Govcon

"Trump’s plan to slash the federal workforce isn’t the first, it’s just the worst," Defense One

"Musk and his squad at the United States Department of Government Efficiency Service—a name that even the most talented satirist couldn’t make up—have found a way to do what was once thought impossible, or illegal, or at least irrational: unload federal employees en masse ... Mindlessly hacking away at the federal workforce is reckless, cruel and wasteful. Undoing the damage already done will take years. And Musk is just getting started."

"Time is running out: Lawmakers scramble for a deal to stop a shutdown," Politico

"Talks between the top appropriators in the House and Senate have soured in the past week, with lawmakers still searching for an agreement on topline spending levels that are a prerequisite for funding individual agencies and programs for the remainder of the fiscal year."

"The stalemate has been driven in part by partisan distrust over the Trump administration’s remarkable seizure of the federal purse strings. Democrats want assurances from Republicans that the administration will adhere to Congress’s wishes on spending as Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk summarily cut jobs and programs."

"VA rescinds most telework, remote work policies for employees that still have them," FedNewsNetwork

"While the vast majority of VA employees are already working in the office, the memo will still have an impact on tens of thousands of positions. The VA said more than 20% of its 479,000 employees currently have telework or remote work arrangements."

"The memo states the VA will terminate all telework and remote work agreements for Senior Executive Service and their equivalents by Feb. 24. ... By May 5, the VA will terminate all telework and remote work agreements for bargaining unit and non-bargaining unit employees with current official duty stations within 50 miles of federal office space.  No later than July 28, the VA will end all telework and remote work agreements for employees with current official duty stations that are more than 50 miles away from federal office space."

"Federal workers launch a new site to share inside information about DOGE," the Verge

"'We the Builders' aims to be a secure outlet for government workers to share how their workplaces are being impacted by DOGE, and a place to explain the real world impact of its access to government tech systems, a former federal worker behind the project tells The Verge."

"The website is aimed at informing the general public about what’s happening inside federal agencies, as well as explaining how a database being accessed by DOGE in Washington, DC could impact citizens in tangible ways all across the country."

"T-Mobile slices through public safety with major NYC deal," Fierce Wireless

"T-Mobile officially announced its New York City public safety deal as it talked up its T-Priority 5G network slice for first responders at an event in New York on Thursday night. ... The deal names T-Mobile the single carrier for all emergency agencies in the five boroughs of NYC."

"Historically, Verizon boasted the largest market share for public safety, but in 2017, AT&T won the 25-year contract to provide the network for FirstNet, the first nationwide U.S. network dedicated to public safety. The 9/11 Commission recommended a nationwide, interoperable network after the tragedies of 9/11 exposed problems with first responders’ inability to communicate. 

Travel

"Wait, Are Airline Catering Budgets Really This Low?!" One Mile at a Time

"Even in first class, meals aren’t expensive. I’d be skeptical, but another knowledgable FlyerTalk member shares some numbers that were provided during a tour of an airline catering facility a bit over a decade ago, where it was mentioned that the typical Lufthansa meal budget for a long haul flight was €2 in economy, €4 in premium economy, €10 in business class, and €20 in first class."

"Why Your Hotel Has Five Stars—But Zero Closet Space," Wall Street Journal

"Travelers can no longer assume that storing their clothes on the road will be straightforward: Contemporary room designs often omit drawers and closets, once standard fixtures—and when included, they might be truncated or impractical. From five-star palaces to budget inns, storage-strapped rooms increasingly prevail, but what’s causing this great drawer die-off?

"Hospitality architect Lauren Gerchakov explains that a desire to turn hotel lobbies into larger, buzzy, We Work-like multiuse spaces has shaved 5-10% off the standard guest room footprint. Result: less room for bulkier pieces of furniture like dressers. It’s also much cheaper, of course, to build out a slimmed-down design."

"British Airways Lounge Seattle Gets Facelift: I’m Impressed!," OMAAT

"The Seattle location joins Singapore (SIN), Washington (IAD), Lagos (LOS), and London (LGW), where lounges have been updated over the past year. Next up as part of this project is a redesign of lounges in Dubai (DXB) and Boston (BOS), plus an all-new lounge in Miami (MIA), with an even more updated design concept. Then in 2026, we’ll see a full redevelopment of lounges in London (LHR)."