New from me and @colinwood.me⬇️

Russ Vought says RIFs have begun. OMB spox tells @madialder.bsky.social the RIFs are "substantial, but didn't provide further details. @fedscoop.bsky.social x.com/russvought/s...

That included notifications that roles were “excepted” during a shutdown. A spokesperson pointed to “minor data” discrepancies, which the agency worked to fix. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/data-error-r...

Scoop from me⬇️

Scoop from me⬇️

Statistics, public data leaders condemn Trump’s order to fire BLS commissioner. One group, whose leadership includes two former BLS commissioners, called on Congress to respond immediately and investigate her removal via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/statistics-p...

Thanks for having me! This was such a thought provoking discussion

Grok for gov? GitHub shows GSA interest in Elon Musk AI tool. A GSA spokesperson told FedScoop the agency welcomes all American companies who “abide by our terms and conditions." via @rebheilweil.bsky.social and @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/grok-for-gov...

Interior exploring AI use to address probate backlog in tribal communities. The growing technology could be used to track and monitor probate packages, aid data entry, and scan for accuracy based on historical data, a department spokesperson said. via @madialder.bsky.social

Federal judge grants preliminary injunction in challenge to DOGE record access at OPM. The ruling provides a win for administration challengers on the heels of several recent court victories for the DOGE. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/judge-grants...

Customs and Border Protection taps ‘chatCBP’ to assist workforce. The new generative AI chatbot is aimed at tasks like “summarization” and “multi-file analysis,” adding to the department’s existing DHS Chat. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/customs-and-...

Seven references to hiring “patriotic Americans” in this memo + a new essay requiring federal applicants to say how’d they advance presidential executive orders

My colleagues @fedscoop.bsky.social dug deeper into public records vs. public statements from Trump-appointed SEC chair Paul Atkins. The savings don't come close to what #DOGE claims.

#FDA tech officials complied with DOGE’s requests for data. The staff reductions still came. Officials at the FDA who spoke to FedScoop believe that information from a recent “data call” on critical and essential systems informed staff reductions. via @madialder.bsky.social

🎉💕

Political vs. career #CIOs: Former #IT chiefs weigh merits of both following OPM guidance. Ex-CIOs agreed that political appointees can be valuable changemakers, but some cautioned against a blanket policy, politicization of the role. via @madialder.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=PudJ...

Deep dive: In the first few weeks of the Trump admin, OPM released guidance that would make it easier for agencies to install politically appointed IT chiefs. @fedscoop.bsky.social spoke to nine former gov CIOs about that memo’s impact. Read about their takes here⬇️ fedscoop.com/political-vs...

Court filing offers insight into DOD’s probationary #workforce kerfuffle after firings. The #Pentagon has started a process to rehire some employees who lost their jobs. via @brandivincent.bsky.social & @madialder.bsky.social defensescoop.com/2025/03/20/d...

Here's the latest on federal agencies' compliance with a court order telling them to reinstate fired probationary workers⬇️

Federal board orders temporary reinstatement of thousands of #USDA probationers. The stay applies to all fired Agriculture probationers who were told their employment wasn’t in “the public interest” based on performance. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/federal-boar...

#OPM tells agencies it’s not directing probationary #firings. The human capital agency updated guidance to say it’s “not directing #agencies to take any specific performance-based actions.” via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/opm-tells-ag...

Agencies take cautious approaches to #OPM #email asking for list of accomplishments. #Federal agency responses included giving workers a template and warning to write responses as if they’re going to “be read by malign foreign actors.” via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/agencies-tak...

#AFGE National President Everett Kelley said the #federal worker union would fight mass #firings of government employees Thursday, calling the Trump administration’s actions a politically driven abuse of the probationary period. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/afge-says-it...

US AI Safety Institute taps Scale AI for model evaluation. The company will work with the safety body to jointly develop testing criteria with the aim of opening up evaluation to companies of all sizes. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/us-ai-safety...

FedScoop's on a heater. by @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/noaa-inboxes...

The #WhiteHouse #OMB rescinded its Monday directive pausing #federal #grants, #loans and other assistance, according to a new memo obtained by FedScoop. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/white-house-...

#HHS names three officials to lead #AI, #technology and #data portfolios. Installing a CAIO, CTO and CDO comes after a reshuffle of the agency’s #technology and #cyber work in July. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/hhs-names-th...

The White House disclosed more than 1,700 AI use cases were reported by federal agencies in 2024, more than doubling the number from last year and providing an updated picture of how the government is approaching the technology. A thread on why this matters: fedscoop.com/federal-gove...

#Federal #government discloses more than 1,700 #AI use cases. The new total more than doubles the figure from last year. Of those use cases, 227 were labeled rights- or safety-impacting. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/federal-gove...

#FBI, #DHS supporting #NewJersey drone response with detection methods. The agencies said the mysterious sightings thought to be #drones appear to actually be manned aircraft operating lawfully. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/fbi-dhs-new-...

NEW: In 2024, the State Department has rolled out several AI tools that officials say are saving employees time and giving them a chance to explore the technology. I spoke to leaders about some of those use cases (including the ChatGPT-like StateChat) and what's to come fedscoop.com/state-depart...

CBP is continuing to expand its use of biometric iris recognition at the nation’s borders, a notable move given the somewhat limited use of the technology compared with more widespread applications like fingerprint and facial recognition. via @rebheilweil.bsky.social fedscoop.com/customs-and-...

#Trump wants a #DOGE. An Obama-era #tech official has some tips. Pahlka, who wrote about transforming #government services in her book “Recoding #America,” said the DOGE leaders need to connect with people already doing the work. via @madialder.bsky.social

The U.S. #AI Safety Institute shared results Tuesday from its inaugural joint model evaluation with its U.K. counterpart, probing the #biological, #cyber and #software capabilities of Anthropic’s updated Claude 3.5 Sonnet. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/anthropic-te...

Congress should designate an entity to oversee #data #security, #GAO says. The watchdog recommended governmentwide coordination to ensure the public’s civil rights and civil liberties are protected. via @mattbracken.bsky.social fedscoop.com/congress-dat...

GREAT reporting from my colleagues (and a hell of a last line)

NEW: A National Science Foundation demonstration project aimed at improving data infrastructure within the U.S. government is eyeing an artificial intelligence chatbot that could help answer questions about statistical information. My story for @fedscoop.bsky.social: fedscoop.com/ai-chatbot-p...

The incoming #Trump administration is expected to rescind #Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence. A slimmer #policy could take its place. via @madialder.bsky.social fedscoop.com/trump-likely...

gonna be posting here more, mostly about what government and technology issues, particularly under this new administration. also want to flag some colleagues, including @mattbracken.bsky.social @madialder.bsky.social @chrismvasq.bsky.social

hi bluesky👋🦋