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OIG investigation found that the Interior Department has not fully implemented multifactor authentication and that its “outdated and ineffective” password requirements leave employees’ accounts vulnerable to exploitation.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
FCC Rule Would Require Telecom Providers to Immediately Disclose Sensitive Data Breaches
The Federal Communications Commission’s proposed rule would require telecommunications providers to immediately notify consumers and federal agencies about any breaches involving “customer proprietary network information.”
Policy
NIST Seeks Input on Governance of the National Semiconductor Technology Center
The agency is looking for responses on policy and governance frameworks for the center, which was created as part of the CHIPS Act.
Emerging Tech
Air Force Wants to Add Facial Recognition to Automated Base Entrance
Scott Air Force Base is looking for verification and identification algorithms for a facial recognition pilot.
Ideas
Ransomware and resilience
It's not how hard you get hit, an industry expert argues, but how quickly you get back up.
Ideas
Webb Telescope Reveals Super Early Milky Way-Like Galaxies
COMMENTARY | New images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveal for the first time galaxies with stellar bars at a time when the universe was a mere 25% of its present age.
Modernization
Watchdog: Justice Dept. Lags on Implementing Tech, Supply Chain Recommendations
An inspector general's report issued Thursday noted that as of Nov. 30, the department has more than 700 recommendations that had not yet been fully implemented, some more than three years old.
Ideas
Lessons from Taiwan's rise to dominate the computer chip industry
Steve Kelman notes that an assertive industrial policy can yield big wins for governments willing to invest and manage their investments.
Digital Government
State Department creates first office devoted to emerging technology diplomacy
The Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology will facilitate strategic partnerships to develop and regulate innovative tech.
Modernization
COBOL: You’re thinking about it wrong
The workhorse computing language suffers from a “major image problem” rooted in fundamental misperceptions, researchers say.
Acquisition