Reid Novotny, who was tapped to serve in the role, said his priority will be ensuring that AI strengthens the nation's cyber forces and improves decision-making advantage. Novotny previously served as the National Guard Bureau's director of intelligence and cyber effects operations and most recently as the Office of the National Cyber Director's senior military policy adviser. Novotny steps into the role amid leadership turnover and other turmoil at the military's top cyber enterprise.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees will be able to contribute more to their Thrift Savings Plan accounts next year. The IRS increased the maximum annual contribution limit to $24,500, which is a $1,000 increase over 2025. Additionally, employees aged 50 or older can save more money through their catch-up contributions. And if employees are aged 60 to 63, they can save even more with a higher catch up contribution of $11,250. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal union is suing the Trump administration for not handing over a list of employees that agencies might be targeting to remove their job protections. The new lawsuit from the National Treasury Employees Union alleges that the Office of Personnel Management violated the Freedom of Information Act by not providing those details. The union's legal action comes after the Trump administration earlier this year revived an effort to make large portions of the federal workforce at-will and easier to fire. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to save the Navy Reserve Center system. They say THE provision in the Senate version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill would shutter 107 commands that provide administrative support and serve as home for approximately 48,000 Navy reservists across the country. In a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services committees, the lawmakers said if the Navy has issues with the current force structure, the service should identify those issues, present them to Congress along with their plans to fix them. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the shutdown now officially over, the White House isn't waiting to get things back and running. The Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum instructing federal employees who had been furloughed to return to work today, and to take all necessary steps to ensure that offices open in a prompt and orderly manner. The Government Publishing Office even took to X to direct all teammates they should report to their duty stations and contact supervisors with questions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transgender Air Force and Space Force service members are suing the Trump administration for rescinding pensions that had been previously granted by the Air Force secretary. President Trump issued an executive order in January that banned transgender people from serving in the military. In June, the Air Force approve retirement orders for the Airmen named in the lawsuit, but two months later the service reversed the course, informing Airmen, each with at least 15 years of service, that they would be separated without retirement benefits under the ban. The lawsuit argues that revoking those retirement orders violates Air Force policies and procedures. Transgender service members affected by this will lose an estimated $1 to $2 million over the course of their lifetimes, the lawsuit says. It will also strip them of lifetime access to TRICARE health coverage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Open Season has officially begun. Enrollees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program have between now and December 8th to make changes to their health plan options. The open enrollment period also applies for Postal Service employees, as well as those with dental and vision coverage. For plan year 2026, federal employees' health insurance premiums are rising by an average of 12%.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Treasury Department is officially suspending Direct File, a free, online tax filing platform the IRS launched last year. The department says it's exploring alternatives. That includes strengthening its partnership with tax preparation companies through its Free File program. Direct File expanded to 25 states during this year's filing season and saw higher favorability scores. But Treasury says the program cost too much and didn't see enough usage to keep scaling it up. It says the IRS spent more than $40 million on Direct File this year. That breaks down to nearly $140 for every return submitted using Direct File. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies would be required to disclose when artificial intelligence replaces a federal job under a bipartisan bill in the Senate. Senators Mark Warner and Josh Hawley announced the AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act yesterday. The bill would require major companies and agencies to report AI-related job effects, including layoffs and job displacement, to the Labor Department. Labor would also be required to compile data on AI-related job effects and publish a report to Congress and the public. The legislation comes amid rising concerns about AI's impact on the job market.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Open Season approaches, one Republican is raising concerns about funding for the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Oklahoma Senator James Lankford is questioning the Office of Personnel Management on how it plans to avoid exhausting the FEHB's trust fund. He says it's a concern, since there aren't any incoming contributions to the trust fund under the government shutdown. In response to Lankford's questions, OPM said that if needed, it would be able to let health carriers request additional funding from contingency reserves. But for the time being, OPM says all FEHB plans have sufficient funds to pay claims.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Funds in the Thrift Savings Plan continue bring back strong returns month over month. In October, all 15 funds increased over their September numbers. The C and I funds were the top earners, returning 2.34% and 2.13%, respectively in October. The G, F and L income fund were the only funds to garner returns of less than 1%. Year to date, 13 of 15 funds are returning more than 10% with the I fund coming in at just over 28%.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colorado's attorney general is suing the Trump administration over its decision to move U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. Attorney General Phil Weiser filed the lawsuit last week, arguing the president's move is unconstitutional and violates federal law requiring notices and reports to Congress before relocating a major military headquarters. Weiser said President Donald Trump openly admitted the move was meant to punish Colorado for its mail-in voting system. The lawsuit also names Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Department of the Air Force and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink as plaintiffs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Plans to keep the FBI's new headquarters in the District of Columbia are moving ahead in Congress. Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee advanced the Trump administration's proposal to move the FBI to the Ronald Reagan Building just blocks away from the crumbling J. Edgar Hoover Building. The Biden administration planned to relocate the FBI headquarters to Greenbelt, Maryland.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The second-longest government shutdown is projected to put a toll on the U-S economy. The Congressional Budget Office expects the shutdown will take a $7 billion hit to the economy, so far. That sum would climb to $14 billion if it drags on for another month. About 750,000 federal employees are currently furloughed and many others are working without pay. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board is reminding federal employees of their current options for loans. All loans from the Thrift Savings Plan remain in good standing during a government shutdown, even if participants don't make payments on time. The TSP board has also received recent feedback from participants on its loan program, with some calling it a “true lifesaver.” Others say the TSP loan and withdrawal options have relieved at least some of their stress. TSP operations continue as usual during an appropriations lapse, since the TSP board is not funded by Congress.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The government shutdown is putting loans from the Small Business Administration on hold. SBA estimates that $170 million in loans have been paused each day. That adds up to more than $4.5 billion dollars over the length of the shutdown. SBA paid out more than $45 billion in loans to 85,000 small business in fiscal 2025. That's a record high for the agency. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of the Air Force is opening up its unused land across five military bases to private companies to build artificial intelligence centers. A request for lease proposals posted last week follows President Donald Trump's executive order to use federally owned land and resources to quickly build AI data centers. In addition, the Air Force said the service “cannot afford to disregard or discount the value of any asset, and must optimize the real and potential value of those assets.” Each project must be valued at more than $500 million and require at least 100 megawatts of power to qualify. Companies can lease property on Air Force bases in Tennessee, California, Arizona, New Jersey and Georgia. The government can purchase services and power from the centers but it's not required to do so. Proposals are due by November 14.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The number of federal employees exiting the government this year continues to grow. The Partnership for Public Service has added thousands more to its running tally of how many feds have left their jobs since January. The latest estimate surpasses 211,000 employees who are either already gone, or who may exit soon. The organization says the increase comes from the layoffs agencies announced earlier this month ... although those are being temporarily blocked. There were also some updated numbers on how many Defense Department personnel have taken a deferred resignation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The vast majority of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs keep working during a government shutdown. But VA Secretary Doug Collins says more than 30,000 of the department's employees have been furloughed. That's about double what the VA outlined in its latest contingency plans. Collins says the VA will have to furlough more staff from VA's central office next week if the shutdown continues. He's calling on Democratic lawmakers to pass a stopgap spending bill to end the shutdown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The current shutdown is taking a toll on air traffic controllers. In response to a recent union survey, 700 employees working in air traffic control jobs detailed stories of financial difficulties, like turning to local food banks, canceling medical treatments and seeking part-time jobs. The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, or “PASS,” says those hardships can carry over into the workday. The longer the shutdown goes, the more air traffic controllers feel their anxiety and stress levels rise. The union warns that can be a big distraction on the job. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hawaii, Alaska and New Mexico are among the states being hit hardest by the partial government shutdown. A new report by WalletHub, a personal finance company, ranked the impact of the shutdown across all 50 states and Washington D.C., across five key metrics, including each state's share of federal jobs to federal contract dollars per capita to national park access. WalletHub found Washington, D.C. is being impacted the most with a score of 76.33 out of 100, as 25% of all jobs are related the government. Hawaii and New Mexico earned scores of 71 each, respectively. Minnesota, Indiana and Iowa are the three states at the bottom of the list, scoring 15 or below out of 100. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats have launched a new website for federal watchdogs. That comes after the Trump administration pulled funding for the Council on Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency. CIGIE had provided website infrastructure services for at least 28 inspectors general offices. The Judiciary committee's website provides report repository and hotline contact information for IG offices that relied on CIGIE's funding. Many of the IG offices have set up temporary websites while Democrats in Congress have pressed the White House to restore CIGIE's funding. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More resources for federal employees during the shutdown are continuing to pop up. Several credit unions are offering no-fee loans to furloughed federal employees. Local food banks are offering options for those who may need it. And feds who have been laid off this year can also get a $2,000 loan – with no fees and no interest – from the Federal Employees Education and Assistance Fund. The offerings come as hundreds of thousands of federal employees face missed paychecks for the foreseeable future. Civilian feds received a partial paycheck late last week – it will be their last payday until the shutdown ends. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Democrats are demanding that the White House follow a 2019 law to ensure back pay for furloughed employees after the government shutdown. In a letter to the Office of Management and Budget, House and Senate lawmakers wrote that the law is clear: Furloughed employees are owed back pay, just as excepted employees are. The letter comes after OMB questioned whether the law actually guaranteed pay for furloughed feds. OMB's legal opinion, though, quickly received backlash from lawmakers, unions and other employee organizations.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Army's Human Resources Command has developed an internal AI chatbot called “Ask HR” — the chatbot will enter beta testing once the government is funded. The bot has access to Army regulations, Military Personnel Messages and other HR data, which allows soldiers to quickly find information. The new tool is part of a broader effort to create a “digital front door” for human resources, which combines the Army's existing call center and online services to improve the overall soldier experience. Army officials also said they are also exploring the use of generative AI to identify talent more quickly and improve officer retention. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.