Nick Bednar

The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It. The Pentagon dismantled its civilian protection mission as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made “lethality” a top priority and the Trump administration reorganized national security around two principl...

Some examples from today alone:

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

www.npr.org/2026/03/11/n...

I should note: It has to be reported by a news outlet, GAO, or some other published source. I am aware that there are a lot of consequences that have not yet been reported. For the purposes of what I am doing, however, I am seeking verified reports.

Crowdsourcing: I am starting to track news articles that mention a connection between staff reductions in federal agencies and concrete consequences (i.e., not mere speculation of those consequences). I welcome links to any that I may have missed or that you are particularly following.

Federal oversight protects student borrowers. Some of it has stopped, watchdog says Without this Education Department oversight, borrowers could "be placed in the wrong loan repayment status, billed for incorrect amounts" and more, the U.S. Government Accountability Office says.

Without this Education Department oversight, borrowers could "be placed in the wrong loan repayment status, billed for incorrect amounts" and more, the U.S. Government Accountability Office says. n.pr/4cATsE1

An unfortunate twist on my usual posting about DOJ capacity. AUSA uses GenAI to draft court filings. Gets show cause order. Likely the result of increasing caseloads and declining numbers at AUSA offices.

Reporting like this--establishing a direct casual line between managerial decisions and avoidable catastrophes--is so essential to tracking the concrete costs of this administration's assault on government capacity. Thanks to @propublica.org for this work.

FWIW, I had multiple professors who thought we could say something meaningful about Aristotle in 5 paragraphs. But that's commentary on undergraduate assignments rather than AI.

It's so bizarre to me to pick THE author known for sparse punctuation. It's like looking at a Jackson Pollock and saying DALL-E would have generated a landscape of Paris.

Every year, I come into the office on Spring Break and am reminded that facilities (rightfully so) uses this week to complete its maintenance backlog. I greatly appreciate that facilities holds off on these tasks until we are expected to leave the building, but maybe it is a sign I should vacation.

There's much I could say. Mostly in the vein of "I told you so." More seriously, the federal government has really shot its reputation as an employer. By the end of this, we will probably pay more to bring back those people than any reduction was worth.

After slashing federal jobs, Trump administration ramps up hiring The hiring push is unfolding under new rules designed to give the White House greater influence over the government’s 2-million person civilian workforce.

“We probably have some skills that we now need to hire back, quite frankly,” Scott Kupor, the head of the OPM said... “There’s no question anytime you do restructurings … sometimes you over-restructure, sometimes you under-restructure.”

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Finally, there is a chance Schedule P/C is tied up in litigation for the next four years. By changing multiple removal processes at once, they increase the likelihood that they create an ecosystem of law that makes it easier to remove employees.

Moreover, RIFs affect a larger portion of the workforce. For example, the Department of Education includes all sorts of people the administration would reclassify as Schedule F. But Ed also employs people who cannot easily be reclassified as a "policymaking" employee. RIFs can apply to everyone.

It's all part of a broader scheme to centralize control over federal employment. Legally, however, it would raise concerns to use Schedule F so broadly. The law distinguishes between removals for individual conduct versus reorganizations.

Well... I guess I am going to finally get to write my favorite pet theory in response to this statement: "For approximately 150 years, Congress has recognized Federal agencies' authority to engage in RIFs." I remain unconvinced that agencies have unilateral authority to RIF.

Reduction in Force The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to revise its reduction-in-force (RIF) regulations. The proposed rule would make the RIF regulations more streamlined, efficient, an...

OPM has proposed a new RIF rule that changes the priority of performance versus tenure. The problem being OPM has also proposed rules that change the way in which performance is evaluated.

www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Apparently I need to watch this. Both my wife and students are demanding my assessment of medical malpractice.

Memorandum & Opinion – #32 in J.B.C.O. v. Bondi (D. Minnesota, 0:26-cv-00424) – CourtListener.com Memorandum & Opinion

Tunheim orders petitioners’ attys to prepare claims for lost property within 5 days, including resulting lost wages. Orders claims reimbursed in 30 days. DHS must replace lost work permits for free within 5 days. New hearing set for 4/6. ...
2/4
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

What we can decide, we can undecide. But stare decisis teaches that we should exercise that authority sparingly. Cf. S. Lee and S. Ditko, Amazing Fantasy No. 15: "Spider-Man," p. 13 (1962) ("[I]n this world, with great power there must also come—great responsibility"). Finding many reasons for staying the stare decisis course and no "special justification" for departing from it, we decline Kimble's invitation to overrule Brulotte. For the reasons stated, the judgment of the Court of Appeals is affirmed. It is so ordered.

Justice Kagan cites Spiderman as precedential so I think the other scholars are ignoring a large source of legal meaning.

Announcing our new podcast: Minnesota Law Now! In Ep 1: Presidential Power in the Trump Era, @wmcgeveran.bsky.social asks @nicholasbednar.bsky.social ’16 and @alanrozenshtein.com how executive actions, court challenges, and institutional resistance are redefining the presidency. z.umn.edu/b4cv

For the record, Peter is technically correct, which is often the best kind of correct. (But, here, the worst kind.) Interns are not ordinarily hired as employees. That said, the merit system principles reflect as norm about how personnel management should be governed

bsky.app/profile/pete...

More seriously, I think what we are observing in general is a variety of places in which there are uncomfortable gaps in personnel laws for certain types of non-employees who work for the government. The other area of concern being the use of SGEs.

BUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW PETER! ITS SPIRIT!

See also:

oig.justice.gov/sites/defaul...

5 USC 2301(b)

(2) All employees and applicants for employment should receive fair and equitable treatment in all aspects of personnel management without regard to political affiliation ... and with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional rights.

From the fednews community on Reddit Explore this post and more from the fednews community

@nicholasbednar.bsky.social www.reddit.com/r/fednews/co...

Just like if you spend more money doing legally questionable things, you need more attorneys---not fewer.... Really odd understanding of management in this administration.

Exclusive | Trump Administration to Drop Defense of Law Firm Sanctions The Justice Dept. plans to abandon its defense of the president’s executive orders that targeted Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, Perkins Coie, and Susman Godfrey.

(Gift link) Admin is wise to drop what would've been a big loss on appeal. But given the limited scope of the trial ct rulings (only reaching the firms attacked), it keeps the possibility of more threats above other firms' heads. The threat remains acute, as does the damage of BigLaw's response. 🧵

This is why they haven't hacked me. I clearly lack all credibility in this area.

I, for one, look forward to investing in BitBeau.