Congress is one step closer to adopting a tougher name for the Department of Defense. An amendment added to the annual defense policy bill that passed the House would formally change its title to the Department of War. The name change echoes an executive order President Donald Trump signed in September. Only Congress has the authority to legally rename a federal department. Both chambers of Congress must approve the new name for it to take effect. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
OPM is hiring positions aimed at building out AI across the government
08/06/2026 | 8 mins.
OPM is taking steps to fill positions related to tackling critical agency needs and building out AI systems across the government. In a recent memo, Director Scott Kupor says the agency has created a candidate pool of more than 3,500 qualified candidates through hiring actions including the Tech Force and CyberCorp. Those include positions in IT, project management, contracting, finance and human resources. The candidates have already been vetted as part of the cross-government hiring efforts and can be hired more quickly than the traditional path. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Federal employees with disabilities sue DOJ over reasonable accommodations
05/06/2026 | 6 mins.
Federal employees with disabilities are suing the Justice Department for denying their reasonable accommodations requests to telework. A new class action complaint alleges that DOJ’s new policy violates the Rehabilitation Act. Two DOJ employees involved in the lawsuit previously had approved telework accommodations for years, due to a disability. But after strict return-to-office requirements, their telework accommodations were later denied. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Federal telework temporarily returns to FIFA World Cup host cities
04/06/2026 | 6 mins.
Agencies are getting a green light to temporarily lift federal telework restrictions during the FIFA World Cup. A new memo from the Office of Personnel Management says agencies operating in U.S. host cities are allowed to offer some limited telework options to employees, as needed. OPM officials say telework may be helpful in cases where cities are experiencing high traffic congestion and commuting delays. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Social Security looks to fully transition to electronic payments
03/06/2026 | 6 mins.
The Social Security Administration is looking to fully transition to electronic payments this year. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year directing the Treasury Department to stop issuing paper checks for all federal payments. SSA says paper checks are 20 times more expensive than electronic checks and are more susceptible to fraud. SSA beneficiaries seeking an exemption to this policy can request a waiver from the Treasury Department. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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