Policy

House Democrats bring back customer experience bill targeting student loan, passport updates

A bill reintroduced Tuesday aims to codify parts of the White House’s 2021 executive order on making government services more user-friendly.

Digital Government

Pentagon UFO Chief: ‘No Credible Evidence’ of Aliens, Yet

Sean Kirkpatrick, who heads the Defense Department’s All-Domain Anomaly Office, briefed the Senate Wednesday.

Emerging Tech

DHS S&T and CISA Forge Deep Partnership in Emerging Tech R&D

The Department of Homeland Security components are working more closely than ever to understand emerging technologies’ prospects and threats.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Bolster Cybersecurity of K-12 Schools

The bipartisan, bicameral legislation directs CISA to provide primary and secondary schools with more targeted cyber information and resources to combat a rise in ransomware attacks.

Acquisition

GAO says Army procurement plans to replace aging helicopter fleet don’t have credible cost estimates

A new report highlights critical acquisition risks associated with the U.S. Army's plans to deploy next-generation helicopters, potentially threatening its plan to deliver the aircraft on schedule.

Policy

GOP Lawmakers Call for Congressional Ban on Members Using TikTok

A coalition of 17 House and Senate GOP lawmakers called for an amendment to both chambers’ rules to bar members of Congress from using TikTok for official purposes.

Artificial Intelligence

US Must Be More Aware of 'Adversarial Side' of AI, DHS Official Warns

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate aims to better understand AI as it becomes integrated with the nation’s infrastructure.

Ideas

On Tax Day, it’s time for a more equitable and accessible way to file

The IRS has the infrastructure and data in place to provide taxpayers with a free and equitable e-filing system of its own.

Digital Government

Pentagon’s UFO Chief to Testify Before Congress

Sean Kirkpatrick, who leads the Defense Department’s All-Domain Anomaly Office, recently co-authored a paper suggesting some of the unknown objects the Pentagon is studying could be alien probes.

Digital Government

GSA unveils new USA.gov websites

The new versions of USA.gov and USA.Gov en Español come after beta testing by the agency to make the sites more user-friendly.

Modernization

Congress's Competing Proposals to Fix VA's Ailing EHR Program

Top lawmakers tasked with overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs have introduced competing bills to enhance oversight of VA’s new electronic health record system.

Acquisition

GAO wants Air Force, Navy plans for directed energy weapons to transition the ‘valley of death’

A new report calls for the armed services to detail how they plan to shift directed energy weapons from prototypes to programs of record. 

Digital Government

Government Must Work with Private Sector to Secure Space, Experts Say

Several former federal officials argued government should protect the industrial base without hindering innovation for space technologies.

Cybersecurity

US Officials Charge Chinese Agents with Running ‘Secret Police Station’ in NYC

Prosecutors unveiled charges Monday against a “troll farm” and Chinese nationals who worked with a Zoom employee to crash meetings with U.S.-based dissidents.

Cybersecurity

HHS Launches New Cybersecurity Awareness Resources

The Department of Health and Human Services issued three new online resources for health care entities to fortify their digital networks.

Digital Government

USDA aims to build in-house tech talent, CX expertise with new digital services team

The department's own digital services team will be modeled after other “tour-of-duty” style models in government like the USDS. 

Digital Government

VA’s New Cyber Apprenticeship Program Will Focus on Training for Underserved Veterans

The VA’s initiative, set to begin this summer, “is really designed to attract that diverse and inclusive cybersecurity talent,” a department official told Nextgov.