People
‘I have no idea what I’m going to do:’ Feds abroad fret about making rent without pay or subsidies during shutdown
Some employees say their foreign landlords have little sympathy for their “U.S. issue.”
Ideas
From flashlight fixes to future-ready innovation: Why we must stop patching and start building anew
Real innovation isn’t about fixing old switches. It’s about recognizing when it’s time to stop patching and start fresh.
Digital Government
House Dem demands furloughs end for nuclear security agency
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., called on the Energy Secretary to end shutdown-related furloughs for roughly 1,400 personnel in the National Nuclear Security Administration that began this week.
Digital Government
Dueling plans to pay feds on-time fail in Senate, though a bipartisan path forward appears
Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., appeared to agree to negotiations Thursday afternoon on a plan to pay federal employees and potentially contractors amid the ongoing government shutdown.
People
Senate Democrats grill inspector general nominees over their independence from Trump
Lawmakers especially criticized the nomination of former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., to lead the Labor Department’s watchdog office.
People
GSA will be ‘multiplier for efficiency and modernization,’ nominee for administrator says
Edward Forst, President Trump’s nominee to lead the General Services Administration, testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Thursday.
Cybersecurity
UN cybercrime treaty enables authoritarian regimes, top think tank argues
The agreement is scheduled to be signed in Vietnam next week, but the concept has raised concerns for some time.
Defense
Industry groups push to keep open-source measures in annual intelligence bill
They’re backing provisions in the House version of the Intelligence Authorization Act. But multiple intelligence community elements are hesitant about the measures, people familiar say.
Policy
Shutdown is ‘holding my veterans hostage,’ VA chief says
Some critical services are paused and many employees are not getting paid, Doug Collins says, though he will not guarantee their back pay.
Artificial Intelligence
Even if you’re furloughed, your skills don’t have to be
Google is stepping up with the launch of an entire set of free online courses to teach people, including furloughed feds, how to use AI to boost productivity and prepare for what’s next.
Artificial Intelligence
New AI export marketplace looks to connect domestic AI firms with foreign buyers
The Trump administration said the American AI Exports Program “will select industry-led export packages that will include AI hardware, software, models, and applications across industry sectors for promotion to countries and regions around the world.”
Cybersecurity
US cyber policy goals have regressed during Trump 2.0 in ‘unprecedented setback,’ landmark report says
Cuts to various agencies and the politicization of disinfo-tracking work have slowed implementation goals set out five years ago by a congressionally authorized cybersecurity policy group.
Ideas
What federal buyers need to succeed with AI-enabled procurement
COMMENTARY | Put workforce development before technology deployment and process reform before tools.
Artificial Intelligence
Inside Mission Daybreak: VA’s effort to support innovative suicide prevention
VA’s director of data and analytics innovation said the program “is looking for what is the right solution for the ways that we want to optimize care, and sometimes that's technology, and sometimes it isn't.”
People
SSA is denying excepted workers’ time off and telework requests, seemingly defying shutdown guidance
Though OPM guidance states that agencies should seek to accommodate the needs of excepted workers during lapses in appropriation, employees who have fallen ill or simply can no longer afford to commute without getting paid have been labeled AWOL and threatened with discipline.
Artificial Intelligence
Anthropic CEO defends support for AI regulations, alignment with Trump policies
Following the White House AI and crypto czar’s critique of Anthropic’s regulatory perspective, the company’s CEO noted that it is committed to speaking honestly about AI’s risks and benefits.
Artificial Intelligence
Salesforce pitches AI agents as the government sheds staff
Amid the White House’s ongoing push to reduce the federal workforce, “government will be the largest users of agentic technologies of any industry,” predicted one Salesforce exec.
Ideas
Hard lessons: A CIO’s playbook for consolidation
COMMENTARY | Agencies are under increasing pressure to reorganize their operations. But done well, consolidation can bring economies of scale, better alignment and more agility.
People
The shutdown isn’t hitting everyone equally. Politics and geography may help explain why
Nearly half of respondents in a recent survey said that shutdown firings of federal employees would harm their communities.
Exclusive
Cybersecurity