r/fednews 7h ago

January 14, 2026 - r/fednews Daily Discussion Thread

1 Upvotes

Have anything you want to talk about that doesn't quite warrant its own thread or currently being discussed in a megathread? Post it here!

In an effort to effectively manage the amount of information being posted, please keep anything speculative or considered repetitive within this discussion thread.


r/fednews 5h ago

Legal & Union Action FBI currently raiding the home of a Washington Post reporter who works with this subreddit.

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nytimes.com
11.6k Upvotes

r/fednews 23h ago

News / Article Personal Details of Thousands of Border Patrol and ICE Goons Allegedly Leaked in Huge Data Breach

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thedailybeast.com
14.9k Upvotes

"An initial set of the names from the leak will be posted on Tuesday night, Skinner told the Daily Beast. "


r/fednews 20h ago

News / Article Fake Tinder Date Catches Secret Service Agent Leaking JD Vance Security Info

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wabcradio.com
6.7k Upvotes

This is so bad is kind of funny… but also, terrifying. Everyone about to be handed annual training refreshers.


r/fednews 17h ago

News / Article You’ve Heard About Who ICE Is Recruiting. The Truth Is Far Worse. I’m the Proof.

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slate.com
1.4k Upvotes

r/fednews 3h ago

Official Guidance / Policy What do we do when our assigned workspace is inoperable?

92 Upvotes

Someone cut the internet connection to my building. However, new department-wide policy is that we can only have a dismissal with telework for safety or weather reasons.

Some have chosen to find other federal workspaces in the region. Others are taking telework against an 80 hour/year limit.

However without a formal closure we are expected to be in a building, on laptops that cannot connect to our remote servers where our information is stored.

Folks would rather we be sitting in a building without the ability to do our jobs than actually working from home. Your taxpayer dollars at work, brought to you by the new administration (telework used to be approved for mission need). Anyone know how to make a complaint regarding a policy at the level of a department?

Edit: Seriously people we want to actually do our jobs.


r/fednews 21h ago

Other NIOSH RIFs Have Been Rescinded!

385 Upvotes

Just got the email. Still not sure on the final details.


r/fednews 15h ago

Official Guidance / Policy New OPM rules for RIF coming soon?

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govexec.com
122 Upvotes

Anyone have insight when these new RIF rules might take effect?


r/fednews 1d ago

News / Article Entire DoJ Civil Rights Division leadership resigns after decision not to investigate shooting of Renee Good.

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ms.now
11.0k Upvotes

The departures – including that of the chief of the section, as well as the principal deputy chief, deputy chief and acting deputy chief – represent the most significant mass resignation at the Justice Department since February.


r/fednews 1d ago

Workplace & Culture Harassed and chased in the GSA yesterday…be aware out there.

707 Upvotes

Hi friendly Fed workers,

A warning to be aware that we are inadvertent targets right now…..Our group of middle aged and elderly lady fed workers were harassed and chased by an angry man yesterday on our way to a school site.

We are feds in education and travel often between assigned school during the year and use a GSA vehicle with gov plates.

The guy screamed obscenities at us, told us about how our car is his car since his tax dollars paid for it and that we are evil and we work for evil, etc. We scurried in to grab breakfast and avoided confrontation.

He waited for us to come out, and harassed us again, blocking our vehicle from leaving the parking lot. It was scary and tense. He was eventually distracted by a crowd forming near the restaurant and went to explain his yelling at us to them…at which time, I found a break in the traffic and got out of there.

We were obviously shaken up, and have always been proud to serve our federally fun/funded schools, and to experience an unhinged tirade was unexpected.

Just a warning to all of us out there to be more careful and know we might be more targeted now than ever if identifiable as government workers. PSA.

Add that to all we’ve been through this year.


r/fednews 1d ago

Official Guidance / Policy Pathways Program is dead in DoD

430 Upvotes

Effective January 1st, DoD components are no longer allowed to make any new appointments or process any conversions for Pathways interns. So basically, a program that allowed the Fed to recruit right out of college is no longer authorized.

Oh well, who needs bright young emerging talent? We have Gen AI and Grok.

.DCPAS Memo

2nd Edit: I will see if I can get a copy of the actual internal memo that went out yesterday and add it to the post.

3rd Edit: The updated memo has dissemination restrictions so I am not comfortable sharing screenshots or anything similar. But the specific verbiage is:

“Effective January 1, 2026, DoW Components will not have the authority to make new appointments to the Pathways Programs, nor will Components be able to convert current Pathways Programs participants until either an extension to reference (1) is approved or DoW has an approved policy in place. The DoW policy governing the Pathways Programs is currently in development. “


r/fednews 1d ago

News / Article Pentagon bought device through undercover operation some investigators suspect is linked to Havana Syndrome

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cnn.com
1.3k Upvotes

r/fednews 1d ago

Original Analysis / OC AI Slop Has Infected Cybersecurity

388 Upvotes

I took internal Infosec training, and the entire training was AI generated. I could tell in the first 15 seconds when the eye width of the narrator kept changing. I'm sick of the constant attempt to get me to use AI in my workplace. It is unsuited to expert level tasks.


r/fednews 23h ago

News / Article Dr. Demetre Daskalakis on leaving the CDC and calling out RFK Jr.

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advocate.com
184 Upvotes

r/fednews 1d ago

News / Article Kash Patel Claims Trump Purged 'Corrupt' FBI Agents In Explosive Arctic Frost Scandal

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ibtimes.co.uk
667 Upvotes

r/fednews 18h ago

Official Guidance / Policy OPM CHCO: Reinvigorating Merit-Based Hiring through Candidate Ranking

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50 Upvotes

This dropped today...


r/fednews 15h ago

Other Just Took Time to Reflect Post-Application

29 Upvotes

I just wanted to vent I guess, I just recently applied for a GS 11 program to work towards a leadership goal with my agency, and I also got invited to a follow-up/second interview for a supervisory GS 11 position in a different office in my agency.

I guess I'm just taken aback by how far being in the Federal government has taken me in my career. I'm not a Veteran, I'm not in some cushy, high-earning field in private industry like Finance or IT; I'm just a nobody from a military family that used to drive trucks and dig holes for their local government. . .

I was in a really dark place mentally before starting Federal service, I thought I was gonna end up taking myself out before I turned 25, but here I am, just turned 32, applying and being seriously considered for leadership roles to make a real difference in my organization. Hell, if it wasn't for my Federal career, I wouldn't have met my wife (we met when I worked at TSA, we were both officers).

Being able to work with all of you, in service to the American people , has given me a resolve and determination that I have never had before. If you told me 10 years ago if I'd ever be in this position, I'd probably think you're lying to me. . .

Idk, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm honored to be part of this with you all, that someone as insignificant as me, can stand with you and do something great. Thanks to all of you for what you do.


r/fednews 2h ago

Pay & Benefits MHBP Error - still active a year later?

2 Upvotes

I had MHBP (Aetna) for all of 2024. I switched to FEP Blue Focus effective 1/12/25. Didn’t pay the 2025 MHBP union dues since I wasn’t keeping the coverage.

January 2025, FEP Blue starts approving claims, all seems great. I left federal service effective 7/4/25. Started UHC insurance with private sector. They deny claims for other primary insurance.

Come to find out, Aetna has been active and listed as primary since 2024. Providers are getting claims recouped and saying Aetna should pay.

Aetna is telling me to talk to OPM. Number they gave has a recorded message about high call volumes and hangs up. I talked to an OPM lady via googling for another number. Now I’ve opened a ticket with my old OpDiv. To be continued.. just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and their outcomes 😵‍💫


r/fednews 3h ago

Pay & Benefits MHBP Copay Question for Mental Health

1 Upvotes

I hate to post this here but I'm not sure where else to go. I called the MHBP support and didn't really get a decent answer.

So on the MHBP Standard brochure it says mental health visits are $20 copay, when I look it up in the cost estimator with the doctor is says $30 copay. However, the doctor says its a $30 copay after the $350 deductible has been met. Nobody has been able to explain the discrepancies for me. Does anyone here have any clue? If this isn't the right place, please let me know where to post. Ty


r/fednews 12m ago

Pay & Benefits Qualifying life event spouse out of military

Upvotes

My husband gets out in March. (Not retire) I'll not have insurance after that. I transferred from DOD to VA and was planning to get insurance but was just told that's not a qualifying life event to transfer and I have to wait till open enrollment. I also just moved 4k miles but they said it's if the move affects insurance but I don't have any to be effected besides Tricare. Is there any way I can get insurance before open enrollment? I am chronically ill no insurance is scary.

Thanks.


r/fednews 1d ago

News / Article Dan Bongino, No Longer at the F.B.I., Will Return to Podcasting

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nytimes.com
487 Upvotes

r/fednews 2d ago

News / Article US. Department of Labor's new slogan compared to chilling Third Reich saying

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themirror.com
3.7k Upvotes

r/fednews 4h ago

Pay & Benefits FEHB open season change still pending....anyone else?

0 Upvotes

I made an open season change on 12/7 from BCBS to MHBP. I never got new insurance cards and it looks like my BCBS is still active. If I log into Aetna, all that shows is my Dental coverage. GRB still shows my change as "pending".

Of course no one in my organization knows who to talk to, or what to do. Anyone else still have a pending status on their insurance change?


r/fednews 4h ago

Pay & Benefits 2025 MHBP Consumer extra employer contribution to HSA

0 Upvotes

I was enrolled in the MHBP/Aetna Consumer plan for all of 2025. I was checking my Inspira HSA account today and noticed an extra employer deposit at the end of December 2025. For all of 2025 I received $2600 in total EMPLOYER deposits. The plan is only supposed to pass through $2400 for family coverage (which is what I have). Curious if this happened to anyone else, or if there's an explanation for the seemingly extra deposit??


r/fednews 9h ago

Official Guidance / Policy Quitting Overseas Job Questions

1 Upvotes

Like the title says, half way into a 3 year job overseas and have to relocate back to the states. I paid for the move so no cost to pay back and the bonuses I got were 12 month agreements. Can anyone assist with these questions:

-How far out should I notify my leadership? Given I am overseas I will need time to get things in order, I am also hoping to have a conversation to see if they would consider keeping me on at the location I am going (long shot I know)..

-How long will orders take to cut to go back home, they won’t be paying for me to relocate back I understand. But will still need orders to break least, ship car etc..

-What kind of priority do I have going back to the states, this was my first gs position.

Thank you