People
Army rescinds West Point role for ex‑CISA director after pressure from Laura Loomer
Jen Easterly was one of the top cybersecurity officials that served in the Biden administration and is a West Point alumna.
Artificial Intelligence
White House tech director breaks down plan to balance AI national security and export promotion
White House OSTP Director Michael Kratsios said that the “highest end of semiconductors” should fall under export controls, but the administration still wants the world using U.S. technology.
People
Senate panel advances CISA director nominee to full Senate floor vote
Sean Plankey may still have to contend with a hold from Senator Ron Wyden over objections to the cyber defense agency not releasing a 2022 report on telecommunications industry vulnerabilities. The agency said it plans to release it.
Digital Government
Social Security plans new restrictions for its phone line, citing fraud
New identity proofing requirements for certain transactions, like changing an address, could especially impact people in rural areas, with transportation difficulties and with limited technology know-how.
Ideas
Cybersecurity matters: Preparing for the perfect storm
COMMENTARY | The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining, according to former Defense Department Chief Information Officer Terry Halvorsen.
People
NSA general counsel removed as Laura Loomer cites involvement
The firing of April Falcon Doss is the latest NSA departure fueled by the far-right activist, who previously took credit for the firing of the spy agency’s director.
People
DOGE and other day 1 Trump appointees head for the exits at multiple agencies
The Interior Department and General Services Administration are seeing significant turnover in the leadership ranks.
Defense
Secret spaceplane heading back up to test new tech
The Boeing-built X-37B will go on its eighth mission in August.
Artificial Intelligence
Agency AI use doubled in 2024, GAO finds
Results from a 2023 to 2024 survey indicate rapid growth of mission support-oriented artificial intelligence tools in federal workplaces.
Cybersecurity
CISA to release telecom security report as its director nominee nears confirmation
The 2022 report, which has not been made publicly available, has been used as leverage by Senator Ron Wyden to hold Sean Plankey from being confirmed as director of CISA.
Digital Government
GSA announces centralized travel service ‘GO.Gov’
Go.Gov will replace individual agency travel management systems and act as a shared service across the government.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers, former officials press Commerce over NVIDIA’s chip sales to China
A NVIDIA spokesperson said criticisms of the company’s resumption of H20 chip sales to China “are misguided and inconsistent with the Administration's AI Action Plan.”
Artificial Intelligence
TSA seeks private sector input to enhance airport security
The agency is seeking solutions that “leverage innovative technology” to improve the security screening experience for both travelers and TSA personnel.
Artificial Intelligence
Trump’s order to remove ‘woke’ AI from government may have ‘downstream impacts,’ experts worry
Some experts and advocates warned that last week's executive order will have a chilling effect on free speech.
Artificial Intelligence
NIH launches new AI agent for analyzing genomic data
GeneAgent is the latest AI tool leveraged to expedite discovery in biomedical research fields.
Policy
California lawmakers urge Trump admin to halt cuts to national labs
Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, along with Rep. Zoe Lofgren, said budget cuts to national laboratories have already led to layoffs, with some other labs warning that “they may need to start laying off thousands of scientists and technical staff in the near future.”
Artificial Intelligence
AWS and Idaho National Lab to collaborate on AI for nuclear energy
Software from Amazon Web Services will help the Idaho National Laboratory research and scale modular nuclear reactors to help power data centers.
Ideas
Knowledge nation and security at risk
COMMENTARY | Experts offer a three-step strategy to cut down on the theft or sale of America’s coveted research data and intellectual property.
Defense
Pentagon will ‘open the door’ to more companies for next major cloud contract
The Pentagon’s tech chief said JWCC Next will look a little different than its $9 billion predecessor.
Artificial Intelligence