( May 6, 2026, 3:46 PM EDT) -- RICHMOND, Va. — The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued the mandate in an appeal over the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to individuals’ personally identifiable information (PII) more than eight months after the panel ruled that the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland abused its discretion when it found that the unions and veterans were likely to prevail on each issue raised in their lawsuit, vacating a preliminary injunction and remanding for further proceedings; the mandate was filed eight days after the court denied the unions’ and veterans’ petition for rehearing en banc....