Author Archive
Management
How cyber vulnerabilities and workforce cuts threaten the crisis lifeline program
A bipartisan, bicameral measure is hoping to prevent cyber incidents from limiting access to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline after a 2022 attack on a system operator disrupted calls to the hotline.
Tech
Bipartisan bill calls for NOAA to use AI to forecast wildfires and extreme weather
The bill’s introduction comes amid Trump administration efforts to scale back the agency’s workforce and operations.
Management
Top oversight Dem files resolution to demand answers from DOGE on AI use
The resolution of inquiry from Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., would make the White House provide Congress with further information about DOGE’s use of federal data and AI.
Tech
Spending and workforce cuts will harm VA’s modernization work, Democrats say
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said cuts across VA are forcing the department “to decide between keeping staff on the floor, and investing in expensive equipment that may sit idle without enough personnel to operate it.”
Management
House Dems ‘extremely concerned’ VA workforce cuts will further hit researchers
Ten members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee are calling for VA Secretary Doug Collins to provide additional information about how term-limited researchers are being affected by workforce reduction efforts.
Defense
DOD cuts $580M in programs, contracts and grants
The latest round of Pentagon spending cuts — which include a delayed HR software program — brings the department’s running total of eliminated programs to $800 million since the start of the Trump administration.
Tech
USPS plans to use AI to enhance customer service
USPS Vice President for Customer Experience Marc McCrery said the agency is looking to switch its call center platform to a cloud-based application this summer, which he said will be “the start of our AI journey.”
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Oversight
Democrats push the Justice Department to keep the Election Threats Task Force amid rollbacks
The task force was created to help protect election officials from stalking and threats, but its future remains in question after the Trump administration scrapped other election integrity initiatives.
Oversight
DHS watchdog investigating TSA’s use of facial recognition
The review comes after a bipartisan group of senators previously called for the watchdog to look into TSA’s use of biometric tools “from both an authorities and privacy perspective.”
Tech
HHS pause on external comms delaying upcoming health summits
Two planned events have been indefinitely postponed as a result of the Trump administration’s freeze on HHS-related mass communications and public appearances.
Management
OPM CIO announces retirement
Guy Cavallo is the agency’s longest serving CIO in the past decade.
Tech
HHS’ 2024 AI use case inventory shows move toward internal chatbots
The agency reported 271 AI use cases in 2024, which it said represented a 66% increase from its reported 2023 total.
Tech
VA plans to restart EHR rollouts in mid-2026, despite viability concerns
VA Secretary Denis McDonough previously told Congress that the department was looking to end its pause on new deployments of the Oracle Cerner software in fiscal year 2025.
Tech
DHS launches internal GenAI chatbot to leverage non-public data
Agency Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the tool, known as DHSChat, “will help men and women across DHS draft vital reports, summarize critical information, develop new software, streamline administrative tasks and much more.”
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Tech
Intelligence CIO moves to helm IT at the National Institutes of Health
Adele Merritt, who served as CIO for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since January 2022, took over as the NIH CIO on Dec. 16.
Tech
Lawmakers want to enhance HHS cyber engagement with health care orgs
The bipartisan proposal, introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., came out of the efforts of a working group focused on protecting medical institutions from digital attacks.
Tech
Lawmaker wants the FCC to create an AI tool for identifying scams
The measure from Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah., would direct the FCC to develop an online platform that can assess submitted communications and then rate the likelihood that they are scam attempts.
Oversight
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
Tech
Lawmaker looks to improve SBA’s IT modernization after critical GAO review
A proposal from Rep. Nydia Velázquez would require that the Small Business Administration “establish and implement policies and procedures to govern information technology modernization projects.”
Tech
Veterans’ military skills can help them fill cyber vacancies, State official says
The White House’s national cybersecurity strategy said that greater veteran participation in the U.S. cyber workforce can help enhance critical digital defenses.
