Overview

• OMB director Russ Vought said the reductions in force have started, with more than 4,200 layoff notices reported across seven agencies, including over 1,400 at Treasury and at least 1,100 at Health and Human Services.
• The White House has frozen more than $28 billion in federal transfers, including funds for climate and transit projects that affect states such as New York, California and Illinois.
• Aviation operations remain strained as FAA staffing shortfalls and unpaid TSA workforces contribute to delays at major airports like Las Vegas, Denver and Newark, and the transportation secretary warned absent controllers could be fired.
• RIFs typically require 30–60 days of notice, unions have sued to block the cuts, and a federal judge set an initial review for Oct. 15 after demanding details on the planned actions.
• The budget standoff persists in the Senate, where Democrats seek to renew ACA-related subsidies, and President Trump said he instructed the defense secretary to use available funds to ensure military pay by Oct. 15.