Emerging Tech
‘Very Realistic’ That Humans Will be on Mars in 20 Years, NASA Official Says
Under the Artemis program, the agency will use lunar missions to prepare for further exploration to Mars.
People
Feds mull changes to cannabis questions on vetting forms
A plan to modernize intake forms for candidates for government service could include revisions to the type of questions asked about marijuana use.
Digital Government
NIH’s Governmentwide IT Acquisition Center Appoints Permanent Director
Brian Goodger, who has served as acting director of the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center since 2021, will now helm the center in a permanent capacity.
Digital Government
New Records Rules Require Agencies to Save Chats and Texts
Previous records retention rules only explicitly applied to email communications. Now that has expanded to all pertinent electronic messages.
Modernization
FAA system outage grounds all U.S. flights overnight
An outage to a system providing real-time flight hazard information led to a nationwide ground stop of U.S. air travel Wednesday morning.
Artificial Intelligence
EEOC on the Lookout for Tech-Fueled Employment Bias
The employment rights enforcement agency announced plans to crack down violations of anti-discrimination rules stemming from the use of AI and algorithmic decision-making software.
Emerging Tech
DHS Calls for Counter-Drone Information to Help Fight Threats
The request for information will help the Department of Homeland Security learn about industry capabilities for counter-unmanned aircraft systems.
Policy
VA’s Initiative to Recruit Laid Off Tech Workers is Paying Off, Official Says
The VA’s ongoing efforts to recruit high-skilled professionals displaced by layoffs across the tech sector are helping to fill a host of tech-related vacancies in the department.
Modernization
Governments View Open Source as Critical for Enhancing Digital Services, Experts Say
The U.S. government is “still in the process of organizing and coordinating” its own strategy around the use of open source software, according to a CISA official.
People
Federal health plan could be spending $1B a year on ineligible dependents, GAO says
A new report found that OPM lacks a process for identifying and removing ineligible members from the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, possibly costing the government $1 billion in improper payments a year.
Breaking News
Cybersecurity
NARA to Publish First Update to Cybersecurity Records Rules Since 2014
The agency is issuing an update to the General Records Schedule, including new rules for packet capture and cybersecurity incident logs.
People
EEOC on the lookout for tech-fueled employment bias
The employment rights enforcement agency announced plans to crack down violations of anti-discrimination rules stemming from the use of AI and algorithmic decision-making software.
Policy
The case for more federal oversight of state and local budgets
An influential good government group is calling for tighter standards and is out with new recommendations for how Congress and regulators can begin taking action.
Cybersecurity
Next Clean Energy Cyber Cohort Will Focus on Identifying Rogue Assets
The Energy Department’s Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator matches innovators in critical infrastructure cybersecurity with industry experts and a high-tech testbed.
Digital Government
Data from NASA’s Space-Based Tech Used to Spot CO2 Emission Sources
Observations from NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 and 3 missions were used to pinpoint carbon dioxide emissions from one coal power plant.
Ideas
China Now Publishes More High-Quality Science Than Any Other Nation
COMMENTARY | Should the U.S. be worried?
Cybersecurity
Interior’s Cyber Practices Allow for Easily Crackable Passwords, Watchdog Finds
An OIG investigation found that the Interior Department has not fully implemented multifactor authentication and that its “outdated and ineffective” password requirements leave employees’ accounts vulnerable to exploitation.
Acquisition
Inflation costs present both barrier, opportunity for contractors in 2023
With a fiscal 2023 federal budget in-hand, contractors face both the prospect of a robust year and countervailing cost trends, Deltek says.
Digital Government
NASA Names Longtime Aerospace Industry Expert as New Chief Technologist
With prior experience from companies like Blue Origin, A.C. Charania will take on the agencywide role to spearhead technology innovation.
Cybersecurity