Digital Government
Cloud and AI are ‘fundamentally changing’ ability to forecast weather, NOAA chief says
Half of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s environmental data now runs on AWS.
Agencies see record reduction in improper payments in fiscal 2024
The improper payment rate for fiscal year 2024 was 3.97%. The last time that number dipped below 4% was in 2013.
Breaking News
Trump teams to deploy throughout government after reaching agreement with the Biden administration
The president-elect had previously refused to sign the agreement and is still sidestepping many of the steps typically required for presidential transitions.
Trump’s first White House debated the role of USDS. What will Trump 2.0 do?
The Office of Management and Budget led an effort to assess USDS — even whether it should exist — during the twilight days of the Trump administration. With another Trump White House incoming, the question of what’s next for the government’s digital SWAT team looms.
Agencies credit telework with recruiting, retention gains, GAO finds
A watchdog report examining telework use at four agencies found best practices still need implementation, but the presence, or absence, of telework as an option has affected their ability to attract talent.
Lawmakers propose electronic tracking system for federal grant applications
The legislation from Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., would also explore the use of artificial intelligence “to rapidly identify” duplicative or fraudulent grant applications.
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
How the federal CIO is prepping for the presidential transition
Cybersecurity, customer experience and effective transition efforts have been top-of-mind for Clare Matorana in the last days of the Biden administration.
Satisfaction with government hits record high just before a new Trump admin
The incoming Trump administration casts an uncertain light on the customer experience gains made in recent years.
VA proposes funding telehealth access points at non-VA facilities
The VA is looking to expand access to virtual healthcare consults by funding the creation of such access points at non-VA facilities in rural or medically underserved areas.
Former federal tech leaders share transition wisdom ahead of 2024 election
Despite changing administrations, experts say technology priorities remain constant while emphasizing importance of communication and workforce development.
Cutting red tape is key to financial inclusion, Treasury says
A new Department of Treasury strategy calls on those delivering government programs to make them easier to access.
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TSA to allow mobile driver’s licenses after REAL ID goes into effect
The final rule will allow states that have issued mobile driver’s licenses to apply for TSA-issued waivers of certain REAL ID requirements.
Lawmakers want DOJ to create national human trafficking database
A new bipartisan House bill would incentivize law enforcement agencies to provide county-specific data on cases of human trafficking.
Exclusive
USDA inches ahead in plan to secure EBT cards from skimming
The U.S. Agriculture Department doesn’t have a timeline for fully moving food assistance accounts to industry-standard chip cards, however, leaving beneficiaries vulnerable to digital theft.
White House probes the collision of AI and personal data
Policymakers are examining how the advent of artificial intelligence could create new privacy risks around the federal agency purchase and use of personal information from data brokers.
Why governments are ‘particularly well-positioned’ to offer identity validation
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, governments that use its guidance to offer attribute validation services may have to rely less often on commercial data for identity.
Hill Dems question IRS on identity verification requirements for Direct File
Taxpayers had to go through outsourced identity verification to use Direct File during the last tax season, a level of assurance the lawmakers note is not required for commercial tax prep companies.
GSA's Login to offer face recognition to customer agencies
Agencies using the government-created service will have the option to incorporate new face-matching capabilities or stick with existing offerings.
Bipartisan Senate duo seeks to push IRS customer service forward
The tax agency is already working on some of the items in the bill — like improving online accounts.
