Artificial Intelligence
Nearly 3.4M users across government can use AI through OneGov, GSA official says
Birgit Smeltzer, director of GSA’s Office of IT Products, IT Category, said “more than 120 orders have been placed against OneGov’s AI offerings,” with savings achieved thus far totaling at least $1.15 billion.
Policy
Tech bills of the week: Mandatory AI RMF usage; AI for energy generation and storage; and more
New legislative proposals aim to use artificial intelligence to improve energy generation and storage, along with government workflows and women’s health care.
Cybersecurity
Trump says he and Xi discussed cyberattacks and spying between US, China
“They’re talking about the spying. Well, we do it too,” the president said. “We spy like hell on them too.”
Ideas
Why access to AI does not equal federal mission capability
COMMENTARY | Federal agencies need to conduct a hard review of whether their current AI pilots can survive contact with real contracting, oversight and operational demands.
Defense
ODNI assigns two officials to lead intelligence coordination on election threats
For months, it was unclear if ODNI ever named an election threats executive responsible for leading election security efforts in the 2026 midterm cycle.
Policy
House panel approves slate of DHS intelligence reform bills
The measures aim to modernize terror alerts, expand local threat support and standardize training under the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which the Trump administration is seeking to restructure.
Artificial Intelligence
NIST aims for summer release of AI cyber guidelines
Draft iterations of cybersecurity guidance for AI-driven threats across different types of emerging systems are in development as the federal government wades into AI model risk assessments.
Modernization
VA security personnel aren’t detecting knives or booze, according to a watchdog report assessing medical facility security
The Government Accountability Office highlighted that there are staffing shortages among VA police, but department officials say they have taken steps to address the issue.
Digital Government
White House withholds $1.3B in Medicaid payments to California amid broader fraud crackdown
Vice President JD Vance said the administration will audit states’ Medicaid Fraud Control Units and threatened to “turn off” federal funding for the watchdogs if their fraud prevention efforts are found to be deficient.
Artificial Intelligence
House Homeland panel gets briefing on Anthropic’s Mythos
The conversation was “productive and focused on a range of AI security and competitiveness issues,” according to one person familiar with the meeting.
Ideas
Five steps to make commercial-first government work
COMMENTARY | Recent federal mandates make clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable.
Emerging Tech
Air Force taps Salesforce’s Army contract for personnel modernization work
The enterprise license agreement is part of a $5.6 billion vehicle and will bring agentic artificial intelligence to workforce and logistics management.
Artificial Intelligence
‘No time to waste’ in prepping governments for AI cyber threats, top Dem lawmaker says
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the Department of Homeland Security to work closer with states and localities, and bemoaned the end of federal funding to an information-sharing center.
Modernization
Watchdog recommends nearly 100 ways for agencies to save tens of billions
Agencies have implemented a majority of previous Government Accountability Office recommendations regarding duplicative federal programs, generating almost $775 billion in financial benefits.
Ideas
The Pentagon’s cyber rules leave MSPs as an attack vector
COMMENTARY | Who actually holds the keys to military contractor information systems?
Artificial Intelligence
‘It would be insane’ for spy agencies to not have AI model early access, lawmaker says
The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said the Commerce Department should also have a role in AI policy.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers propose to establish AI guardrails for VA in FY27 funding
Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and James Walkinshaw, D-Va., are looking to address concerns about unregulated uses of artificial intelligence in separate amendments offered to the House Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Bill.
Artificial Intelligence
Anthropic and nonprofit partner to streamline benefits administration with AI
Code for America is working with the AI company to build and pilot solutions that leverage Anthropic’s Claude chatbot to help benefit caseworkers improve service delivery.
Cybersecurity
Canvas breach spotlights cybercriminal appetite for student data
Cyberattacks on widely used third-party services like Canvas can expose sensitive data that hackers can later weaponize. Higher education institutions are often a prime target.
Ideas