Artificial Intelligence
US AI labs are emerging target for foreign spies, experts warn Congress
Former officials told the House Intelligence Committee that U.S. agencies have not kept pace with China’s push to obtain advanced American AI technology.
People
OPM moves to implement long-awaited retirement fix for federal first responders
The First Responders Fair RETIRE Act, which ensures federal workers can stay on accelerated mandatory retirement schedules even if they transfer to another due to injury, was signed into law in 2022.
People
NIST AI safety center lead departs
Chris Fall was appointed to helm the Center for AI Standards and Innovation in April and has been at the Commerce Department since December 2025.
Emerging Tech
VA expands use of extended reality tech across healthcare operations
Anne Lord Bailey, who leads VA’s Strategic Initiatives Lab, said veterans who have used immersive tech have reported therapeutic benefits that extend beyond the conditions being treated by the headsets.
People
OPM shrinks its workforce by a third, seeks further staffing cuts
The agency is giving employees in its healthcare and insurance division another shot at opting into the deferred resignation program.
Cybersecurity
Moving beyond checklists to living digital identity risk management
COMMENTARY | The era of static checklists is over. The future belongs to living, adaptive digital identity programs.
Artificial Intelligence
Transportation looks to AI to accelerate its modernization initiatives
Steven Bradbury, the agency’s deputy secretary, said AI has helped Transportation slash its software production timeline from 18 months down to 18 weeks.
Cybersecurity
Secret Service is examining apparent Iranian video outlining Trump motorcade routes, assassination opportunities
The agency said it is looking into the Persian-language video, which uses polished, apparently AI-generated graphics to depict supposed motorcade routes in Florida and New York.
Emerging Tech
To Ben Lamm, extinction is just an engineering problem
Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm explains how ancient DNA, AI and CRISPR are helping scientists pursue de-extinction.
Acquisition
IARPA launches new acquisition marketplace
The IARPA Solutions Marketplace is designed to help the intelligence community more rapidly procure innovative products from industry.
Policy
Tech bills of the Week: Screen time standards for kids; Teaching elementary school students about AI; Modernizing agriculture and more
Bills this week aim to regulate how children interact with and learn about AI, give America’s farmers more AI equipment and add AI regulation to Medicare claim denials.
Digital Government
GSA to take its Emerging Tech Showcase governmentwide
The live and virtual event invites all of government to attend and will feature senior federal leaders, practitioners and industry experts sharing what’s working in government technology and innovation.
Cybersecurity
Trump stretches declassified China intelligence into broader 2020 election claims
The records provide new details about Chinese intelligence collection on voters and internal analytic debates, but do not undercut longstanding findings on the 2020 election.
People
Pentagon closes cyber apprenticeship applications early after receiving over 15,000
A Pentagon official told Nextgov/FCW that the agency is “rolling out additional apprenticeship positions over the next few weeks.”
Acquisition
GSA is eyeing OneGov savings beyond software and tech, official says
GSA Deputy Administrator Mike Lynch noted that many of the roughly two dozen firms participating in the OneGov initiative “offer multiple products to federal government,” meaning that the strategy can ultimately lead to a broader range of cost savings.
Artificial Intelligence
Energy expects $74M in annual savings from new AI and data tools
The agency is expanding an enterprise data platform to all department elements and increasingly using artificial intelligence in daily operations.
Exclusive
People
Cait Conley fears Trump’s cartel focus could create a national security blind spot
The NY-17 Democratic nominee questioned the administration’s planning for Iran and said she would seek a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, if elected.
Emerging Tech
From crime labs to space rocks, NIST helps identify mystery chemicals
An expanded federal library of chemical fingerprints helps scientists identify unknown substances found in forensic evidence, drugs, environmental samples and even material collected beyond Earth.
People
Trump’s intelligence pick pressed on 2020 election, defends handling of New York Times subpoenas
Jay Clayton faced Democratic criticism after repeatedly declining to say Joe Biden won in 2020 and standing by subpoenas issued by his Manhattan prosecutor’s office to four New York Times journalists.
Policy