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Federal Agencies

All articles tagged with #federal agencies

HRW accuses Minnesota ICE surge of human rights abuses
politics2 months ago

HRW accuses Minnesota ICE surge of human rights abuses

Human Rights Watch released a 186-page report alleging that the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota this winter violated residents’ rights, including race-based detentions of thousands (even U.S. citizens and legal residents), harsh detention conditions, and restrictions on access to attorneys, creating a chilling effect on free speech and assembly. The group calls for accountability, congressional and UN action, and policy changes, while DHS disputes the findings; HRW based its conclusions on 136 interviews and 52 videos.

CISA Tightens Patch Timelines for Federal Agencies, Pushing Critical Flaws to Three‑Day Fixes
technology2 months ago

CISA Tightens Patch Timelines for Federal Agencies, Pushing Critical Flaws to Three‑Day Fixes

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued Binding Operational Directive 26-04, requiring U.S. Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies to remediate high‑risk vulnerabilities with accelerated timelines—down to three days for publicly exposed, known‑exploited flaws and up to two weeks for less urgent cases. The directive supersedes older BODs and mandates updates to vulnerability management policies, asset inventories, and automated KEV/CVE reporting, with full adherence within 180 days and policy changes within 60 days. It covers on‑premises, third‑party hosted, and cloud environments while excluding certain military, intelligence, and contractor systems, signaling a broader industry patch‑priority shift.

Death probe shutters I-290 in suburban Chicago as federal teams sweep scene
local2 months ago

Death probe shutters I-290 in suburban Chicago as federal teams sweep scene

A death investigation closed lanes on I-290 in Chicago's west suburbs between 25th Ave and Wolf Rd for hours as local and federal authorities, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, and a Cook County bomb squad, probe an apparent incident involving a Volkswagen SUV; the vehicle was towed and some ramps reopened by evening as the investigation continued.

Treasury pushes Trump portrait on $250 bill, triggering resistance and reassignment
investigations2 months ago

Treasury pushes Trump portrait on $250 bill, triggering resistance and reassignment

The Washington Post reports that Trump administration officials pressed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 bill featuring Trump’s portrait—the first living person on U.S. currency in more than 150 years—despite the printing director’s resistance, who was reassigned last month. Staff were shown mockups of the note, and a designer described himself as a royal portrait artist who discussed the design with Trump, according to four current and former employees, making this an exclusive investigative look at the currency proposal.

Apple seeks federal agency papers to bolster iPhone antitrust defense
technology3 months ago

Apple seeks federal agency papers to bolster iPhone antitrust defense

Apple is asking a New Jersey federal court to compel the U.S. government to produce documents from 14 federal agencies that could support its defense in the DOJ antitrust case. The government argues the requests are irrelevant, overly burdensome, and likely to involve privileged or classified materials, and should be denied or narrowed, with the dispute hinging on Rule 34/Rule 45 discovery rules.

technology4 months ago

US Agencies Quietly Test Anthropic Mythos Amid Ban Sparks Cybersecurity Debate

Federal agencies and lawmakers are quietly pursuing access to Anthropic's Claude Mythos despite Trump's ban, with the Commerce Department's CAISI testing its hacking capabilities and congressional briefings planned to assess its cyber-scanning power, underscoring a tension between cybersecurity ambitions and political restrictions as officials weigh Mythos' national-security implications.

Colleges sue to block federal plan to dismantle NCAR, the U.S.'s leading climate research center
science5 months ago

Colleges sue to block federal plan to dismantle NCAR, the U.S.'s leading climate research center

A coalition of universities led by UCAR filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), alleging a coordinated campaign against Colorado over political disputes. The suit accuses agencies of gag orders, cutting funding, and moving NCAR’s supercomputing facilities, arguing the actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act and threaten national security and the nation’s leadership in weather and space weather modeling and forecasting.

policy5 months ago

UCAR sues federal agencies over actions impacting NCAR operations

UCAR filed a federal lawsuit in the District of Colorado against NSF, NOAA, DOC, OMB and their directors, alleging constitutional violations and violations of the Administrative Procedure Act stemming from agency actions against NCAR/UCAR. The suit seeks to halt the actions, declare them unlawful, and obtain an injunction to protect NCAR/UCAR’s operations and mission, noting potential threats to national security, public safety, economic prosperity, and the U.S. lead in weather and space weather modeling. UCAR says it will not comment further while the litigation proceeds.

DHS funding stalemate keeps partial government shutdown in place
politics6 months ago

DHS funding stalemate keeps partial government shutdown in place

Democrats and the White House remain deadlocked on funding the Department of Homeland Security tied to immigration‑oversight demands, triggering a partial shutdown that halts funding for several DHS agencies while allowing ICE and CBP to continue largely due to prior funding; with Congress on recess and no compromise in sight, the broader political story—and other headlines such as Gaza reconstruction pledges and Iran–US talks—continue to unfold.

CISA Orders Federal Agencies to Replace End-of-Life Edge Networking Gear
security6 months ago

CISA Orders Federal Agencies to Replace End-of-Life Edge Networking Gear

CISA's Binding Operational Directive 26-02 requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies to identify and decommission end-of-life edge devices (routers, firewalls, switches) that no longer receive updates. Agencies must inventory EOS devices within 3 months, decommission EOS gear within 12 months, and replace identified devices within 18 months with vendor-supported equipment, with continuous discovery inventories to be in place within 24 months. The mandate aims to reduce exposure to exploits targeting outdated edge devices; it applies to FCEB agencies, with encouragement for others to follow.

Top 5 Federal Agency and Employee Trends to Watch in 2026
government7 months ago

Top 5 Federal Agency and Employee Trends to Watch in 2026

In 2026, federal agencies will face key issues including potential government shutdowns due to funding delays, workforce reductions and layoffs, implementation of Schedule F affecting civil service protections, major reorganizations across agencies, and ongoing legal battles over layoffs, agency dismantling, and funding disputes, all amid efforts to reshape the federal government under the Trump administration.

Senate Passes Funding Bill to End Government Shutdown
politics9 months ago

Senate Passes Funding Bill to End Government Shutdown

The U.S. Senate passed a bill to end the government shutdown, funding most agencies through January 30 and specific programs through September 2026, while also increasing security funding and reversing mass layoffs of federal workers. The deal includes provisions for reimbursing states, security enhancements, and various appropriations for government departments, with additional details on earmarks, hemp product bans, and restrictions on Chinese technology purchases. The next step is a likely vote in the House of Representatives.