People
Cyber Command executive director departs for expected role in private sector
Morgan Adamski’s place as the top civilian lead in the combatant command will be filled by NSA official Patrick Ware, amid vast leadership changes at the nation’s top hacking unit.
Digital Government
SSA head wants to beef up agency tech as it sheds thousands of staff
Some experts are skeptical that technology can make up for staffing losses in critical parts of the agency.
Artificial Intelligence
AI companies see openings to improve federal, defense operations
Executives at OpenAI and Anthropic have both championed artificial intelligence as the future of government workflows.
Defense
Fresh evidence shows Iran’s nuclear program was ‘severely damaged,’ CIA director says
The claim follows reports of a DIA assessment that had determined the program was set back by only a few months.
Exclusive
Cybersecurity
Former Biden cyber chief defends Cyber Trust Mark in the face of FCC review
Anne Neuberger told Nextgov/FCW the Cyber Trust Mark, as it stands, is the most effective path to labeling secure devices and reducing reliance on insecure tech from China.
People
State Dept. further prepares for mass layoffs even as court block remains
A judge specified last month that State, like most major agencies, cannot yet move forward with RIFs.
People
HUD to move into the National Science Foundation headquarters, no current plan on where to relocate NSF employees
The Department of Housing and Urban Development had previously announced its intention to sell its current headquarters, which requires more than $500 million in maintenance repairs.
People
Maryland already seeing ‘big impact’ from federal DOGE cuts
Cuts thus far in 2025 are hitting as hard as two years of federal sequestration cuts a decade ago, state Comptroller Brookie Lierman said. Maryland is now looking to further diversify its economy.
Cybersecurity
National Cyber Director should lead quantum cyber preparations, GAO says
Marisol Cruz Cain, the watchdog’s head of cybersecurity and information, told lawmakers that the Office of the National Cyber Director remains GAO’s pick to coordinate a national post-quantum strategy.
Defense
US strikes didn’t fully wipe Iran nuclear program, early intel assessment says
A preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report says Iran’s nuclear program has only been set back by some months, undercutting public claims from the White House that the nation’s nuclear capabilities were obliterated after a bombing run over the weekend.
Modernization
Funding for further EHR deployments ‘vitally important,’ VA secretary says
VA Secretary Doug Collins said failing to modernize the agency’s electronic health record system “hurts our community care process because our doctors cannot communicate with the community [or] our doctors internally.”
Digital Government
Lawmakers spar over DOGE as Republicans look to lock in cuts
Republicans again blocked an attempt to subpoena billionaire and former DOGE leader Elon Musk.
Cybersecurity
Report: Iranian hackers are trying to create a psychological war in cyberspace
The Iran-linked CyberAv3ngers gang has evolved itself into a digital propaganda machine by combining recycled data leaks and theatrics to manufacture panic about hacks that never happened.
Acquisition
Elastic to discount software for agencies in latest GSA OneGov agreement
The San Francisco-headquartered tech firm will offer up to 60% discounts on software pricing through September 2027.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers demand review of VA’s AI-driven contract cuts
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Angus King, I-Maine, said the use of AI to identify agency contracts for termination “adds an entire new level of unease connected to the decision-making, security, governance, and quality control of the entire process.”
Ideas
AI.gov: A missed opportunity for true innovation and fiscal responsibility
COMMENTARY | The internal chatbot initiative is yet another example of taxpayer dollars being squandered
Modernization
VA needs to better plan appointment scheduling modernization, watchdog says
The Government Accountability Office said VA “has not yet determined how the modernized and updated products used for scheduling will interface and be used to pull and combine the data” from its current VistA electronic health record system and the new Oracle Health software.
Emerging Tech
New NSF telescope aims to discover unknowns in space
The Legacy Survey of Space and Time telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory leverages novel technological systems to search for interstellar objects and study dark matter.
Cybersecurity
Cyber firms sunset free services meant to counter Russia-linked hacking threats
The 2022 initiative by Cloudflare, CrowdStrike and Ping Identity provided cybersecurity support to critical infrastructure sectors seen as potential targets of Russia-linked attacks.
Cybersecurity