Coast Guard partially reopens National Maritime Center, amid DHS shutdown
04/23/2026 | 6 mins.
The Coast Guard is partially reopening the National Maritime Center. In a notice this week, the Coast Guard said NMC civilian staff have returned to work, as the Department of Homeland Security taps into emergency funds during the partial government shutdown. The NMC will process applications for merchant mariner credentials, medical certificates, and course approvals on a first-in and first-out basis. But Regional Examination Centers will continue to be closed to walk-in customers. Last week, Coast Guard leaders told Congress there’s a growing backlog of 18,000 merchant mariner credentials due to the shutdown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
House Republicans propose a billion-dollar cut to IRS funding
04/22/2026 | 6 mins.
House Republicans are proposing a billion-dollar cut to IRS funding next year. A fiscal 2027 spending bill introduced by members of the House Appropriations Committee would give the IRS a $10.2-billion budget next year. The Trump administration proposed more severe IRS cuts in its budget proposal, closer to a $1.5 billion cut. Funding for public-facing taxpayer services would remain untouched, but IRS enforcement would see the deepest cuts under the plan from House Republicans. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
House bill would create a permanent IG for Fraud
04/21/2026 | 5 mins.
A new House bill would establish a permanent Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability and Recovery. The Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act, introduced by Texas Republican Pete Sessions last week, would ensure the permanent IG assists other inspectors general in detecting and mitigating fraud in federal awards over $50,000. The bill also would require the Treasury Secretary to make recommendations for anti-fraud resources in any future emergency relief or recovery appropriations packages. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The number of so-called TSP millionaires trends downward
04/20/2026 | 7 mins.
The number of so-called “TSP millionaires” is trending downward. As of April 1, there were about 185,000 Thrift Savings Plan participants with accounts totaling over $1 million. Compared with the previous fiscal quarter, that means there are now about 10,000 fewer TSP millionaires. Latest reports show that million-dollar accounts make up about 2.5% of the nearly 7.3 million total TSP accounts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Space Force lays out space operations plans for next 15 years
04/17/2026 | 6 mins.
The Space Force has laid out a vision for how it plans to operate in space over the next 15 years. In two highly anticipated documents, service officials describe how they think the space environment will evolve by 2040 and the capabilities the service will need to keep pace with emerging threats. Service officials estimate the U.S. could operate around 30,000 satellites by 2040 and that artificial intelligence and autonomy will transform space operations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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