Senate passes $1.2 trillion funding deal 71-29 after Trump and Democrats split off DHS spending, but a brief shutdown begins Saturday with House not voting until Monday.
GAO reports Social Security at risk of “losing many staff in the near term” after telework ban dropped remote work from 42% to 13% of hours.
DHS halts terminations of FEMA disaster workers as massive winter storm approaches, hours after staff were escorted out during Noem’s tour of headquarters.
House passes final spending bills to avert Jan. 31 shutdown; seven Democrats crossed party to fund DHS as Jeffries called ICE “out of control” and voted no.
Federal judge rules TSA “plainly” violated court order by trying to strip airport screeners of union rights through a second memo after the first was blocked last year.
USDA directs employees to Google search foreign scientists they collaborate with for “subversive or criminal activity” and send flagged names to the agency’s Office of Homeland Security.
Nobel laureate María Corina Machado gives Trump her Peace Prize medal at White House meeting, but Trump still backs Maduro’s former vice president to lead Venezuela.
Trump administration reinstates up to $2 billion in mental health and addiction grants less than 24 hours after cutting them, following outcry from Congress and patient advocates.
Patel names career counterterrorism agent Christopher Raia as co-deputy FBI director after Bongino resigned over clashes about Epstein investigation handling.
FEMA says 50% workforce reduction figure was “included in error” in leaked internal plan, but officials confirm administration discussing major cuts for 2026.
DHS begins cutting FEMA disaster response staff on New Year’s Eve, terminating contracts within days as task force prepares recommendation to cut agency workforce in half.
IRS retirees who took government’s Deferred Resignation Program have received no income since September 30, with 29,000 retirement applications still pending at OPM.
NASA closes its largest research library Friday, with 100,000 volumes including irreplaceable Soviet-era space documents to be warehoused or thrown out as Goddard campus shrinks from 10,000 to 6,600 employees.
Social Security backlogs hit 6 million pending cases and 12 million field office transactions after 7,000 employees left this year, with disability appointment scheduling down to 66% from 90%.
Five states begin restricting SNAP benefits for soda and candy on New Year’s Day, affecting 1.4 million recipients as RFK Jr. pushes to reshape $100 billion program.
Office of Special Counsel resumes Hatch Act enforcement against former federal employees after Merit Systems Protection Board affirms jurisdiction, following April pause.
NIH denies reappointment for Walter Koroshetz, director of neurological disorders institute since 2015, leaving 13 of 27 divisions with acting leaders.
Trump recalls two dozen career ambassadors appointed by Biden, giving them until mid-January to leave posts typically held regardless of party.
Army lawyer fired as immigration judge after five weeks for granting asylum in 6 of 11 cases, as administration sends military attorneys to serve as “Deportation Judges.”
Supreme Court rejects Trump request to block case challenging policy that bars immigration judges from speaking publicly about immigration.
U.S. military kills five more people in boat strikes Thursday, bringing total to 104, hours after House rejected resolutions challenging the attacks on a 210-216 vote.
Trump finalizes 1% pay raise for civilian federal employees in January, down from 2% this year and below the 2.7% inflation rate, after initially planning a freeze.
IRS reassigns 1,000 IT employees out of tech division effective Dec. 28 with no clear new roles, telling them to upload resumes to be considered for other positions.
Trump signs executive order giving most federal employees Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 off, first time in recent years they have received two extra days around Christmas.
FAA lost up to 500 air traffic controller trainees during 43-day shutdown because they weren’t paid, even as academy stayed open.
Judge rules shutdown-era layoffs at four agencies must be rolled back, saying spending law prohibited all reduction-in-force actions.
Dan Bongino announces departure as FBI deputy director after 11 months to return to podcasting, citing desire to influence 2026 midterms.
Trump administration moves to dismantle 65-year-old Colorado climate research center that developed hurricane forecasting tools, calling it “climate alarmism.”
OPM launches Tech Force to hire 1,000 early-career technologists by March after Trump administration shed more than 300,000 federal employees this year.
Unemployment hits four-year high of 4.6% as economy added only 64,000 jobs in November, with economists declaring a “jobs recession.”
Veterans Affairs plans to eliminate up to 35,000 healthcare positions this month, five months after cutting 30,000 jobs in July.
National Park Service orders superintendents to cap top performance ratings at 5%, a move experts say violates federal code and could set up staff for layoffs.
GSA completed only 30% of DOGE-directed lease terminations after discovering closures would disrupt public services, as Musk says he “wouldn’t do it over again.”
Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado arrives in Oslo after U.S. helped her escape through 10 military checkpoints, first public appearance since January.
House passes bill to restore collective bargaining rights for 600,000 federal workers after 20 Republicans join Democrats to bypass GOP leadership and rebuke Trump’s March executive order.
IRS closes all pending hardship telework requests “effective immediately,” including for domestic violence survivors and immunocompromised employees, citing return to office mandate.
Dr. Oz emails 6,000 CMS employees weekly diet tips including “don’t double fist” at holiday parties, after 2014 Senate hearing where he admitted promoting unproven weight-loss cures.
Alina Habba resigns as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey days after appeals court unanimously ruled her appointment unlawful, moves to DOJ senior advisor role.
Education Department asks 250 employees it fired in March to temporarily return and clear civil rights case backlog, while still appealing their terminations in court.
Former federal workers file class action over DEI purge, alleging administration compiled target lists in November 2024 and fired DHS workforce that was 72% women, 36% Black
Unions seek emergency court order to block 1,000 federal layoffs after Trump administration argues congressional moratorium on reductions in force does not apply at five agencies, with State Department telling employees to “sue us.”
Six EPA employees fired for signing letter accusing agency of “recklessly undermining” its mission are appealing to MSPB, alleging First Amendment violations and political retaliation.
Treasury Secretary Bessent threatens to “veto” Federal Reserve regional presidents who haven’t lived in their districts three years, escalating White House pressure on independent agency.
Congress left “pornographic activity” undefined in tips tax law, forcing IRS agents to review OnlyFans content before denying deductions capped at $25,000.
Trump fires eight more New York immigration judges as fired Ohio judge sues, alleging discrimination based on gender, Lebanese dual citizenship, and prior Democratic candidacy.
White House denies Trump considering removing Patel after scrutiny of SWAT team guarding girlfriend at NRA event, government jet for personal travel.
Interior Department owes 100 Park Service workers up to $200,000 in legally required back pay, meets Tuesday to discuss whether to pay.
Judge dismisses Trump’s prosecutions of Comey and Letitia James, ruling interim prosecutor’s appointment invalid after career prosecutors refused to bring charges.
DOGE quietly disbanded with eight months left on charter after Musk claimed $214 billion in savings while researchers estimate 600,000 deaths from USAID cuts alone.
CFPB to furlough workforce on December 31 and transfer cases to Justice Department after Trump cuts Federal Reserve funding, latest attempt to close consumer protection bureau.
