• The Thrift Savings Plan's I fund continued its year-long positive run in December, posting a month-over-month increase of more than 3%. That, by far, was the best performing TSP fund in the final month of 2025. For the year, the I fund saw a return of more than 32%, which was more than 10% higher than any other account. Overall in December, 13 of 15 funds came back in the black. Only the F and S funds posted negative returns in December as compared to November. For the year, 12 of 15 TSP funds returned more than 11%.
  (TSP's I fund remains top performer for 2025 - Thrift Savings Plan)
• New data shows just how many employees left the Agriculture Department in the first part of 2025. The Forest Service lost more than 5,800 employees in the first six months of 2025. USDA's office of the secretary lost the highest percentage of employees, about 67%, from January to June 2025. These are among the findings from the Agriculture Department's inspector general in a new report detailing the impact by bureau, office and state of more than 20,000 employees leaving the agency. Of those employees who left USDA, 15,000 left via the Deferred Resignation Program. Texas, California and Washington, D.C. were the places hardest hit by employee attrition with more than 1,000 employees leaving USDA offices in each of those areas.
  (More than 20,000 employees left USDA in the first 6 months of 2025 - USDA IG)
• The Department of Veterans Affairs is under scrutiny for using technology that's inaccessible for people with disabilities. In a new letter to the VA, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) asked how the agency plans to improve its procurement of accessible IT systems. The letter references a recent inspector general finding that out of 30 critical IT systems at the VA, only four met accessibility requirements. The IG report found there was inadequate coordination between different VA offices and a lack of Section 508 training for agency acquisition professionals.
  (Sen. Gillibrand letter to VA on Section 508 - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.))
• Insurance options for plan year 2026 are now in effect for the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. FEHB enrollees who made changes to their health plans during Open Season will now see those changes reflected in their benefits. FEHB participants are also facing an average of a 13% premium increase in the new year. Any enrollment changes for dental, vision and Postal insurance options are also now in effect for all program participants.
  (2026 plan options now in effect - Federal Employees Health Benefits program)
• The Department of Health and Human Services needs to collect better data on how well people with disabilities can access health care. That’s according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Currently, GAO said people with disabilities face barriers in health care technology, communication and facilities. Once HHS starts collecting data on those barriers, GAO said the department should then create a plan to address the challenges.
  (Health care accessibility: Further efforts needed to address barriers for people with disabilities - Government Accountability Office)
• The Department of Homeland Security has a new human capital leader. Jason Nelson is joining DHS as deputy chief human capital officer. Nelson was previously associate administrator of human capital at the Transportation Security Administration. He also has previous experience at the Federal Highway Administration. Nelson joins DHS’s human capital office in the middle of a major recruiting campaign for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement positions.
  (New chief human capital officer at DHS - LinkedIn)
• The Army is creating a dedicated artificial intelligence and machine-learning career field for officers. The service will roll out the new career field in phases. Army officers interested in transferring will be able to apply through the service’s Voluntary Transfer Incentive Program, beginning Jan. 5. Selected officers are expected to formally transfer into the new career field by October 2026. Selected officers will undergo graduate-level training and “gain hands-on experience in building, deploying and maintaining” the service’s AI-enabled systems. The Army is also considering expanding the specialty to include warrant officers in the future.
  (Army launches AI and machine-learning career path for officers - Federal News Network)
• The Defense Department is expanding secure methods of authentication beyond the traditional Common Access Card, giving users more alternative options to log into its systems when CAC access is “impractical or infeasible.” A new memo, titled “Multi-Factor Authentication for Unclassified and Secret DoD Networks,” lays out when users can access DoD resources without CAC and public key infrastructure. The directive also updates the list of approved authentication tools for different system impact levels and applications. While the new memo builds on previous DoD guidance on authentication, earlier policies often did not clearly authorize specific login methods for particular use cases, leading to inconsistent implementation across the department.
  (DoD expands login options beyond CAC - Federal News Network)

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