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The past month continues to be overshadowed by the federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, due to congressional failure to pass a continuing resolution. This has severely impacted web operations, with agencies furloughing staff, pausing content updates, and displaying static shutdown banners on sites. Essential services like Social Security payments and veterans' benefits websites remain active but with limited functionality. Below is an updated summary of the most relevant developments, with hyperlinks to primary sources where available, focusing on digital services, modernization, and guidance for web teams.

Government Shutdown Disrupts Agency Websites and Digital Services

Overview: The shutdown has furloughed over 750,000 federal employees, halting non-essential web updates and transactions across agencies. Sites must display banners about the lapse, and inbound queries are minimized. Full resumption depends on appropriations; as of October 8, no deal is in sight, with the impasse entering its second week.

Specific Impacts:

• DHS has limited web and social media operations, delaying responses and transactions until funding resumes.
• FCC websites warn of unprocessed transactions and outdated information.
• National Park Service sites feature shutdown banners, some politicized, prompting Hatch Act complaints.
• OMB's September 25 memo directed RIF plans for non-priority programs, exempting military and law enforcement, potentially leading to permanent web staff cuts.

Guidance for Web Managers: Maintain "bare-bones" essential info only; use mySocialSecurity for benefit queries to reduce load. OPM advises on backpay post-shutdown.

Links

• NPR: 2025 Government Shutdown Series (October 7 overview of impacts).
• White House: Government Shutdown Clock (real-time tracker and VA extensions).
• CBS News: Shutdown Live Updates (October 7 developments, including aviation delays).
• POLITICO: Shutdown Stalemate (October 6 analysis of negotiations and pay risks).
• Reuters: White House on Layoffs (October 5 on RIF preparations).
• Wikipedia: 2025 U.S. Federal Government Shutdown (timeline and context).
• CNN: Shutdown Updates (October 5) (firings and impacts).
• USA Today: Shutdown Day 6 (October 6 status and services).
• Al Jazeera: Mass Layoffs Threat (October 5 on furloughs).
• CNN: Shutdown Day 4 (October 5 on firings).
• USA Today: Shutdown Day 5 (October 5 operations).
• NYT: Plans to End Shutdown Fail (October 3 votes).
• OPM: Shutdown FAQ (October 1 guidance).
• Rep. Stanton: 2025 Shutdown Info (September 29 prep, including tours).

Federal Website Modernization Initiatives Amid Uncertainty

White House Push for Design Overhaul: Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia leads the National Design Studio to redesign ~26,000 federal sites for better usability, accessibility, and mobile performance. Focus on scalability for services like Social Security.

FedRAMP Modernization Launch: On October 2, FedRAMP updated with enhanced security, risk models, and cloud authorization streamlining—critical for web managers using cloud services. Phase Two pilot submissions open October 16–December 16.

Permitting Dashboard Expansion: White House directs agencies to improve digital permitting tools with public timelines; Salesforce highlights web enhancements for stakeholders.

Links

• CNET: White House Beautifies Websites with Gebbia (August 25, but ongoing; August coverage as latest).
• Reuters: Trump Design Chief Gebbia (August 23 initiative).
• Fox Business: Gebbia Leads Web Overhaul (August 24 EO).
• FedScoop: Gebbia as Chief Design Officer (August 25 role).
• Federal News Network: Trump Taps Gebbia (August 26 details).
• India Today: Gebbia Redesign (August 23 portals).
• Washington Post: Gebbia Improves Sites (August 24 overhaul).
• NYT: Gebbia Skepticism (August 27 influences).
• Parametric Architecture: NDS EO (August 29 studio).
• MeriTalk: Gebbia Chief Officer (design focus).
• FedRAMP: Modernization Overview (ongoing, October intro).
• FedRAMP: FY25 Foundation (September 30 updates).
• Nextgov: FedRAMP 20x Phase 2 (September 24 pilot).
• FedRAMP: 20x Update (May, but Phase 2 October).
• CyberArrow: Phase Two Details (October 6 submission window).
• FedRAMP: One Month In (April, context).
• FedRAMP Blog (latest posts).

Hiring and Operational Reforms Affecting Web Teams

Two-Page Resume Standard: OPM's Merit Hiring Plan limits USAJOBS resumes to two pages effective September 27, with FAQs issued September 2. This streamlines digital role recruitment.

Mass Layoff Preparations: OMB's September 25 memo requires RIF plans for non-priority areas, sparking AFGE lawsuits. Exemptions for core functions; potential permanent cuts to web staff.

OPM Charity Drive Launch: Combined Federal Campaign (October 1–December 31) may be its last; update intranet portals.

Links

• OPM: Two-Page Limit Guidance (implementation).
• OPM: Resume Standard News (September 27 effect).
• OPM: Applicant Guidance (tips).
• FedWeek: OPM FAQ (September 3 details).
• ClearanceJobs: Implementation (September 16).
• Fedagent: Requirement Starts (August 28, September 27).
• Federal News Network: Fitting Qualifications (July, prep).
• GovDelivery: OPM Bulletin (September 24).
• DOD: Resume Guidance (September 30).
• ClearanceJobs: USAJOBS Rule (September 12).
• POLITICO: White House Firings (September 25 memo).
• OPM: RIF Guidance (general, September samples).
• OPM/OMB: RIF Memo (March, but September context).
• NARFE: OMB/OPM Memo (March 4, ongoing).
• OPM: Lapse Instructions (September 30).
• Lawfare: RIFs During Shutdowns (September 29).
• Gilbert: RIF Analysis (March 5).
• GovExec: Mass Layoffs Prep (September 25).
• EPIC: RIF Explainer (September 30).
• FedSmith: RIF Plans (September 25).

Other Notable Digital and Policy Updates

Executive Orders and Guidance: EO 14355 (September 30, published October 7) directs AI use in pediatric cancer research via the MAHA Commission, influencing health web tools. OMB M-25-13 (January, but September analysis) requires financial assistance reviews, affecting grant portals.

Industry Tools for Federal Use: Figma Sites (September 18) adds custom fonts, accessibility, and password protection for compliant prototyping. Framer's Figma import/mode enables direct web publishing for rapid redesigns.

Cyber and Cloud Focus: "Strengthening Cloud Security" event (October 3) covers AI compliance for web infrastructure.

Links

• White House: EO 14355 (September 30).
• White House: Fact Sheet (September 30).
• MSNBC: Cancer EO Fine Print (October 2).
• Reuters: Trump AI Order (September 30).
• Justia: EO 14355 Text (October 7).
• Cancer Letter: Trump Signs Order (October 3).
• Fox News: AI for Cancer (September 30).
• Ballotpedia: EO Summary (September 30).
• HHS: Doubles Funding (September 30).
• Akin: EO Tracker (details).
• OMB: Memoranda (M-25-13).
• White House: M-25-13 PDF (January 27).
• USC: OMB Summary (January 28).
• MA Comptroller: FY Memo (January 29).
• NAFSA: OMB Memo (January).
• OMB Archives: Memoranda (context).
• Heinrich Senate: Instructions (February 7).
• NSDA: Analysis (January 28).
• Presidency Project: Fact Sheet (Q&A).
• Brownstein: Funding Pause (January 28).
• Figma: Release Notes (September 18 updates).
• Figma Forum: Updates (September 24).
• Figma Blog: Config 2025 (Sites launch).
• Releasebot: September Changelogs (summary).
• Surf: 2025 Release (tools).
• Framer Academy: Figma Import (mode).
• WebbyCrown: Framer vs Figma (2025 comparison).
• Gizmodo: Framer Funding (August 28, mode context).
• Figma Plugin: Framer Export (import).
• Figma Help: Frames (related).
• Wikipedia: Web Managers Council (no new October; general).
• IT Law Wiki: Council (overview).
• Digital.gov: Join Web Managers (community).
• Obama Archives: Digital Gov (historical).
• NCBI: Requirements Checklist (checklist).

See also

• 2025 United States federal government shutdown
• Federal Web Managers Council
• FedRAMP

External links

• OPM.gov – Real-time updates
• OMB.gov – Guidance memos
• Digital.gov – Federal Web Managers Council community

MediaWiki News Roundup: September–Early October 2025

For the MediaWiki Community of Practice, here's a summary of key developments, announcements, and discussions from September 1–October 8, 2025. This draws from official Wikimedia channels, technical updates, events, and community discussions on X. The focus is on actionable insights for practitioners: upgrades, security, deployments, and ecosystem shifts. Items are grouped thematically, with October content highlighted in bold for quick reference.

Technical Updates & Deployments

• Datacenter Switchover Tests: All Wikimedia wikis entered read-only mode for several minutes on September 24 at 15:00 UTC. This biannual backup test supports server failover reliability. Practitioners: Review the Diff blog for prep tips if running mirrored setups.
• Mobile Domain Sunsetting Progress: Rollouts continued with batch 2 (e.g., ca.wikipedia.org, he.wikipedia.org, it.wikipedia.org) on September 17, and wikimedia.org sites (excluding Commons) on September 29. Batch 5 rollout begins October 6–9: Announcement in Tech News 2025-41; enable on remaining Wikipedias (except en.wikipedia.org) on October 7, and en.wikipedia.org on October 8. This reduces CDN purges and OAuth issues. Use MobileContext->shouldDisplayMobile() for backend detection. Full RFC details at mediawiki.org.
• Chart Extension Deployment: Prototype testing wrapped in September/October; initial rollout to select wikis paused until 2025 for stability. Holiday-season testing window opens soon—ideal for CoP feedback on production readiness.
• REST API Sandbox Redesign: The MediaWiki Interfaces team is rebuilding the sandbox using Codex for better developer UX. Expect beta access soon; aligns with ongoing RESTBase deprecation (e.g., /page/related endpoint blocked February 2025, but September saw migration guides published).
• Fandom's MediaWiki 1.43 Upgrade: Fandom announced a phased rollout starting January 2025, with September focused on extension reviews (e.g., DPL, Cargo, Semantic MediaWiki). October 2025 prep phase includes default MediaWiki extensions review and community testing (2 months). Community testing clones available now—great for CoP members experimenting with complex templates.
• API Gateway Reroute: Starting October 6, API endpoints under rest.php will reroute through a new internal API Gateway. Rollout by standard release groups; expected to be non-disruptive. File Phabricator tickets for issues.
• Dark Mode Rollout: Scheduled for October 29 on all Wikimedia sites: Anonymous users can activate light text on dark background for low-light reading.

Security & Vulnerabilities

• EmbedVideo Extension XSS Fix: CVE-2025-59839 (stored XSS in versions ≤4.0.0) was disclosed September 25. Update immediately if using this parser for video embeds. No exploits reported yet, but audit custom parser functions. CVE Details
• Bucket Extension Infinite Recursion: CVE-2025-61766 (prior to v1.0.0) allows infinite recursion on queries, enabling DoS. Update to 1.0.0+ if using for structured data storage. CVE-2025-61766
• DiscussionTools ReDoS: CVE-2025-11175: Regular Expression Denial-of-Service in bundled extension. Update to latest version to prevent server overload from malicious inputs. CVE-2025-11175
• Security Updates Released: October 7: MediaWiki core patched to 1.44.2, 1.43.5, and 1.39.15. Apply immediately for hosted or self-managed instances. MediaWiki Announce

Events & Community Engagement

• MediaWiki Users and Developers Conference Fall 2025: Prep ramped up in September—scholarship deadline September 30; early-bird tickets ended September 15. Event October 28–30 in Hanover, Germany: Sessions on BlueSpice BITV compliance, wikibase.cloud, extensions management, and visualizing content/data. Tutorials on October 28; keynotes include Tom Arrow (Wikimedia Germany). Hotel bookings at 103€/night single (book soon via group form). Sponsors include MyWikis and Professional Wiki. CoP opportunity: Submit talks on extensions or hosting. Conference Details
• WikidataCon 2025: Session proposals and registration open for October 31–November 2 (online): Theme "Connecting People through Linked Open Data." Tech News 2025-41
• Wikimedia Hackathon Kochi 2025 Recap: Held late September; focused on VideoCut Tool, Scribe app, and MediaWiki contributions. amFOSS community shared highlights—check for reusable code snippets on MediaWiki gadgets.
• Helix AI Roundtable Launch: October 7: New MediaWiki-based platform for AI collaboration goes live with public forums, secure namespaces, and metacognitive engine optimizations. Built on Canadian infrastructure for data sovereignty. Helix AI Roundtable

Ecosystem & Broader Discussions

• Grokipedia Announcement Sparks Debate: xAI's September 30 reveal of Grokipedia (an open-source Wikipedia alternative) ignited X threads on MediaWiki's future. Users suggested forking MediaWiki for self-hosting, with calls for AI-assisted editing (e.g., fact-checking scripts). CoP angle: Explore integrating Grok APIs with MediaWiki for enhanced moderation—prototypes could emerge soon.
• Wikipedia Bias Critique by Co-Founder: Larry Sanger's "Nine Theses" (posted September 29) called for reforms like competing articles and source transparency. X buzz highlighted blacklisted conservative outlets (e.g., Breitbart, Fox News) vs. approved liberal ones (e.g., NYT, CNN). October 6: Sen. Ted Cruz questions Wikipedia on bias amid conservative criticism. Practitioners: This underscores neutral citation policies; test tools like Citation Hunt for bias audits.
• Extension & Toolkit Shifts: Remotion phased out Media Parser in early September, sponsoring Mediabunny as the new open-source media library. If embedding multimedia, migrate for better web compatibility. October 7: Professional Wiki releases Page Approvals extension for approval workflows; integrates with Semantic MediaWiki queries. Open source and available now. Page Approvals Extension Also: Anti-spam guide for bot-proof CAPTCHA questions published. Pro.wiki Anti-Spam Guide
• Version Lifecycle Reminder: MediaWiki 1.43 (LTS) remains stable; 1.44 in beta. September saw user reports of APCu caching issues in 1.43.3—disable if hitting edge cases during upgrades. See October security updates above for latest patches.
• Other Notables: ProleWiki discusses mobile app challenges with MediaWiki. EncycloForum launches as community hub for MediaWiki/Fandom/Miraheze enthusiasts. Japanese note on Diagrams extension + Graphviz for correlation diagrams.

Quick Resources for CoP Members

Category	Key Link	Why It Matters
Tech News Archive	Project:Tech_News	Weekly summaries; subscribe for alerts. Latest: 2025-41 (Oct 6).
Extension Updates	Extension:Chart Updates	Deployment timelines for visuals.
Conference Tickets	MediaWiki Conference Fall 2025	Hands-on networking; waitlist open post-deadline.
CVE Details	CVE-2025-61766	Patch notes for new vulnerabilities.
Approval Extension	Page Approvals Extension	Workflow integration guide.
Anti-Spam Guide	Pro.wiki Anti-Spam Guide	Bot protection tips.

References

Stay tuned—Mid-October could bring more on Wikimania Hackathon (Nairobi) and WikidataCon. If your CoP has specific focuses (e.g., Semantic MediaWiki), share for tailored deep dives!