Digital Government
VA Centers Talent Recruitment and Remote Work in Its Operations Revamp
The agency’s chief people officer described efforts to attract high-skilled workers affected by layoffs across the tech sector and expand telework opportunities to modernize tech-centric operations.
Policy
Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Curtail Foreign Adversary Telecom Influence
The legislation would require the FCC to publish a list of entities with FCC authorizations and close ties to foreign adversaries.
Emerging Tech
Federal Reserve Issues New Restrictions on Crypto Banking
The regulator issued new policy largely prohibiting digital assets from the regulated banking environment, primarily due to security concerns.
Ideas
Large Numbers of Americans Want a Strong, Rough, Anti-democratic Leader
A new national survey sheds light on why.
Ideas
Biden’s Plan for Ending the Emergency Declaration for COVID-19 Signals a Pivotal Point in the Pandemic—4 Questions Answered
What will the U.S. government's next steps be for COVID-19?
Acquisition
Software industry group offers FedRAMP wishlist to OMB, GSA
The recently-passed FedRAMP Authorization Act should be a starting point for the government to remake the certification program in a way that lowers the barrier of entry for cloud solutions, the Alliance for Digital Innovation said in a new letter to OMB and GSA.
Digital Government
NSA Bills Itself as a 'Soft Landing Place' for Laid off Tech Workers
The intelligence agency has been quietly moving over the past few months to recruit talented workers affected by the wave of layoffs at tech companies and startups.
Policy
House Dem pushes back on bill to cancel VA's $20B-plus software refresh
Rep. Mark Takano, now ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, doesn't want to cancel the Electronic Health Records Modernization program without a ready alternative – and VistA doesn't count.
Digital Government
Biden Announces New Appointees for Telecommunications Advisory Committee
The president put forth more than a dozen new appointees.
Cybersecurity
Agencies Seek Public Input on Updates to Guiding Plan for Cyber R&D
The document is updated once every four years.
Digital Government
Tougher Cybersecurity Rules May Be More than a Year Away—But Don’t Wait to Get Ready
Contractors should prepare for independent checks on their data systems, and maybe more reporting requirements as well.
Artificial Intelligence
White House OSTP Deputy Director to Step Down
Alondra Nelson will leave her White House post on Feb. 10.
Defense
Army wants ideas from industry on autonomous, anti-drone capabilities
Army Futures Command called on industry for white papers outlining potential technology capabilities it will look to deploy as part of its modernization strategy.
Digital Government
NSF Will Invest Up to $28M for STEM Open-Source Ecosystems
The agency is looking for proposals for two phases to translate open-source products into open-source ecosystems.
Digital Government
NIST researcher calls for further evaluation of the AI impact on humans
Amid growing concerns that artificial intelligence systems could be misused by cybercriminals and for malicious purposes, a leading researcher said more study is needed to determine the societal impact.
Artificial Intelligence
Future NIST AI Guidance Could Take Industry-Specific Approach
NIST leadership commented on the need for a tailored approach to artificial intelligence risk management, and how understanding an industry is key to anticipating AI system risks.
Digital Government
New Health-Focused Advanced Research Agency Seeks $500M in Technical Support
The Health and Human Services Department’s version of DARPA—ARPA-H—is setting up a wide-ranging contract for support staff.
Digital Government
Crypto Investor Charged with Market Manipulation, Defrauding Over $100 Million
Federal law enforcement continues to pursue cryptocurrency-related financial crimes as the digital asset space still lacks regulation.
Ideas
Limits to Computing: A Computer Scientist Explains Why Even in the Age of AI, Some Problems Are Just Too Difficult
COMMENTARY | Computers are growing more powerful and more capable, but everything has limits.
Defense