People
GSA announces new FAS, TTS leadership
The new leaders are interested in working with Elon Musk’s DOGE.
Artificial Intelligence
Trump signs AI executive order
The order calls for the development of an AI action plan and sets up a process for revoking actions taken under President Biden’s previous AI executive order signed in October 2023.
Exclusive
People
U.S. Digital Service employees are being re-interviewed under DOGE transition
Some employees who were in the U.S. Digital Service already when it became part of the DOGE fear the interviews are an assessment of their loyalty.
People
OPM’s new CIO replaced on second day of Trump administration
Greg Hogan will serve as the new CIO for the personnel agency, following Melvin Brown II’s one-week stint in the role.
Digital Government
Trump signs order setting up DOGE with a focus on government tech
Trump is wielding — and renaming — the US Digital Service in service of the DOGE.
Artificial Intelligence
Trump axes Biden’s AI executive order
President Donald Trump vowed to repeal the order during campaigning and in his presidential platform.
People
GSA will ‘recommit’ to ‘founding purpose,’ says acting administrator
Stephen Ehikian, previously of Salesforce, has been tapped to serve as GSA’s acting administrator.
Digital Government
Trump’s Treasury pick pledges to keep IRS Direct File open this tax season
Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury Secretary, said that he would have to study the long-term future of the tool. Republicans on Capitol Hill, however, have panned Direct File.
Digital Government
OMB issues OPEN Government Data Act guidance 6 years after its signing
The law requires agency data to be open by default.
Policy
OMB releases last-minute data center guidance
The memo stems from a law included in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.
Digital Government
‘Over half’ of federal websites got better in the past year, OMB official says
Metrics released by the Office of Management and Budget offer insight into how agencies are implementing the 21st Century IDEA Act.
Digital Government
IRS Direct File to open a week after Trump’s inauguration
Republicans on Capitol Hill have asked the incoming president to scrap the free tax filing service developed during the Biden administration.
People
Top Oversight Democrat says he’s open to collaborate with the DOGE
The new Department of Government Efficiency — which, despite the “department” referenced in its name, is an advisory effort, not a government department — has aims to trim the federal workforce and hunt efficiencies in tech and fraud reduction efforts.
Cybersecurity
Forthcoming executive order seeks to plug holes in federal cyber practices
The eleventh-hour cybersecurity executive action asks agencies to rethink software procurement, supply chains and AI, among other things.
Exclusive
Digital Government
Coming cyber executive order includes a push to mobile drivers licenses
The draft order does not, however, tackle the full breadth of actions that were expected from a promised identity executive order that has yet to materialize.
Digital Government
Agencies still struggle with online accessibility, GSA says
The landscape under Trump 2.0 isn’t clear, either.
Policy
Here are the tech bills the 118th Congress passed right before the new session
Some proposed tech legislation didn’t make it into law.
Digital Government
Unemployment isn’t recession-ready — but it’s getting better, says acting Labor secretary
Julie Su, the acting Department of Labor secretary, has often been scrutinized for her role in California during the pandemic. She sat down with Nextgov/FCW to talk about unemployment four years later.
Policy
SNAP reimbursements cut from Trump-backed spending proposal
Although the future of the Republican bill is uncertain, the stopgap measure released Thursday does not include reimbursements for people whose federal food benefits are skimmed.
Digital Government