Digital Government
House Sends Package that Includes an IRS Hiring Boost and USPS EV Funding to Biden
The measure aimed at lowering health care costs and fueling the fight against climate change received only Democratic support.
Cybersecurity
White House Cyber Director: ‘Defense is the New Offense’ for Cyber
At DEF CON, National Cyber Director Chris Inglis discussed the nuances of cyber defense.
Acquisition
Peraton gets second chance at $800M in Social Security IT work
The Social Security Administration will no longer conduct a price realism analysis, which was the main sticking point of Peraton's protest.
Modernization
GAO will investigate the troubled TSP recordkeeper transition
Officials at the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program said nearly 2 million participants have successfully set up their new online account access, and call center wait times are down to around 10 minutes.
Cybersecurity
Congressional Commission Probes HHS Capability to Address Health Sector Ransomware Attacks
The oversight group wants more detailed information on the HHS’ cyberdefenses as digital networks for critical infrastructure remain a target for malicious actors.
Policy
Survey: Performance, Pressure Have Increased Among Remote Government Employees During COVID
The survey also revealed managers seem to trust employees to perform more in virtual environments.
Policy
FEC Approves Google’s Plan to Exempt Campaign Emails From Spam Filters
The pilot program stems in part from a March study that found Google filters were far more likely to mark right-wing campaign emails as spam than left-wing ones.
People
A former watchdog has ideas on dealing with poorly performing inspectors general
The former acting Pentagon inspector general asks, “Who is watching the watchdogs?”
Modernization
NIST Redesigns Platform for Reporting Federally Funded Inventions
The National Institute of Standards and Technology upgraded the iEdison platform to include new features and an improved interface.
Cybersecurity
Misinformation ‘Harms Nearly Every Element of Election Administration,’ Committee Report Finds
State election officials said that they “need help at the federal level” to counter the threat.
Acquisition
Senators urge DOJ to flex debarment authority
Two Democrats say that companies are getting away with "ripping off the government" because of the reluctance to exercise suspension and debarment authorities.
Ideas
Don’t be too Quick to Blame Social Media for America’s Polarization—Cable News has a Bigger Effect, Study Finds
Television still rules in political influence.
Ideas
Faced with a Rise of Extremism within Its Ranks, the Military Has Clamped down on Racist Speech, Including Retweets and Likes
For civilians, free speech is protected by the First Amendment. Not so in the U.S. military, where the rise of political extremism has become a problem.
Digital Government
A Former Watchdog Has Ideas on Dealing With Poorly Performing Inspectors General
The former acting Pentagon inspector general asks, “Who is watching the watchdogs?”
Policy
Banks' Ability to Conduct Cryptocurrency Transactions Comes Under Senators' Fire
Letters issued by the Department of Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency allow banks to engage in digital currency transactions that are considered financially sound.
Artificial Intelligence
New Research Points to Hidden Vulnerabilities Within Machine Learning Systems
Agencies need to provide extra attention and security for machine learning and artificial intelligence-based systems, beyond the normal level of cybersecurity protection.
Cybersecurity
Log4j Vulnerability Prompts Lawmakers to Examine Agency Cyber Measures
House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders asked several federal agencies about mitigation efforts, following a previous CISA emergency directive about the vulnerability.
Digital Government
FTC Contemplates Rules to Protect Against Commercial Surveillance and Lax Data Privacy
The Commission voted Thursday to issue a notice of their proposed rulemaking and solicit public comment.
Policy
Senate chairman presses for details on deleted Jan. 6 texts
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, wants officials to explain what they know about the deletion of texts potentially relevant to ongoing inquiries into the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and why seemingly routine records management directives were ignored.
Cybersecurity