Podcasts about personnel management

A new Office of Personnel Management hub for shared human resources services is open for business, the agency announced Tuesday. In a memo to federal agency leaders, OPM Director Scott Kupor said the HR Shared Service Center aims to “reduce fragmentation” within the government and allow agency staff to focus on their mission rather than administrative work. Per the memo, that new center provides a “comprehensive” suite of functions, such as benefits management, payroll administration, performance management, recruitment, training, and workforce planning. Using those services is voluntary for agencies and is a fee-for-service model. At least eight federal entities have already indicated they will make the transition, per the memo. Those include the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Government Ethics, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The announcement is the latest development in the Trump administration's broader push to consolidate HR services across the government. That plan, called “Federal HR 2.0,” aims to create a single personnel management platform for the federal government as a way to save money and reduce duplicative systems. The Federal Aviation Administration is gathering information from potential private-sector partners to inform the buildout of its defenses against cyber and quantum threats, according to documents published this month. The cybersecurity-focused market survey and quantum-related request for information are targeting the systems at the core of the Department of Transportation component's multiyear, multibillion dollar modernization initiative: the National Airspace System and Air Traffic Control. The FAA is looking for vendors that could improve its information security and operations, such as penetration testing, vulnerability evaluations and incident response coordination among other tasks. The scope of the project also includes assessing the current NAS cybersecurity posture to identify capability gaps, test emerging tech tools and recommend improvements. The DOT component is also planning to move its NAS, ATC and IT systems infrastructure to post-quantum cryptography, a concept centered around mitigating attacks from future quantum computers by adopting new encryption methods. “Without quantum‑resistant, crypto‑agile security, the NAS cannot achieve the reliability, performance, or international leadership required in the decades ahead,” the FAA said in its RFI published last week. “FAA therefore views PQC not as a compliance exercise, but as a foundational enabler of modernization — one that must be embedded into every vendor solution, every system upgrade, and every step of the Brand New Air Traffic Control System.” The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Anthropic's relationships with other federal contractors face irreparable harm following the Trump administration's governmentwide ban on the company and determination that it's a “supply-chain risk,” the Claude maker said in a lawsuit filed in a federal district court Monday. The legal challenge against the Pentagon, as well as multiple federal agencies and officials, seeks immediate and injunctive relief from President Donald Trump's directive banning the company from government use and the Department of Defense's designation of the company as a supply-chain risk. Among its arguments, Anthropic alleges the actions violate federal administrative procedure law, the company's right to free speech, and are beyond existing legal authority. The lawsuit also provides new details about the ramifications for Anthropic's work with other companies contracting with the federal government. At least one federal contractor that Anthropic has worked with to build custom applications has already “indicated that it may suspend that work or even remove Claude from existing deployments,” and others the company has worked with “are raising concerns, pausing collaborations, and considering terminating contracts,” according to the lawsuit. “Anthropic has no way to obtain redress from the government for those economic harms,” the company said. It estimated the actions by the Trump administration could jeopardize “hundreds of millions of dollars in the near term.” This one's also related to the government's ban of Anthropic, and the Secret Service can be added to the list of federal agencies or offices that said they won't use the company's Claude tool. The Department of Homeland Security component had used Anthropic's Claude models for code generation, a focus area for many organizations, according to Secret Service CIO and Chief AI Officer Chris Kraft. “That application does have the ability to leverage Claude models … but they're easy to change out,” Kraft said. “There's a whole list of a bunch of different models that you can choose from, and we will follow the guidance and leverage other models.” The Secret Service joins a growing group of agencies that are phasing out Anthropic's technology following the company's clash with the Department of Defense in late February. Software developers at the Treasury Department had been using Claude Code, though Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that the agency is terminating use. The Office of Personnel Management, NASA, the Commerce Department, the General Services Administration and Department of Health and Human Services are untangling Anthropic from AI use cases, if they haven't stopped using Claude already. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

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.

The Office of Personnel Management removed Claude and added Grok and Codex in an update to its public disclosure of AI use cases dated Wednesday. Removal of Claude comes after a disagreement between its maker, Anthropic, and the Department of Defense over the technology's guardrails culminated in President Donald Trump issuing a governmentwide ban on the company late last week. In the following days, numerous federal agencies have made moves to stop using Anthropic's services, including OPM. While the changes to the disclosure were made at the same time, Grok and Codex were not added as the result of Claude's removal, OPM spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover said in an emailed response to FedScoop. The human capital agency is “constantly working to provide the best tools to the OPM workforce. These initiatives were already underway,” Pinover said. According to the new inventory, the “first production use” for both tools is listed as the first quarter of 2026. Pinover confirmed that date references the calendar year rather than fiscal year. Grok, a product of Elon Musk's xAI, is listed as in production, and Codex, a coding specific AI tool from OpenAI, is being deployed in a sandbox phase — which generally describes a kind of controlled environment. OPM also added several other systems that deploy AI to its public disclosure, including Wiz, Zendesk, Waze, Google Maps, and the Apple iPhone. James “Aaron” Bishop has been tapped to serve as the Pentagon's chief information security officer and deputy CIO for cybersecurity, the department announced on social media Thursday. He assumed the role of CISO in an acting capacity on Feb. 27, according to a LinkedIn post from the Office of the Chief Information Officer. In his new position, he'll work under DOD CIO Kirsten Davies and be responsible for providing policy, technical, program and oversight support to the CIO on all cybersecurity matters. Bishop previously served as CISO for the Department of the Air Force, which includes the Air and Space Forces. According to his Air Force bio, his prior jobs in the private sector included CEO and founder of the Quantum Security Alliance, CEO and founder of Eigenspace, vice president and CISO for Science Applications International Corporation, and general manager of Microsoft's National Security Group, among other roles. David McKeown, who previously served as the department's CISO, deputy CIO for cybersecurity and special assistant for cybersecurity innovation, plans to leave government service for the private sector, according to the announcement. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

It's Thursday, March 5th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark 9 Nigerian Muslims on trial for killing 200 Christians Nine Fulani Muslim herdsmen are on trial in Nigeria for participating in the massacre of over 200 Christians in the country last year. Christian Daily International reports this is a rare case of prosecution against the Fulani herdsmen. The prosecution comes as the United States is calling on the country to combat Christian persecution. The U.S. is considering a bilateral agreement with Nigeria to protect Christian communities there and eliminate jihadist terror.  Psalm 7:9 says, “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.”  Nigerian Anglicans reject the homosexual agenda of Church of England Speaking of Nigeria, the Global Anglican Future Conference is meeting this week in the West African country.  The movement of conservative Anglican churches, mainly in Africa and Asia, supports Biblical sexuality. The group has effectively broken off from the Anglican Communion led by the Church of England.  Sarah Mullally is set to become the first female archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England. Sadly, she supports blessings for homosexual couples.  The Global Anglican Future Conference now plans on appointing its own leader who will represent Biblical values. The conservative group says it represents 85 percent of the world's practicing Anglicans. Christian teacher vindicated for refusing to say inaccurate pronouns In the United States, an Indiana school district agreed to pay $650,000 in a religious freedom lawsuit. Brownsburg Community School Corporation forced John Kluge, a Christian music teacher, to resign for not using biologically incorrect pronouns.  David Cortman with Alliance Defending Freedom commented on the case. He said, “After almost five and a half years, common sense has prevailed at Brownsburg. … Schools should learn that refusing to accommodate religious employees can be illegal and expensive.” Red state families having more babies than blue state families The Institute for Family Studies reports that the women in red states are birthing more babies than those in blue states since the COVID-19 pandemic. The 20 states that voted Democrat in 2024 saw a decline in people in their 20s and kids under 10 compared to 2019. Meanwhile, Republican-leaning states often had cheaper housing and tended to attract parents with young kids. States like Idaho, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee saw a 10% increase in married families with young children over the last five years. States like California, New York, and Illinois saw a decline in such families.  Trump cut federal workforce by 12% The federal government's civilian workforce shrunk by over 380,000 people during the first year of President Donald Trump's second term.   That's a 12% workforce reduction between September 2024 and January 2026. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management reported the numbers yesterday. Scott Kupor, the director of the agency, said, “This effort ensures taxpayer dollars support a workforce that delivers efficient, responsive and high-quality services.” Mortgage rate fell to 5.98% Mortgage rates fell below six percent for the first time in years. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 5.98 percent last week. It has not been that low since September 2022. Recent rates peaked at 7.8 percent in October 2023. Mortgage rates have been coming down slowly since the Federal Reserve began cutting its benchmark interest rate last year.  Only 4% of American adults have Biblical worldview And finally, Dr. George Barna released his latest survey on Biblical worldview. Sadly, only four percent of U.S. adults have a Biblical worldview. That's unchanged compare to 2023 and down from 12 percent in 1994. Most Americans, over eight in ten, may believe some Biblical principles but often think and live in ways that conflict with the Bible. Also, only two percent of young adults have a Biblical worldview. The survey noted, “Despite the increased attention given to faith matters after the Charlie Kirk murder, and the growth in church attendance and individuals purchasing Bibles immediately after that incident, there is no hint of improvement when it comes to Biblical worldview.” However, Dr. Barna wrote, “We reached a low point—4%— in 2023. The fact that we have not plumbed new depths since then hopefully suggests that we have bottomed out and are in line to experience positive growth in biblical thought and action.” Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, March 5th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

A range of AI use cases — from coding assistance to workflow automation — face alteration or retirement as federal agencies work to comply with a Trump administration directive to remove Anthropic tools from their systems within the next six months. The recent clash between the Claude maker and President Donald Trump comes after federal officials have spent years building up AI capabilities in government, including tools from Anthropic. Now, a growing list of agencies are immediately dropping use of those services, and in some cases, replacing it with other providers. In recent days, the Department of Treasury, the Office of Personnel Management, NASA, and the International Trade Administration all indicated to FedScoop they have stopped or plan to stop using Anthropic technologies in the wake of the ban announced via Truth Social. That adds to previous statements and internal communications at the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Department, and the General Services Administration. Trump's directive is the result of an escalated disagreement between Anthropic and the Department of Defense over how the technology should be used. While Trump accused Anthropic in his social media statement of attempting to “strong-arm” the DOD with its terms of service, CEO Dario Amodei said the company simply wanted to maintain safeguards to ensure that its technology would not be used in mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. The Secret Service is gearing up to launch what CIO and Chief AI Officer Chris Kraft is calling a new AI Program, which will act as a working group that comes in and helps IT teams. Kraft told FedScoop at Secret Service headquarters Wednesday in Washington, D.C., that the group will consist of 10 members initially and will also be tasked with identifying areas of opportunity to implement AI and other emerging technologies. Kraft said that “having that internal expertise, I believe, will be really transformational for us.” The Secret Service already uses AI technologies for license plate identification, facial recognition and other threat analysis. The AI group will focus on iterating existing use cases, as well as others like expanding counterfeit currency identification. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

A new bill would prevent federal retirees who survived domestic violence from needing to share personal details with their abusers during the retirement process. Currently, retired feds must get written consent from their current or former spouse if they update their retirement benefits; which can mean exposing personal contact information to abusers. But the “Federal Retirement Safety Act” sponsored by Congressman Joe Neguse would direct the Office of Personnel Management to waive the requirement for survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence. OPM already waives the requirement for people whose spouses have died or aren't able to be located.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 launched its Federal Workforce Data website in January, replacing FedScope, the 20-year-old repository for federal employment data. The new platform provides greater transparency into how the federal workforce operates, featuring monthly updates and interactive tables that offer deeper insight into workforce demographics. OPM Director Scott Kupor told GovCIO Media & Resesarch how the revamped site improves user experience and expands visibility into civilian agency operations. Kupor also explained how FWD could serve as a foundation for future consolidation of the federal government's disparate human resources systems.

An overhaul of the government's performance management system is coming down the pipeline. New proposed regulations from the Office of Personnel Management would change the annual review process for virtually the entire federal workforce. That includes a plan to limit how many federal employees can be ranked as so called “high performers.” Here with more is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Some senior political appointees, including the vice president, will continue to see a long-standing freeze on their salaries. The Office of Personnel Management announced that pay rates will continue to be capped for certain Executive Schedule employees. Political appointees in Schedules C and G, however, are exempted from the pay freeze. Certain higher-paid positions have continued to see their salary capped for more than a decade. For 2026, the pay ceiling sits at about $197,000.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 is telling agencies to proceed with terminating their collective bargaining agreements if they haven't already a new advisory from the Office of Personnel Management follows two executive orders last year that directed most agencies to cancel their union contracts. That's despite ongoing litigation against the president's orders here with the latest is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.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's newly finalized “Schedule F” policy is making big headlines. But there are also several other significant changes coming for the federal workforce. Three recent proposals look to give the Office of Personnel Management more authority, something that could bring significant changes for employees. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The Fake News lost the narrative on the climate hoax. Trump bringing back the fishing industry in Maine. Everything is being reverse, jobs are coming back. Trump is moving the pieces on the board and preparing the country to move back to sound money and the is using the market as a weapon. The [DS] cannot keep the country divided anymore. The people are awake and they are seeing the true enemy through the fog. Trump is pushing everything to win the Midterms. We are watching the final countdown. Trump is exposing the system and the election cheating system to force the RINOS to pass the save act. Once this is done it is game over.   Economy https://twitter.com/ChrisMartzWX/status/2020341736896360591?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");   foolishly reinstated them. Since Day One, I have taken historic action to END these disastrous policies and, today, I signed a Presidential Proclamation to UNLEASH Commercial Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, advancing the America First Fishing Policy! I am restoring nearly 5,000 square miles of Fishing access off the Coast of New England, which will revitalize our Fishing Industry, and STRENGTHEN our Booming Economy. Congratulations to all of our Great Fishermen. Please remember I did this for you, against strong Democrat opposition, and VOTE REPUBLICAN IN THE MIDTERMS! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP  https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/2020181009124192563?s=20   https://twitter.com/Bobby1_x/status/2020284867708350837?s=20  house: 614 oz gold Now: 82 oz 1971 Car: 86 oz gold Now: 9 oz 1971 Harvard: 63 oz gold Now: 11 oz 1971 Gas: 1 oz gold = 113 gallons Now: 1 oz gold = 1736 gallons If you saved in dollars your value inflated away to almost nothing But if you saved in gold you INCREASED your real world purchasing power MASSIVELY You didn’t see inflation, you saw deflation And you never even had to do so much as sell as stock or learn about bonds and interest rates All you had to do was save in gold Gold is and always will be the ultimate store of value https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2020229075487322323?s=20  By comparison, the 2020 high and 2012 peak were 40.9 million and 43.4 million, respectively. Meanwhile, ETFs of gold and other precious metals attracted +$4.39 billion in inflows in January, posting their 8th consecutive monthly intake. Furthermore, investors have invested a net +$3.62 billion in gold miner ETFs, the most since at least 2009. Demand for gold investments remains robust. https://twitter.com/MrPool_QQ/status/2020219515615793465?s=20  Reserve nominee if he doesn’t lower rates. “It was a joke.” No. It was a WARNING. The Fed’s days are numbered. MOVE 3: Pentagon CUT ALL TIES with Harvard. Military training. Fellowships. Programs. ALL GONE. The Ivy League pipeline to power is DEAD. MOVE 4: Launched TrumpRx. 43 medications. Ozempic included. Big Pharma’s monopoly: BROKEN. They charged you $1,000. He’s giving it for $300. MOVE 5: DHS funding expires February 13th. 6 days from now. Controlled shutdown incoming. Why? Because you can’t RESTRUCTURE what’s still running. Connect the dots: Iran tariffs = END of petrodollar Fed threat = END of central banking control Harvard cut = END of Deep State recruitment TrumpRx = END of Big Pharma monopoly DHS shutdown = RESTRUCTURING of homeland security This isn’t chaos. This is a DEMOLITION. Piece by piece. System by system. Pillar by pillar. The old world is being dismantled in REAL TIME. And the new one is being built while you watch.  DARK TO LIGHT   Political/Rights https://twitter.com/ICEgov/status/2019804241343234265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2019804241343234265%7Ctwgr%5Ea4849f0e923af3c8c6337a4af454066151ac3a71%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fsupposedly-autistic-womans-tale-being-abused-arrested-ice%2F   the location, continued to impede our officers, and found out the hard way. 18 U.S.C. § 111 criminalizes impeding or interfering with federal officers. Team Trump Catches Gavin Newsom in a HUGE Lie During Back-and-Forth as California Governor Releases Thousands of Violent Criminal Illegals Back into Society https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/2019831108511158481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2019831108511158481%7Ctwgr%5Ed4914c3e3e7d1872b32b0c54f58216356aecffd0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fteam-trump-catches-gavin-newsom-huge-lie-during%2F https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/2019876274798567749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2019876274798567749%7Ctwgr%5Ed4914c3e3e7d1872b32b0c54f58216356aecffd0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fteam-trump-catches-gavin-newsom-huge-lie-during%2F https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2019883966355107911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2019883966355107911%7Ctwgr%5Ed4914c3e3e7d1872b32b0c54f58216356aecffd0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fteam-trump-catches-gavin-newsom-huge-lie-during%2F   The law in question is the California Values Act (SB 54), signed into law in 2017 by then-Governor Jerry Brown. The legislation bars state and local resources from being used to assist federal immigratio Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/liz_churchill10/status/2020347917962473789?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2020451356562096282?s=20 https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2020249786017095995?s=20   https://twitter.com/Kimberlyrja8/status/2019799463129133362?s=20  , Savannah stated, “[Nancy] is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her, and you'll see.” Many have noticed that the phrasing is nearly identical to the line from the famous thriller, when Sen. Ruth Martin addresses the kidnapper of her daughter, Catherine, saying, “Catherine is very gentle and kind. Talk to her, and you'll see.” https://twitter.com/IENouwen/status/2020088584964125145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2020088584964125145%7Ctwgr%5E35d5b78a17a39c8933cea82db5535043ef4b09ff%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fwatch-savannah-guthrie-echoed-iconic-silence-lambs-line%2F TAKE A LISTEN   https://twitter.com/RyanSaavedra/status/2019972293032833214?s=20 https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/2020283785451806956?s=20   is coming. Remember immediately after that last tranche of documents were released, all of a sudden our international elite class of baby-farming, baby-eating kid fucking criminals were in an increasingly untenable position, where some of ’em had to resign from important positions, and others were being forced into exceedingly awkward explanations/apologies? Well how do you stop the train? How do you arrest the progress of the exposure of your baby-eating/kid fucking activities? Wouldn’t you try to come up with a way to do damage control where you make as VERY PROMINENT PUBLIC WARNING to the mainstream media: You do NOT really want to GO THERE and keep asking us awkward questions. BACK THE FUCK OFF. It could be YOUR mother next…TAKE THE HINT… Now… Who is she? Who is she pictured with? Where was the picture taken? Will Bill Clinton be asked on February 28 who she is and why he was with her on Epstein’s plane? Stay tuned for developments. https://twitter.com/ByronYork/status/2020107433612288444?s=20   BREAKING: Pam Bondi Announces Arrest of Key Suspect in the 2012 Benghazi Attack (VIDEO)  Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday morning that the FBI arrested one of the key players behind the deadly terrorist attack against the US Consulate in Benghazi. Islamic terrorists attacked the US Consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, eleven years after the attacks on the World Trade Center. As noted previously, the Libyan nightmare was the result of a war that President Obama and Hillary Clinton started.  They never should have started the war in Libya, never should have placed Americans there unprotected, and when the Americans in Benghazi were under attack on 9-11, 2012 they should have provided help.  Instead, four Americans died in Benghazi as was famously portrayed in the movie 13 Hours. For days after the attack on Benghazi, President Obama and Hillary Clinton blamed the attack in Benghazi on a made up story about a US citizen who incited protests in Benghazi from a YouTube video about Islam. They continued with the story as the caskets of the four dead Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were shipped back to the US. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton left the Consulate to fend for itself and never sent military support to rescue the men trapped at the Consulate. Attorney General Pam Bondi: On September 11th, 2012, Americans watched horrified as our embassy in Bengasi came under a vicious terror attack. We lost four American lives that day: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith with the State Department, and two CIA contractors, Glenn Dordy and Tyrone Woods. We have never forgotten those heroes, and we have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation. In fact, from day one, Cash and Dan would sit in meetings and say, We're going to get them, and they did. Today, I'm proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Bengasi attack. Zubar Albaqash landed at Andrews Air Force Base at 03: 00 AM this morning. He is in our custody. He was greeted by Director Director Patel and US attorney Jeanine Piero. Source: thegatewaypundit.com   DOGE Geopolitical https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2020137645339226362?s=20   supposed to GUARANTEE freedom, not RESTRICT it!” Poland standing tall against Brussels' Big Brother nonsense. This is what real leadership looks like. No bowing to globalist overlords. Poland remains a STRONG ally of the USA and a fighter for liberty.   Illegal Migrants and Gang Members out of the United States. We discussed many other issues, including Investment and Trade between our two Countries. He loves the people of Honduras, and is focused on their Health, Well-being, Education, and Economic Prosperity. I look forward to welcoming President Asfura back to the United States. Tito: Congratulations on your Great Victory! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP War/Peace https://twitter.com/BuzzPatterson/status/2020388749834965399?s=20 https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/2020238386108543128?s=20 Security Alert: Land Border Crossings (February 5, 2026) Location:  Iran, countrywide Event:  Increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages are ongoing. The Government of Iran continues to restrict access to mobile, landline, and national internet networks. Airlines continue to limit or cancel flights to and from Iran. U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye. Actions to Take: Leave Iran now. Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on U.S. government help. Flight cancellations and disruptions are possible with little warning. Check directly with your airlines for updates. If you cannot leave, find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items. Avoid demonstrations, keep a low profile, and stay aware of your surroundings. Monitor local media for breaking news. Be prepared to adjust your plans. Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to inform them of your status. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive the latest updates on security in Iran. If You Plan to Leave Iran:  U.S.-Iranian dual nationals must exit Iran on Iranian passports.  The Iranian government does not recognize dual nationality  and will treat U.S.-Iranian dual nationals solely as Iranian citizens. U.S. nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest, and detention in Iran. Showing a U.S. passport or demonstrating connections to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone.  U.S. citizens who do not have a valid U.S. passport in their possession should apply for one at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate after departing Iran. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety if you choose to depart using the following options. You should leave only if you believe it is safe to do so. As of Thursday, February 5:   Source:    Medical/False Flags China Bombshell: Patel says Biden-era FBI ‘buried' truth about CCP's ties to biolab on US soil  FBI Director Kash Patel says his agency has resumed an aggressive counterintelligence offensive against China and its Communist Party (CCP) that had been sidelined during the Biden presidency but is concerned the prior administration may have “buried” the truth about dangerous biolabs on U.S. soil tied to Beijing. The FBI boss said the renewed efforts have already resulted in a 40% increase in Chinese espionage arrests in the first year of the second Trump administration. Source: justthenews.com  [DS] Agenda ICE Humilates Far-Left Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in EPIC Fashion After She Signs Executive Order Barring Agency from Conducting “Unconstitutional and Violent” Operations ICE agents delivered a humiliating and richly deserved blow to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's ego on Friday, one day after she tried to hamstring them for doing their jobs. As WHDH reported, Wu signed an “An Executive Order To Protect Bostonians From Unconstitutional and Violent Federal Operations.” Specifically, the order bans federal officials, including ICE, from using city property for immigration enforcement operations. Wu's office says the order is designed to “protect residents from illegal federal overreach, prioritizing de-escalation, and reaffirms that Boston will hold anyone accountable who commits violence, property damage, or any criminal conduct in the City, including federal officials.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2020487139377443327?s=20 https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/2019900883082031120?s=20   https://twitter.com/Badhombre/status/2019488291263823960?s=20    “People for the American Way” and Brian Tyler Cohen's “Chorus.” People for the American Way receives most of its funding from George Soros' Open Society Foundations. Brian Tyler Cohen @briantylercohen was recently exposed in a scandal for receiving dark money from the Sixteen Thirty Fund and paying up to $8,000 a month to influencers like Olivia Julianna, David Pakman, JoJo From Jerz, and Leigh “Politics Girl” McGowan to amplify coordinated content. The Sixteen Thirty Fund, managed by Arabella Advisors, receives its funding from three major sources: – Berger Action Fund (Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss) – Open Society Policy Center (Hungarian Billionaire George Soros) – Democracy Fund Voice (French-born eBay founder Pierre Omidyar). Twelve people run the “HQ” account full-time. This is yet another coordinated propaganda campaign funded by leftist billionaires attempting to push their globalist agenda and sow division. Nothing organic or truly Gen-Z about it beyond the faces used to represent it. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2020289816882024790?s=20 President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/Rightanglenews/status/2020293934413680968?s=20 NBC CAUGHT IN ANOTHER LIE: VP Vance and Wife Were Not Booed at Olympics – It Was Quite the Opposite Vice President J.D. Vance, his with Usha and three children are representing the United States this week at the Winter Olympics.   J.D. was a hit at the Olympics venue.  On Friday night during the opening ceremonies NBC claimed the crowd was booing when J.D. Vance and his wife were pictured on the big screen. What disgusting people. Of course, this lie was quickly exposed by several fact-checkers online. Ovation Eddie 2 caught the media in their latest disgusting lie: https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2020155556158136778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2020155556158136778%7Ctwgr%5Ed35db378d07d7f30cba1d9449c0da87c52040e2a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fnbc-caught-another-lie-vp-vance-wife-were%2F   Remember: You can never trust a single word coming from the anti-Trump, Anti-American legacy media. Source: thegatewaypundit.com   https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/2020310461267202235?s=20   https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2020285717713453058?s=20   that out. Democrats Cry As Trump Makes It Easier to Fire Federal Workers The Trump administration is planning to make it easier to discipline—and potentially fire—career officials in senior positions across the government, a move that would affect roughly 50,000 federal workers. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the federal workforce, issued a final rule on Thursday that creates a category of worker for high-ranking career employees whose work focuses on executing the administration's policies. Workers who fall into that category would no longer be subject to rules that for decades have set a high bar for firing federal employees.  The Trump team, however, characterizes the move as one that gives the executive branch the ability to better shape the bureaucracy to help serve its agenda, instead of allowing it to clandestinely thwart it: The administration has been clear that the goal of the rule is to more easily fire workers they argue are hindering Trump policies — a nod to the president's claims of a “Deep State” within the federal government trying to undermine him. “This is not about people's views or ideas. This is about whether they are refusing to actually affect their duties on behalf of the American people consistent with the objectives of this administration,” said Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which promulgated the rule.   Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/2020298873923567783?s=20   doesn’t agree with the 5th Circuit’s ruling. How in the world would you REINSTATE a policy where an illegal who successfully evaded detection at a port of entry has legal recourse to bond when those illegals detected at a port of entry do not? The 5th just rightfully found that NEITHER kind of illegal should have recourse to bond – whether they are detected at a port of entry or they successfully sneak into the country and are here for months/years before being caught. The fact this absurd situation persisted for decades shows you the system was rigged to allow human trafficking and to create a literal legal industry to facilitate it.      Trump can “legally” mass deport ALL illegals, whether they have committed a crime or not. “A federal appeals court ruled that Trump administration can lock up the vast majority of people it is seeking to deport without offering a chance for bond, even if they have no criminal records and have resided in the country for decades.        https://twitter.com/alexahenning/status/2020196173663867144?s=20 https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2020253940374245522?s=20   https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/2020227805976678574?s=20  control of the Whistleblower's complaint, so I obviously could not have “hidden” it in a safe. Biden-era IC Inspector General Tamara Johnson was in possession of and responsible for securing the complaint for months. – The first time I saw the whistleblower complaint was 2 weeks ago when I had to review it to provide guidance on how it should be securely shared with Congress. – As Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Warner knows very well that whistleblower complaints that contain highly classified and compartmented intelligence—even if they contain baseless allegations like this one—must be secured in a safe, which the Biden-era Inspector General Tamara Johnson did and her successor, Inspector General Chris Fox, continued to do. After IC Inspector General Fox hand-delivered the complaint to the Gang of 8, the complaint was returned to a safe where it remains, consistent with any information of such sensitivity. – Either Senator Warner knows these facts and is intentionally lying to the American people, or he doesn't have a clue how these things work and is therefore not qualified to be in the U.S. Senate—and certainly not the Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Here is a detailed chronology of the situation: – June 2025, I became aware that a whistleblower made a complaint against me that after further investigation, neither Biden-era IC Inspector General Tamara Johnson nor current IC Inspector General Chris Fox found the complaint to be credible. – The complaint required special handling and storage in a safe because the complainant chose to include highly sensitive information within the complaint itself rather than referencing the sensitive reporting and leaving the complaint at a lower level of classification. – Security standards for complaints that include such sensitive intelligence required the Inspector General to keep the complaint and the intelligence referenced secured in a safe from the time the complaint was made, until now. – In June 2025 after Biden-era Inspector General Tamara Johnson completed her review of the complaint, no further oversight or investigative activity took place. – Biden-era Inspector General Johnson had communicated with me directly throughout the course of her investigation into this complaint, yet neither she nor anyone from her office informed me that the Whistleblower chose to send the complaint to Congress which would require me to issue security instructions. – When a complaint is not found to be credible, there is no timeline under the law for the provision of security guidance. The “21 day” requirement that Senator Warner alleges I did not comply with, only applies when a complaint is determined by the Inspector General to be both urgent AND apparently credible. That was NOT the case here. – I was made aware of the need to provide security guidance by IC Inspector General Chris Fox on December 4, 2025, which he detailed in his letter to Congress. – I took immediate action to provide the security guidance to the Intelligence Community Inspector General who then shared the complaint and referenced intelligence with relevant members of Congress last week. Senator Warner’s decision to spread lies and baseless accusations over the months for political gain, undermines our national security and is a disservice to the American people and the Intelligence Community. https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/2020151219210137711?s=20   https://twitter.com/AlecLace/status/2019802427487027667?s=20 https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/2020150184374681890?s=20 https://twitter.com/AlecLace/status/2019849309148311983?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2019941561367191842?s=20 https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/2020183096667128211?s=20  2. ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PROOF OF UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP TO REGISTER FOR VOTING.   3. NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS (EXCEPT FOR ILLNESS, DISABILITY, MILITARY, OR TRAVEL!). https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2020314452483342609?s=20     (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

The Office of Personnel Management finalized a new classification Thursday for career federal workers in policy-related roles that will effectively make them easier to terminate. The new “Schedule Policy/Career” creates an administrative category for nonpolitical “career” federal employees who work in roles that are defined as influencing policy. Workers added to that classification will be converted to “at-will” employees and will no longer be eligible for adverse action procedures or the ability to appeal terminations. Roughly 50,000 employees will be subject to the change, per an estimate in the final rule. Despite the administration's assertion that the new schedule is for “accountability” and will not be subject to political loyalty tests, federal employee advocates have long argued the policy is a thinly veiled attempt to strip career employees of safeguards in an effort to replace them with workers who are politically aligned with the president. The announcement from OPM on Thursday stated that the final rule explicitly does not allow discrimination based on politics, prohibits use of the new schedule to reshape the workforce or conduct mass layoffs, and would protect whistleblowers. OPM also stated that it would take on a role to review agency actions to ensure they are compliant. A Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency order published Thursday directs federal agencies to stop using “edge devices” like firewalls and routers that their manufacturers no longer support. It's a stab at tackling one of the most persistent and difficult-to-manage avenues of attack for hackers, a vector that has factored into some of the most consequential and most common types of exploits in recent years. New edge-device vulnerabilities surface frequently. Under the binding operational directive CISA released Thursday, federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agencies must inventory edge devices in their systems that vendors no longer support within three months, and replace those on a dedicated list with supported devices within one year. To aid agencies in following the directive, CISA is producing a list of end-of-service edge devices. CISA developed the directive in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget, and puts a bit more muscle behind a decade-old OMB circular on agencies phasing out unsupported technologies. Despite being called “binding operational directives,” CISA has no authority to mandate that agencies carry out the orders — although agencies have demonstrated they usually seek to follow them, and there are ways that CISA can work to ensure compliance. The private sector pays attention to CISA's directives even though they don't apply to companies. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Tens of thousands of career federal employees will soon be made easier to fire. That's after Office of Personnel Management issued a final rule on “Schedule Policy/Career.” Once fully implemented, the new employment classification will exempt many employees from long-standing job protections. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CIO Bob Costello joined GovCIO Media & Research at its AI Summit earlier this year to discuss how the agency is deploying agentic AI and tackling cybersecurity workforce challenges. Costello outlined how CISA is integrating AI into operations while prioritizing security, oversight and workforce readiness. Costello also highlighted CISA's partnership with the Office of Personnel Management on the Scholarship for Service CyberCorps program, which aims to strengthen the federal cybersecurity talent pipeline. He said agencies need new approaches to help employees better understand AI's role and build confidence using the technology in day-to-day work. The conversation also touched on how CISA's agentic AI capabilities are accelerating approval timelines and autonomously taking action to mitigate cyber threats.

Imagine a blueprint for remaking America's government from the ground up, drawn by conservative architects at the Heritage Foundation. That's Project 2025, launched in April 2023 as the 900-page Mandate for Leadership, a detailed roadmap to consolidate executive power and dismantle what its authors call the bloated administrative state, according to the Heritage Foundation's own documentation.At its core, the plan targets federal agencies for radical overhaul. It calls for abolishing the Department of Education entirely, shifting programs like those under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to Health and Human Services, while empowering states with school choice and parental rights to combat what it labels "woke propaganda" in public schools. The Department of Homeland Security would vanish too, replaced by a streamlined immigration agency merging Customs and Border Protection, ICE, and others, with proposals to end protections against migrant apprehensions near schools and churches, as outlined in the Mandate.Key reforms push the unitary executive theory, placing the DOJ, FBI, and independent bodies like the FTC under direct presidential control. "The DOJ has become a bloated bureaucracy... infatuated with a radical liberal agenda," the project states, advocating replacement of civil servants with loyalists via reinstating Schedule F, which strips job protections for up to a million workers. It also eyes cuts to Medicare and Medicaid through funding caps and work requirements, plus shrinking the National Labor Relations Board to hinder union organizing.Latest developments show momentum: By early 2025, President Trump's Executive Order on the Department of Government Efficiency directed agencies to prepare massive reductions in force and reorganization plans by March, per Office of Personnel Management guidance, echoing Project 2025's 180-day playbook of ready executive orders.Experts warn of risks. The ACLU describes it as a "radical restructuring" threatening civil liberties, while unions like the American Federation of Government Employees decry it as a bid to terminate workers and politicize expertise. Yet proponents argue it streamlines efficiency, as Heritage claims: a collective effort for "positive change."This ambition connects to broader themes of reclaiming power from unelected bureaucrats, illustrated by merging economic bureaus into one conservative-aligned entity.Looking ahead, Phase 2 agency plans due by September 2025 could accelerate these shifts, with midterm elections as a pivotal decision point.Thanks for tuning in, listeners—come back next week for more.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

The Office of Personnel Management is out with more details on how agencies should implement the new “rule of many.” It's a recruitment technique that changes how hiring managers rank and select job candidates. The Trump administration says the “rule of many” will streamline and improve the hiring process. But implementation also depends on agencies' resources and how willing they are to change their approach. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gets more from vice president of government affairs at the Partnership for Public Service, Jenny Mattingley.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it take to modernize government for the pace of AI?In this episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, host Tammy Haddad speaks with Scott Kupor, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, about the launch of the US Tech Force and the push to bring the best technologists into government service. The conversation also features Arun Gupta, CEO of the NobleReach Foundation, a founding partner of US Tech Force; Justin Fanelli, CTO of the U.S. Navy; and Christopher Watkins, CMEIO of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Together, they discussed the urgency of skills-based hiring, early-career pipelines, public-private mobility, and how AI is already reshaping mission-critical decision-making across national security and civilian agencies.Recorded before a live audience at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center Theater.

Clearer numbers on the federal workforce are coming into view. That's with the Office of Personnel Management's major update to one of its largest data assets, FedScope. The now renamed “federal workforce data” website aims to deliver information faster, and with more frequent updates. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Small Business Administration is enlisting Palantir's help in its nationwide probe of suspected loan fraud, as yearslong fraud allegations in Minnesota draw national attention. According to federal spending records, the SBA signed a $300,000 contract with the data analytics and software giant last week. The contract's description read “SBA Fraud Prevention Pilot and Bootcamp,” and has a projected end date of April 4. The contract, signed through the General Services Administration's Multiple Award Schedule, was made public just days after SBA Secretary Kelly Loeffler announced that the agency had suspended 6,900 Minnesota borrowers for alleged fraud following its review of thousands of pandemic-era loans administered to the state. Loeffler said the borrowers were approved for 7,900 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans totaling about $400 million. When asked about the Palantir contract, SBA spokesperson Maggie Clemmons pointed to the agency's Minnesota probe, writing: “We're now expanding our investigations nationwide as part of a broader zero-tolerance policy on fraud.” Clemmons added: “The agency has multiple audits underway, from pandemic-era programs to federal contracting, and will work with law enforcement to hold fraudsters accountable and put the criminals who have cheated American taxpayers behind bars.” The Office of Personnel Management launched a new workforce data website last week, replacing an antiquated interface and aiming to bring more transparency to federal employment figures. OPM officially announced the new Federal Workforce Data site last Thursday, with data up to November for most categories. That site includes accessible statistics of interest — such as a reduction of 220,000 workers under President Donald Trump — as well as multiple interactive charts that users can filter by agency, timeframe, or other factors. In a written statement, OPM Director Scott Kupor called the website “a major step forward for accountability and data-driven decision-making across government.” While federal workforce data has long been made publicly available online, the old interface, FedScope, was cumbersome and offered data updates on a quarterly basis that lagged by months. In addition to a more modern interface, the new website adds datasets for payroll and recruitment, and promises updates on a faster monthly interval. Per a note on the website, FedScope will no longer be available as of Jan. 28. Despite controversy over the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the workforce, publication of the website was immediately well received by federal data users and advocates. In comments to FedScoop, several sources both applauded the new website and noted that interest in improving the publication of federal workforce data began before the current administration. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

The Presidential Rank Awards are back for 2026, and the Office of Personnel Management is now looking for nominations. The prestigious honors program is reserved for career members of the Senior Executive Service and other senior career employees. OPM's new call for nominations marks a restart of the awards program, which the Trump administration canceled for 2025. Agencies have until February 5th to submit nominations to OPM for any executives they want to be considered for a 2026 award. 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 out with new guidance on telework and remote work for federal employees. The updated policy now emphasizes as much in-person presence as possible across government. OPM's revisions aim to better align with the Trump administration's return-to-office orders. Here with the details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Throughout season 3 of this series, I've been speaking with leaders in the practice of civic design; designers who have dedicated their careers to improving the everyday experience we, as citizens, have when we interact with our government. My guests for this episode are two of the most respected leaders in the global civic design community: Arianne Miller and Sean Baker. For more than a decade, Arianne and Sean worked side by side as leaders of The Lab at OPM, a pioneering human-centered design team embedded within the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Arianne served as Managing Director, and Sean as Director of Design Strategy and Operations.The Lab at OPM was dissolved in early 2025 as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to U.S. federal government staffing. Since then, Arianne and Sean founded Civic Design Collaborative, with a mission to help government and civic-minded organizations create services that are easier to use, more equitable, and more effective.In our conversation, I was struck by how their approach to driving sustainable change in government is actually transferable to other complex, scaled organizations, especially in the private sector. We touched on themes that come up again and again on this podcast: the importance of building trust and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, and approaching complex problems with deep curiosity and humility.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.

The federal retirement inventory has reached yet another new high. The Office of Personnel Management now has over 50,000 applications still awaiting a finalized annuity. The increase comes after more than 13,000 retirement applications entered OPM's systems in December. It's taking OPM about 67 days to process a retirement case from start to finish. But OPM's numbers don't include any retirement cases still pending with agencies. Some retirees report major delays in receiving their payments, months after separating from government.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal retirement delays are gaining more attention and criticism in Congress. House Democrats are pressing the Office of Personnel Management for answers on how it's addressing abnormally high retirement numbers. The application surge, largely caused by the deferred resignation program, is slowing down retirement processing for thousands of former feds. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies may soon see more robust requirements when preparing federal employees to join the Senior Executive Service. A new proposal from the Office of Personnel Management looks to reform and standardize SES candidate development programs across government. But without the right attention, planning, and resources, some say OPM's efforts could fall flat. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gets more from the Partnership for Public Service's vice president of government affairs, Jenny Mattingley.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 wants to bring a surge of technical expertise into the government's ranks. The agency is aiming to recruit 1,000 new federal employees for the inaugural class of the “U.S. Tech Force." The new hiring effort comes after hundreds of thousands of feds left government this year. Here with details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we're joined by Scott Kupor, Director of the Office of Personnel Management. I think of it as the federal HR department — he makes a compelling case that it's really the government's talent management organization.Scott manages talent for an organization of 2+ million people with a $7 trillion budget. We discuss:* How DOGE cut federal headcount — and what comes next?* Why agencies rehired employees they had just laid off* How few federal employees get fired for poor performance* What OPM can do without congressional helpFor the full transcript of this conversation, go to www.statecraft.pub. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.statecraft.pub

The Trump administration's deferred resignation program helped lead to a massive and unexpected surge in retirement applications, now flooding the government's retirement systems. But amid that application influx, the Office of Personnel Management has also rolled out a major effort to modernize the legacy federal retirement system. Many experts see the launch of OPM's “online retirement application” as a long-awaited improvement. But with high retirement volumes, some remain wary of the timing. As part of her special report this week, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gives us the details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal retirement processing has slowed substantially this year due to the Deferred Resignation program. As the Office of Personnel Management continues modernizing retirement systems, another application surge looms.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 launched a new governmentwide hiring program Monday aimed at filling technology hiring gaps in federal agencies with workers who will serve in two-year stints. That program, dubbed the U.S. Tech Force, is being spearheaded by the Office of Personnel Management and has buy-in from private-sector tech companies that will serve as partners in the hiring initiative.The first cohort of recruits will be roughly 1,000 individuals who will range from early-career data scientists and engineers to engineering managers from the private sector. According to a release from OPM, their mission will be to accelerate AI adoption in government and fulfill a priority of the Trump administration. On a call with reporters Monday, OPM Director Scott Kupor said the goal of the program isn't to get workers to commit to “a 40-year career in federal government.” While that's welcome, he said, the aim is to “get the benefit of really smart people working on some of the world's most complex and difficult problems” and provide them with an opportunity, if they so choose, to then go work in the private sector. More than two dozen technology companies have already agreed to Tech Force partnerships, including Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, Anduril, Nvidia, Oracle, Adobe and ServiceNow. Those companies have not made firm agreements to hire program alumni but can do so in line with their needs, Kupor said. The commitment that OPM has made to those partners, he said, is “to do a great job of recruiting fantastic people.” The White House and Office of Personnel Management shared more details last Wednesday about the effort to transition federal government HR platforms to a single system, outlining a timeline and expectations. In a memo to agency leaders, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and OPM Director Scott Kupor said the transition portion of the administration's “Federal HR 2.0” project will take place over the next two years, with some agencies coming online earlier than others. Agencies must also stop current projects related to their current systems unless they have an exception. Kupor said in an emailed statement with the memo: “For too long, taxpayers have footed the bill for duplicative HR systems that no modern organization would tolerate. Today's announcement is a major win for efficiency, accountability, and good government.” The memo is the latest action in the Trump administration's push to centralize HR systems as a way of saving money. Per the document, the government currently has more than 100 “core human capital management” systems, and the administration expects that consolidating those systems — as well as HR services — will save billions. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

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.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have left their jobs this year, due to the Trump administration's efforts. Now, the Office of Personnel Management is telling agencies to start rethinking their senior executive staffing too. The request comes as OPM introduces a number of other changes for federal managers. Here with the latest, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.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.

Senior executives have some new training and development opportunities from the Office of Personnel Management. The optional courses cover many of the Trump administration's new priorities for the federal workforce. OPM initially launched the trainings in November, but the agency says there will be continuous updates to the content moving forward. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with OPM Director Scott Kupor. Here's part two of their conversation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Senior executives have some new training and development opportunities from the Office of Personnel Management. The optional courses cover many of the Trump administration's new priorities for the federal workforce. OPM initially launched the trainings in November, but the agency says there will be continuous updates to the content moving forward. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with OPM Director Scott Kupor. Here's part one of their conversation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Management Matters, host James-Christian Blockwood sits down with Romina Boccia, Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute and a leading voice on federal spending and entitlement reform, and Academy Fellow Rob Shriver, Managing Director of the Civil Service Strong and Good Government Initiatives at Democracy Forward and former Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to reflect on the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Together, they explore its root causes, economic and social impacts, and the lessons policymakers can draw to prevent future crises. Tune in for an insightful discussion on governance, fiscal responsibility, and the ripple effects of political gridlock.Management Matters is a presentation of the National Academy of Public Administration produced by Lizzie Alwan and Matt Hampton and edited by Matt Hampton. Support the Podcast Today at: donate@napawash.org or 202-347-3190Episode music: Hope by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comFollow us on YouTube for clips and more: @NAPAWASH_YT

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.

Senior executives across government have some new opportunities for development. The Office of Personnel Management has just launched two new training series. They'll focus on topics like budget, policy and human capital management while also incorporating many of the Trump administration's overhauls to the federal workforce this year. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gets more from OPM Director Scott Kupor.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 has kicked off another major human resources modernization effort. And unlike its effort to consolidate 119 different HR systems across the government, this one came with little fanfare. OPM is planning to revamp the USA Hire platform, which provides agency hiring managers candidate assessment tools, with the goal of making evaluations more efficient and leading to higher quality of applicants. For more on OPM's newest HR IT modernization initiative, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now.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.

The Army is initiating massive organizational reforms for how it buys new weapons and capabilities in an effort to drastically shorten procurement timelines and promote innovation, according to top service officials. Announced Friday, the Army's acquisition portfolio overhaul will consolidate the service's program executive offices (PEOs) responsible for buying new weapons into six new offices called “portfolio acquisition executives” (PAEs). The plan also creates a new office dedicated to rapidly injecting and scaling emerging technologies into Army formations. The transformation comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced his intent to revamp acquisition processes across the entire Pentagon on Nov. 7, as well as an April directive from Hegseth that called on the Army to consolidate many aspects of the service — including its procurement organizations. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told reporters Wednesday ahead of the announcement that the new structure aims to mimic best practices from private industry, creating a new system that accepts risk and streamlines capability delivery. The Defense Department's civilian employees whose pay was impacted by the record-setting government shutdown and lapse in appropriations that ended this week are expecting to receive their missed paychecks retroactively. However, questions are swirling about the Pentagon's plans as it reopened Thursday — including the timeline for that out-of-cycle backpay process, whether it will arrive in the form of lump sum payments, and more. According to a new policy memorandum from the White House Office of Personnel Management issued Wednesday after President Donald Trump signed legislation to fund the government: “Federal employees who did not receive pay because of the lapse in appropriations that began on October 1, 2025, must receive retroactive pay at the employee's standard rate of pay for the lapse period as soon as possible after the lapse ends,” pursuant to the U.S. Code. That guidance applies explicitly to the department's personnel affected by the lapse who were either furloughed or performed excepted work activities. Service members and some DOD civilians designated “essential” reported to work during the shutdown — but only military officials were paid. More than 1 million federal employees reportedly missed one partial and two full paychecks during this shutdown, which caused serious financial strain for public servants across the nation. Several reports surfaced this week regarding when the Pentagon might begin processing paychecks and how soon they could start to arrive. The DOD did not appear to publicly release final, comprehensive guidance with details on its workforce repayment schedule and plans. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

The Office of Personnel Management is hinting at some upcoming initiatives aiming to bring more tech talent into the federal workforce. At the same time, OPM says it's looking to improve early career recruitment and focus more on applicant skill sets rather than job titles. But OPMs big hiring goals also come after hundreds of thousands of feds have left their jobs this year. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Office of Personnel Management makes progress toward a long-pursued goal to move the government's paper-based retirement system into the 21st century, its director said a “fully automated” process is about six months away. OPM Director Scott Kupor said in an interview with FedScoop: “That's not going to happen overnight.” But, Kupor said he believes the agency can get there within six months “for sure.” The human capital agency hit a milestone in May with the launch of its Online Retirement Application, operationalizing a yearslong development effort and marking the end of paper file submissions. Yet behind the scenes at OPM, there's still much work to do to bring about a truly automated process. Though the application submissions are now online, humans still currently check the information coming in to make sure they've been completed properly and manually key in information into a calculator in “a significant number of cases,” Kupor said. That introduces “a huge amount of delay in the system” and is something the agency is working to fix. The aim is to ultimately have a system where the retiree, human resources, and the payroll provider all submit their information online and route that package electronically — not to a person in the agency's retirement services division, but to a Digital File System that can fill in the application and do the calculations, Kupor said. Under that future process, he said, all individuals at OPM will be doing is reviewing and spot checking. The simple target of what OPM is trying to do with retirement services, Kupor said, is to go paperless “as quickly as possible.” The Department of Energy is refreshing its investment in five research centers focused on quantum information science after five years of operation. In a Tuesday announcement, DOE said it's putting up $625 million to keep all of the existing National Quantum Information Science Research Centers (QIS) going for up to five more years, matching the same investment that launched those centers in 2020. Darío Gil, DOE undersecretary for science, said in a written statement: “President Trump positioned America to lead the world in quantum science and technology and today, a new frontier of scientific discovery lies before us. Breakthroughs in QIS have the potential to revolutionize the ways we sense, communicate, and compute, sparking entirely new technologies and industries.” The centers were authorized by Congress and signed into law in 2018 during the first Trump administration as part of the National Quantum Initiative Act. Since the first January 2020 investment from DOE — which envisioned “two to five multidisciplinary Quantum Initiatives” — centers led by its Brookhaven, Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, Oak Ridge, and Fermi National Laboratories have been established. According to a DOE press release, the work of each center includes supporting science that has “disruptive potential across quantum computing, simulation, networking, and sensing,” as well as establishing “community resources, workforce opportunities, and industry partnerships.” The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

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.

After the tragic loss of her daughter Erin to gun violence, Marcy Langhofer transformed heartbreak into hope by founding Do Good for Erin, a nonprofit devoted to ending violence and supporting those it affects. What began as a simple clothing drive in Erin's memory has grown into a powerful movement that's donated over $650,000 to local agencies and awarded scholarships to future social workers. Through courage, compassion, and community, Marcy shows that even in our darkest moments, love can rise, kindness can heal, and purpose can be reborn.  Key Takeaways:   Kindness has the power to turn pain into purpose and loss into legacy.  Healing begins when we choose to reach outward with compassion, even in grief.  Community connection strengthens resilience and reminds us we are never alone.  Every small act of giving can restore hope and dignity to someone's life.  True impact happens when we live with empathy, intention, and heart.  Join us for the Kindness Campaign and help create a ripple of compassion in your community! Sign up today at SmallChangesBigShifts.com/Kindness to receive daily acts of kindness and inspiration.   We're also inviting sponsorship partners to help us expand this movement and touch even more lives. If your organization would like to be part of spreading kindness across communities, explore the opportunities here: https://smallchangesbigshifts.com/download/9926/?tmstv=1757105005     About Marcy Langhofer:  Marcy Langhofer is a Founder and President of Do Good for Erin, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization launched in 2019 after the tragic death of her daughter, Erin, from a random act of gun violence. Based in Overland Park, Kansas, Do Good for Erin started as a humble “Comfy Clothing” drive collecting Erin's favorite attire for the women and children she served as a domestic violence therapist at Rose Brooks Center, but has since expanded into a charitable powerhouse. In its six years, Do Good for Erin has provided $650,000 to agencies that support its mission “Passion for Ending Violence, Compassion for those it Affects.” In addition, the organization has awarded $30,000 in scholarships at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.   Prior to her work at Do Good for Erin, Marcy was Associate Financial Representative for Timothy Moyer at Northwestern Mutual for 17 years and Director of Human Resources for Smith, Gill, Fisher and Butts. In 2024 she was awarded Northwestern Mutual's national Community Service Award. She received degrees in Personnel Management and Communications at The University of Kansas.   Marcy has been married to Tom Langhofer for 39 years and is a loving mom to her daughter and son-in-law, Kathryn and Adam Rowe, and an adoring Grammie to Jennings and Jack.    Connect with Marcy Langhofer at:  https://dogoodforerin.com/      https://www.facebook.com/DoGoodForErin/     https://www.instagram.com/dogoodforerin/?hl=en       Connect with Dr. Michelle and Bayleigh at:  https://smallchangesbigshifts.com  hello@smallchangesbigshifts.com  https://www.linkedin.com/company/smallchangesbigshifts  https://www.facebook.com/SmallChangesBigShifts  https://www.instagram.com/smallchangesbigshiftsco  Thanks for listening!  Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.  Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!  Subscribe to the podcast  If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.  Leave us an Apple Podcasts review  Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. 

The Department of Homeland Security has decreed that we will all learn what chain refoulement is … by watching them try to rendition wave after wave of immigrants. Andrew and Liz will explain how that's totally illegal. Plus, Newsmax is suing Fox News, again.   Links:   Newsmax v. Fox [Wisconsin Docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71323347/newsmax-broadcasting-llc-v-fox-corporation   Newsmax v. Fox [Florida Docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71258079/newsmax-broadcasting-llc-v-fox-corporation   Biden v. Byrne https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67990012/robert-hunter-biden-v-patrick-m-byrne   Comey v. DOJ https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71348216/comey-v-united-states-department-of-justice   American Federation Of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. United States Office of Personnel Management https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69655364/american-federation-of-government-employees-afl-cio-v-united-states/   D.A. v. Noem https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71323714/da-v-noem   Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod