Policy

Former Google Chief to Chair Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group

Eric Schmidt will join 14 other tech experts on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Latest Bills to End Shutdown Include $25 Million Bump to Technology Modernization Fund

Previous spending packages didn’t allocate any additional money for the revolving fund.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Lawmakers Set the Stage for the Privacy Debate

Congress also took up bills to upgrade the power grid, combat Chinese tech threats and punish robocallers.

  • By Jack Corrigan

DHS Pauses Most Contracting Deadlines Until After Shutdown Ends

The extensions only apply to seven department procurement offices and do not override existing posted amendments.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Second Furlough Notice and Another Missed Paycheck Appear Likely for Shutdown Feds

Congress skips town with key deadlines pending for furloughed and excepted federal workers.

  • By Eric Katz

FAA Rule Would Let Drones Fly Over People and At Night Without a Waiver

The move would greatly open the use of small drones but at least one lawmaker is worried about the privacy of people on the ground.

  • By Aaron Boyd

‘Tens of Thousands’ of Government Contractors Laid Off Due to Shutdown

The prolonged government shutdown is getting "pretty scary" as the number of federal employees and contractors forced out of work could impact the nation’s next jobs report.

  • By Frank Konkel

The Shutdown Is Screwing With Cities and Mayors Are Not Pleased

Local officials are bracing for a confluence of funding crises barrelling toward transit, housing, food assistance, and … well, everything else.

  • By Karim Doumar, CityLab

Work on Security Clearance Backlog Continues Through Shutdown

While OPM is closed, the National Background Investigations Bureau continues to chip away at its 600,000-case backlog.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Here’s How the Shutdown Hurts Government Contractors

The shutdown is having a major effect on government contractors and federal employees alike.

  • By Frank Konkel

Defense Acquisition Reform Panel Suggests Reevaluating Department CIO

The Section 809 Panel’s third report recommends big changes to how the Defense Department buys technology.

  • By Aaron Boyd

House Unanimously Passes Bill to Elevate the Federal CIO

But the Federal CIO Authorization Act still has no Senate counterpart.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Open Federal Data is Now the Law of the Land

President Trump signed the OPEN Government Data Act into law, requiring agencies to publish machine-readable data and appoint chief data officers.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Shutdown Consequences: Could a Drop in Credit Score Lead to Loss of Security Clearance?

Financial experts say not to worry, but at least one lawmaker wants assurances from the White House.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Lawmakers Propose Bills to Avoid Future Shutdowns, Secure the Power Grid

Congress also cleared a bill to ensure furloughed feds get back pay once the government reopens.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Moonlighting Feds Could Be Risking Their Jobs

Furloughed federal employees turning to other jobs need to be aware of federal ethics guidelines and agency rules a second job could violate.

  • By Frank Konkel

Critical Update: The New Congress (And a Shutdown)

New leaders mean new priorities—and the partial shutdown is affecting some of those decisions.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Industry Says Not So Fast to OMB's Proposed Data Center Policy Changes

While only a few comments were submitted by deadline, most called for significant changes to the proposed metrics and overall intent of the draft Data Center Optimization Initiative.

  • By Aaron Boyd

How a New Law Supports Quantum Computing's Great Leap Forward

The technology could be up there with some of the major technological advancements that changed the world, like the microchip or even electricity.

  • By John Breeden II

Federal Business Opportunities Site and Others Online After Issues

Three important sites operated by the General Services Administration experienced technical problems last week.

  • By Frank Konkel