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- The Trump administration is creating a new classification for non-career employees. President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing Schedule G that would let agencies hire non-career employees who engage in policy-making or policy-advocating work. These employees would leave their position when the President’s term is over. The EO says Schedule G will improve operations, particularly in agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs, by streamlining appointments for key policy roles. Current authorities under Schedule C or the new Schedule Policy/Career do not provide for non-career appointments to policy-making or policy-advocating roles. The White House says this leaves a gap in federal hiring categories.
(Trump EO creates Schedule G for non-career employees – White House)
- The House Armed Services Committee’s version of the 2026 Defense policy bill authorizes $142.6 billion in research, development, test and evaluation, including $18.5 billion in science and technology programs. The House version of the Defense bill requires the Defense Department to extend software bills of material to artificial intelligence. One provision of the bill seeks to authorize the department to create up to 12 generative artificial intelligence lines of effort. Building on the fiscal 2025 Defense bill, the legislation seeks to add additional reporting requirements to the Authority to Operate process and streamline timelines for approving an ATO. In addition, the bill authorizes the creation of additional Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hubs.
(House defense bill advances $142 billion R&D package with focus on AI, innovation – House Armed Services Committee)
- Federal employees have a new chance to gain public sector leadership experience for free. The Harvard Kennedy School for public policy has launched a brand-new scholarship program, exclusively for civil servants. The program has enough funding to offer a full ride to at least 50 individuals seeking to earn a master’s degree in public policy. Scholarship recipients will get $100,000 to cover tuition and fees, as well as an additional stipend. Applications for the scholarship will open in September, and candidates will hear whether they’ve been accepted to the program next spring.
(American Service Fellowship – Harvard Kennedy School)
- Staffing vacancies at the Office of Personnel Management are making it harder for OPM to mitigate risks of fraud. The Government Accountability Office has been telling OPM for several years to improve its framework for assessing fraud risks in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. But a new report from GAO found that the OPM officials who had been responsible for conducting fraud risk assessments left their jobs earlier this year. Due to the staffing vacancies, GAO said OPM wasn’t able to explain whether or not it had improved its risk assessments for FEHB. GAO also reported that OPM has indefinitely paused work on its enterprise risk management efforts due to competing priorities from the Trump administration.
(OPM staff vacancies contributing to challenges in fraud risk assessments of FEHB – Federal News Network)
- The Environmental Protection Agency is offering a third round of voluntary separation incentives to a portion of its workforce, as part of its plans to reduce staffing. EPA employees in several offices can apply for deferred resignation or early retirement. Eligible EPA employees can apply for DRP 3.0 as soon as today. All applications must be received by July 25. Employees who take the deferred resignation offer will be separated from the agency no later than Nov. 30, but employees can separate from the agency sooner if they prefer. Retiring employees must separate from the agency no later than Dec. 31.
(EPA sends third deferred resignation offer to some employees – Federal News Network)
- A new President’s Management Agenda is in the works. The Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies to finalize the Trump administration’s PMA. While the timeline for release and the specifics are still to be determined, Eric Ueland, the deputy director for management at OMB, was clear on the PMA’s theme. “Across the board, the President has us working hard on a focused, smaller and more effective government that helps when it must, but frees the private sector everywhere it can, and we’re working hard to deliver because the time for talking is over. The time for action is now for the federal government.”
(OMB creating new PMA focused on smaller, more effective government – Federal News Network)
- Central Command has tapped Cyrus Jabbari as its new chief data officer. Jabbari succeeds Michael Foster, who left CENTCOM in December 2024. In his new role, Jabbari will “oversee the strategic integration of data-driven solutions to enhance operational effectiveness across CENTCOM’s area of responsibility.” Prior to his new role, Jabbari served as the first chief data officer at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He started his new role as CENTCOM’s CDO in May.
(CENTCOM appoints new chief data officer – LinkedIn)
- The new postmaster general outlines his vision for the Postal Service. David Steiner, former FedEx board member and Waste Management CEO, said he supports USPS remaining an independent agency. This comes at a time when the Trump administration has considered challenging its independence by merging it with the Commerce Department. Steiner said he also supports much of a 10 year reform plan led by his predecessor, former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. USPS faces long-term financial challenges and is on track to end the fiscal year with a nearly $7 billion net loss.
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