• Some employees at the Social Security Administration have locked in their current telework levels through 2029. The agency reached an agreement last week with one of its unions, the American Federation of Government Employees. The updated contract, which was first reported by Bloomberg, secures current hybrid work schedules for thousands of telework-eligible feds. The SSA agreement comes as leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency are alluding to plans of returning federal employees to the office full-time in the coming Trump administration.
  (Telework agreement with Social Security employees - American Federation of Government Employees)
• President Joe Biden tapped Air Force Maj. Gen. Luke Cropsey to lead the new Air Force Information Dominance Systems Center. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall announced the new center as part of a sweeping set of efforts to reshape the service’s structure. The center will consolidate four existing program executive offices and will be responsible for developing and acquiring battle management systems, cyber technology and information systems. Cropsey currently leads the service’s command, control, communications and battle management program executive office. If confirmed, Cropsey will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
  (Cropsey tapped to lead new Air Force Information Dominance Systems Center - Department of Defense)
• Enrollees in the new Postal Service Health Benefits program will have a few extra days of Open Season. The Office of Personnel Management officially extended Open Season for PSHB participants until Dec.13. Participants in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program and other OPM benefits programs will still see Open Season end on the original Dec. 9 deadline. The Postal extension comes after some enrollees said they were struggling to review and make changes to their health care options. It’s unclear how widespread the issues are, but some members have experienced difficulties logging in to PSHB’s platform. Others have faced long wait times when trying to call OPM’s customer service line. Despite the difficulties, OPM said the PSHB platform is generally working well. The agency has not had any unplanned system outages during Open Season.
  (OPM extends Open Season for enrollees in new Postal insurance program - Federal News Network)
• The Postal Service is setting lower targets for on-time mail and getting pushback from lawmakers. USPS plans to deliver 87% of two-day first-class mail on time and 80% of two-to-five-day first-class mail on time this fiscal year. The agency didn’t meet its performance targets last year. The agency is also pursuing a plan to eliminate some end-of-day trips to collect mail and package at more remote post offices. Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee are against the plan. But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said USPS needs to cut costs because of major declines in mail volume. “I need to get cost out. I don’t believe this is a punitive way." DeJoy said.
  (USPS sets lower targets for on-time mail, drawing ire from lawmakers - Federal News Network )

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• The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Reform Committee is calling on agency watchdogs to sound the alarm if they feel pressure to leave their jobs during the Trump administration. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin is reaching out to all agency IGs after watchdogs for the CIA and the intelligence community stepped down from their posts. Inspectors general don’t have term limits but any president can fire them. President-elect Donald Trump fired several IGs during his first term in office. Several officials behind the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 have called on Trump to replace IGs with his own nominees.
  (Ranking member Raskin reaffirms support for independent inspectors general ahead of presidential transition - Rep. Jamie Raskin)
• President-elect Donald Trump tapped Daniel Driscoll to serve as the next secretary of the Army. Driscoll, an Army veteran, has been serving as a senior advisor to Vice President-elect JD Vance, whom he met while attending Yale Law School. Driscoll, originally from North Carolina, has worked as an investor following the law school. He also unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2020. If confirmed, Driscoll would replace current Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. Driscoll is the third major Pentagon pick. Trump has tapped Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, to serve as the next defense secretary, and businessman John Phelan to be the next Navy secretary.
  (Trump taps Vance senior advisor for Army secretary - X.com)

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