Government, policy, and civic life — what's changing and what it means for you.

Liz Oyer, who was fired from her position as pardon attorney last year over her refusal to recommend that Mel Gibson’s right to own a firearm be restored, said the Justice Department did not follow its own policies when it removed her.

COMMENTARY | Key provisions of the state’s Brown Act came into effect this summer, but it should be seen as just the first step on the path to building more trust.

New York Focus had spotlighted the T-Mobile contract, which cost the city $3.5 million a month to equip Chromebooks with cell service.

The survey from Public First and ITIF found that 46% oppose data centers in their communities, compared to 26% who support, far behind other projects.

Critics of President Trump’s plan to keep most federal employees’, save for federal law enforcement officers and military service members, pay at 2026 levels say it picks winners and losers.

Postmaster General David Steiner says USPS “is not a political organization,” as it carefully navigates its way through yet another round of election mail lawsuits and urges Congress for help to avoid running out of cash.

COMMENTARY | mDLs are available in 21 states and Puerto Rico, showing that the technology has real promise. The rest of the states must follow suit to make them truly useful.

A new source for commissioned officers—but is it needed?

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the president claimed that denying the federal workforce a pay raise will not hurt agency recruitment and retention efforts.

OPM is still working through a sizable retirement backlog, and year-end retirees have plenty to sort out before they leave federal service.

COMMENTARY | Key provisions of the state’s Brown Act came into effect this summer, but it should be seen as just the first step on the path to building more trust.

The survey from Public First and ITIF found that 46% oppose data centers in their communities, compared to 26% who support, far behind other projects.

USDA employees say they have nothing to lose by saying they plan to relocate, even if they have no intention of moving, or are only considering it as a last resort.

Liz Oyer, who was fired from her position as pardon attorney last year over her refusal to recommend that Mel Gibson’s right to own a firearm be restored, said the Justice Department did not follow its own policies when it removed her.

Pro-tip: Don’t let messy files stall your federal exit.

Prosecutors say Richeline Fung secretly held contractor jobs tied to six agencies and claimed up to 33-hour workdays while working full time for the federal cyber agency.

A panel of former leaders of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency made several recommendations for reforming the group, which has been targeted by the Trump administration.

National Weather Service radars may miss storms or other incidents, but now local governments are investing in their own equipment to supplement those federal tools.

NYC public schools will ban student-facing generative AI through eighth grade and cap screen time, Mayor Mamdani announced. But key details — including the specific tools affected — remain unclear days before school starts.

Elected officials want basic standards governing how the technology is used by state and local government entities.

Matthew Kiley will take over as the division prepares for Open Season following a round of workforce cuts.

A new center will help the agency expand access to the computing power and other resources researchers need to develop artificial intelligence.