Ideas
The government AI experiment Is working. Now scale it up.
COMMENTARY | It's time to move beyond pilot programs to the systems that will serve all Americans better.
People
Govini founder arrested on child solicitation charges
The arrest of Eric Gillespie comes a month after the company secured a Bain Capital investment to expand its artificial intelligence tools to a wider landscape.
Digital Government
Nearly 20 Democratic states inadvertently share driver data with ICE, lawmakers say
Nlets, a nonprofit law enforcement info-sharing network, can share state residents’ information with immigration agencies, federal lawmakers said Wednesday.
Ideas
Building quantum-safe foundations for federal data resilience
COMMENTARY | A data-first approach can help agencies avoid turning post-quantum cryptography adoption into a multi-year overhaul.
Emerging Tech
IBM unveils updated quantum computing products
IBM moves closer to fault-tolerant quantum advantage with the launch of new hardware and software for scalable quantum processing.
Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI offers US veterans free year of its ChatGPT Plus service
Veterans and transitioning servicemembers can register for the plan if they are within 12 months of their retirement or separation from active duty.
Cybersecurity
CMMC enforcement begins after eight years of warnings
"There is no excuse for industry to not be ready," observers say as enforcement begins.
Cybersecurity
Bill to end shutdown includes temporary cyber info-sharing law extension
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 expired when the government’s calendar reset without a funding package for FY 2026.
People
Longtime Agriculture tech executive departs government
Gary Washington, USDA’s long-serving chief information officer, is leaving government after being moved to a new role earlier this fall.
Breaking News
Digital Government
Senate moves shutdown-ending deal that would ensure backpay and unwind some federal layoffs
A bipartisan agreement to end the longest-ever government shutdown, would fund some agencies through fiscal 2026 and the rest through January, and guarantee backpay for furloughed workers.
People
Energy names its third permanent CIO since the start of Trump 2.0
Dawn Zimmer has had multiple stints this year as the department’s acting CIO.
Ideas
The AI bubble in Defense: What to expect in a burst
Defense organizations have accelerated existing efforts to identify use-cases for AI models and apply them in compliance with existing or new organizational standards.
Emerging Tech
11 companies move to second stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative
The selected companies will undergo evaluation to determine if their concepts for a viable quantum computer can be constructed and work as intended.
Emerging Tech
NASA wants you to help kick some tires — on the moon
The Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge offers $155,000 in prizes for top designs that can handle the punishing surface of the moon.
Cybersecurity
CBO systems accessed in ‘security incident’ possibly tied to foreign hackers
The office estimates the cost and economic impact of proposed legislation and helps forecast federal spending, revenues, deficits and debt.
Digital Government
IRS returns to relying on tax prep companies for free filing options without Direct File
A new report from the tax agency that was requested by congressional Republicans said that dropping Direct File “is in the best interests of American taxpayers and the IRS.”
Acquisition
Contractors quantify shutdown damage as stoppages spread across missions
The Professional Services Council’s new shutdown tracker details program stoppages from Head Start to missile defense, naming contracts and counting affected workers.
Modernization
Experts see promise, risk in Pentagon’s draft acquisition reforms
A draft memo is circulating ahead of SecDef Hegseth’s Friday speech.
People
DHS says shutdown layoffs at CISA will proceed despite court injunction
The cybersecurity agency says it has complied with the court’s order because the firing of 54 people in its Stakeholder Engagement Division was planned beforehand and doesn’t affect unionized employees.
Artificial Intelligence