Brought to you by Southworth PC—Attorneys for Federal Employees

Our online community now tops 150,000 federal workers and supporters across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Each briefing distills the day’s most consequential developments, adds clear-eyed legal analysis, and pairs it with mindfulness tools that keep you steady no matter how turbulent the news cycle becomes. If this newsletter helps you stay informed, please pass it on: https://fedlegalhelp.com/newsletter. Your advocacy broadens the protective circle for every federal employee.

Top Three News Stories:

1. Trump Federalizes D.C. Police, Deploys National Guard; Federal Presence Expands Across the Capital

President Trump announced the federal government is taking control of Washington, D.C.’s police department under the Home Rule Act and deploying National Guard troops alongside federal law enforcement. The White House framed the move as necessary to combat crime, while local officials called it unprecedented and said they are evaluating legal options. The takeover can last up to 30 days before Congress would need to act to extend it, and the administration linked the effort to ensuring federal employees can work “in peace.” Agencies are preparing for coordination with FBI, ATF, DEA, Park Police and other components during the operation. The Wall Street Journal

Legal Insight: 

The Home Rule Act permits temporary federal control of MPD; it does not change federal employees’ basic duty status rules. Follow your agency’s safety, telework and facility-access guidance and document any schedule changes or overtime assignments in writing. If you are instructed to perform duties that raise safety concerns, elevate through your chain and the designated safety/security offices; whistleblower and anti-retaliation protections still apply to good-faith reports. If agency policies conflict with instructions from non-supervisory outside personnel, seek written clarification from your supervisor before acting.

2. FEMA and Other Agencies Cancel Union Contracts Following Executive Action on Bargaining

FEMA notified AFGE Local 4060 that its collective bargaining agreement is terminated, and EPA and USCIS likewise ended their union contracts, moves the agencies say align with a March executive order and recent court developments. The cancellations affect thousands of employees and come days after VA moved to end most of its agreements; unions vowed to challenge the actions and warned of workplace disruption. The Washington Post reports the agencies cited national-security and management needs, while union leaders called the moves retaliatory. Additional terminations at other components are anticipated. Washington Post

Legal Insight:  

Your individual rights still apply: start EEO within 45 days; most MSPB appeals are due within 30 days; whistleblower and other prohibited-personnel-practice issues can go to OSC. Get all directions in writing and save your PD, performance plan, emails, time-and-leave records, and any notices. Don’t sign waivers or acknowledgments about your rights without time to read them; you can ask for any new rule to be put in writing. If management changes how representation or “official time” is handled, note the effective date and keep a simple log of any denied time or cancelled meetings.

3. D.C. Circuit Orders OMB to Restore Public Apportionments Website Showing How Funds are Released

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied the administration’s request to stay a district court order requiring the Office of Management and Budget to republish a website detailing apportionments—how and when agencies may spend appropriated funds. The ruling emphasizes transparency in federal spending and comes amid reporting on delays imposed via apportionment footnotes. OMB must restore the site this week while litigation proceeds, and watchdog groups say the decision will help Congress and the public monitor execution of appropriations. Agencies did not immediately comment on operational impacts. Politico

Legal Insight:

Greater visibility into apportionments may prompt scrutiny of obligation rates and execution plans; ensure internal documentation supporting spend plans and delays is accurate and retained per records rules. Program managers should align communications with their CFO, budget and counsel offices to avoid unauthorized disclosures and to address congressional or IG inquiries promptly. Employees who reasonably believe they are being directed to conceal or misstate budget facts should use approved reporting channels; doing so preserves protections against reprisal.

Mindful Moment of the Day: 

Desk-Chair Grounding      

Federal desk work often chains us to agency-issue task chairs for hours, compressing lumbar discs and breeding covert tension. Once each hour, close your eyes, feel the exact points where your sit bones meet the cushion, and trace a silent body-scan upward—hips, spine, shoulders, jaw, crown. As you reach each zone, invite a micro-release: a two-millimeter shoulder drop, a subtle neck roll, a widening of the palms on the armrests. This tiny-but-total sweep resets posture and restores circulation faster than any ergonomic gadget, and it’s invisible enough to practice during a Webex briefing on FY 25 procurement goals. You’ll log out with fewer knots and clearer focus for that MSPB brief.