Artificial Intelligence
Advocacy groups ask OMB to axe Grok AI procurement
Citing vulnerabilities and biased outputs in the program, multiple advocacy organizations and nonprofits signed a letter to the Office of Management and Budget asking it to bar Elon Musk’s Grok from federal workflows.
Artificial Intelligence
How a national lab is using data and AI to try to speed up permitting
The work to get better environmental permitting data began under Biden and is continuing under Trump.
People
CISA’s head of legislative affairs to soon depart
Kate DiEmidio, who most recently served as the top policy executive at Dragos, is leaving voluntarily after spending three months in the role.
People
3 senior leaders quit after CDC director is ousted
After officials said Susan Monarez was no longer director, its chief medical officer and two high-ranking disease experts resigned, citing budget cuts and politicization.
Acquisition
Quantum computers have an isolation problem and DARPA wants to solve it
An emerging contract vehicle will focus on developing the hardware and software needed to get different types of quantum computers to communicate and work together.
People
Transportation launches administrative consolidation effort
Whether the push to consolidate IT and HR systems will include layoffs isn’t yet clear.
Cybersecurity
Salt Typhoon hackers targeted over 80 countries, FBI says
The Chinese campaign appears to have reached into other organizations beyond the telecom industry, including transportation and military infrastructure networks, according to a Wednesday advisory.
Exclusive
Cybersecurity
Report: Russia-based Yandex employee oversees open-source software approved for DOD use
The package is listed inside Platform One’s Iron Bank, a vetted Defense Department software repository, people familiar say.
People
NIH CIO Adele Merritt departs for DOD-affiliated research role
Meritt’s exit comes after serving in the role for just over eight months.
Acquisition
Veterans Affairs chooses 9 for $14B health care transformation recompete
VA described its ideal lineup of teams for this contract as having "combined their reach and collective capabilities to tackle some of VHA’s largest professional service requirements."
Exclusive
People
Meet the Trump appointee apparently maintaining 'unheard of' ties to Tesla
Thomas Shedd, who heads the Technology Transformation Services at the General Services Administration, reported on his public financial disclosures that he is “on a leave of absence” from Tesla in a rare arrangement, according to experts.
Artificial Intelligence
CMS launches ‘chili cook-off competition’ to source AI that can detect fraud
The agency said it is looking for innovative solutions that can “uncover unusual patterns, anomalies, or trends that may signal fraudulent activity” in Medicare claims data.
Acquisition
GSA launches pilot to streamline FedRAMP for AI products
The FedRAMP 20x initiative will automate some approvals for what the General Services Administration is calling "conversational AI" if certain security conditions are met.
Cybersecurity
Zero trust requires workforce buy-in, federal officials say
The Interior Department’s acting CISO, Louis Eichenbaum, said it’s important for agencies’ workforces to understand “the concepts of zero trust and how you incorporate it into your daily activities.”
Cybersecurity
Wyden calls for review of US court systems’ cyber posture after case system hack
Since the incident, several district courts have instructed filers not to submit sealed documents, amid risks that the systems protecting them may not be secure.
People
Airbnb co-founder and DOGE associate to head new federal design office
Joe Gebbia has been working on modernizing retirement processes at the Office of Personnel Management as part of his work with the Department of Government Efficiency.
Emerging Tech
TSA, CLEAR rolling out biometric eGates at 3 U.S. airports ahead of broader deployment
“Once identity and clearance are confirmed, passengers proceed directly to physical screening, bypassing the TSA podium while still undergoing all security screening,” CLEAR said about its new biometric electronic gates.
Artificial Intelligence
Inside Virginia’s AI-driven streamlining of regulations
The effort will be led by Vulcan Technologies, a startup founded by three Ivy League graduates with big plans to expand to other states and the federal government.
People
Navy CIO Jane Rathbun announces departure from civil service
Rathbun told Nextgov/FCW earlier this year that one of her priorities as CIO was transforming the U.S. Navy into a more data-centric organization.
Ideas