Plankey withdraws nomination to lead CISA
Plankey withdraws nomination to lead CISA
It’s not clear who Trump will tap to lead the cyberdefense agency following Plankey's withdrawal.
Artificial Intelligence
White House accuses China of ‘deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns’ to steal US AI models
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy told federal agencies that the Trump administration will be enhancing its engagement with the private sector to counter foreign-led distillation campaigns designed to undermine U.S. AI advances.
Digital Government
IRS lacks transparent plans to leverage tech in the face of staffing cuts, GAO and employees say
Agency leaders are “shoving AI at us,” one IRS employee said, despite the fact that “they don’t have the right tools for us yet.”
Defense
Autonomous weapons will be ‘key and essential part’ of warfare, Joint Chiefs chair says
Chairman Dan Caine also said the U.S. needs to become a “better” buyer of advanced tools and tech for defense activities.
Sponsor Content
Efficient Cyber Risk Management Starts with a Risk Operations Center
Start smarter cyber risk management with a Risk Operations Center—centralize visibility, accelerate response, and stay ahead of evolving threats.
People
GSA announces latest cohort of Presidential Innovation Fellows
The 17 experts chosen to participate in the program will be detailed to selected federal agencies to help them develop and scale technology-focused projects.
People
Andrew Vanjani becomes CIO for USCIS
Vanjani has held several positions across federal and state agencies and will take over a position left vacant for nearly a year after former USCIS CIO Bill McElhaney departed in May.
People
Trump nominates third VA CIO since the start of his administration
Gary Shatswell, a senior advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins, was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve in the role of CIO and assistant secretary for information and technology.
Modernization
‘Faster and more disruptive’ tech underscores need to revamp the Fed's operations, its governor says
“The pace of technological change today means that the Fed does not have the time to sit back and ruminate about changes for months and years on end,” Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said.
Artificial Intelligence
Microsoft to test third-party AI models for incorporation in its security offerings
The announcement follows Anthropic’s debut of its leading-edge Mythos model, which the company says has already found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities.
Cybersecurity
Cyber Command carried out over 8,000 missions in 2025, director says
The command expects to exceed that number in 2026, Gen. Josh Rudd told lawmakers Tuesday. A new Pentagon cyber strategy is also on the way, according to senior cyber official Katie Sutton.
Sponsor Content
The Shift from In-House DevSecOps to a FedRAMP SaaS Offering
Deliver secure federal software faster. Replace complex DevSecOps with FedRAMP-authorized FGC DSO—automate compliance, cut ATO timelines, and scale securely.
Emerging Tech
US needs to flesh out strategy to counter China’s robotics advances, lawmakers say
“We can and still must lead in the field of robotics, but to achieve that goal, we need a concerted national effort to support innovation across the full robotics system,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said.
Modernization
Transportation celebrates air traffic control modernization, asks lawmakers for more funding
The government has been trying to modernize the U.S. national airspace system for decades, with little success. Trump’s Transportation Department secretary says this time is different.
Acquisition
OMB seeks details from agencies on their commercial buying, or lack thereof
A new White House budget office memo also outlines what agencies have to do if they want to go down the non-commercial contracting route and who has the approval power over it.
Modernization
House FY27 VA funding bill allocates $3.4B for EHR rollout
The measure, which was voted out of the House Appropriations Committee, withholds 25% of the funds for the EHR modernization project until July 1, 2027, contingent upon VA providing lawmakers with additional information and meeting performance requirements.
Latest Digital Edition Show All
Featured eBooks
Policy
GSA and OPM will soon share the same headquarters
The General Services Administration will temporarily move into the Office of Personnel Management’s building before both agencies ultimately transfer to a renovated GSA headquarters.
Cybersecurity
Former FBI official proposes terror designations for ransomware hackers targeting hospitals
Cynthia Kaiser’s proposal also explores homicide charges under the federal felony murder rule in cases where attacks lead to patient deaths.
Emerging Tech
AI capabilities are needed to counter drone threats, senator says
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said the use of drones has changed modern conflicts and the U.S. needs to respond to this shifting environment by better leveraging artificial intelligence.
Ideas
The government is buying AI faster than it is assigning authority
COMMENTARY | Federal AI governance will become credible when agencies can answer a simple question before deployment, not after failure.
People
Senators demand OPM withdraw plan to access feds’ medical records
More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers warned that a little-scrutinized proposal to collect claims-level data related to the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits programs could violate federal law and doctor-client confidentiality.
People
FAA sets records in effort to hire gamers as air traffic controllers
The agency received over 12,000 applications in less than two days, making the effort “wildly successful,” according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
