Emerging Tech

FAA Adds More Airports To Automated Drone Flight Authorization System

More than 100 more airports have joined the beta test of a program that authorizes drone flights in controlled airspace in near-real time.

Policy

Space Force Clears Senate Committee After House Attempt to Stall

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s legislation “greatly increases the odds that we end up with some sort of a Space Force,” one expert says.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers Want to Ban Warrantless Device Searches at the Border

Sens. Ron Wyden and Rand Paul introduced a bill that would curb law enforcement’s extensive authority over personal data at the border.

Emerging Tech

Senators Propose National 5G Strategy

The bipartisan bill would also fund removing Chinese equipment from existing networks.

Cybersecurity

EPA Cybersecurity Weaknesses Are Going Untracked and Unpatched

One EPA employee said their office was tracking vulnerabilities on their own to avoid oversight from other agency components.

Digital Government

It’s Not Just the Citizenship Question—the Digital Divide Could Hurt the Count of Latinos in the Census

Fear of government, a question about citizenship, and uncertain internet connections have created the perfect storm for an undercount of the Latino population, a new report argues.

Emerging Tech

Democrats, Republicans Both Want to Regulate Facial Recognition

If left unchecked, lawmakers worry the tech will infringe on Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, and perpetuate racial and gender discrimination in the criminal justice system.

Cybersecurity

NASA Official Credits DHS’ Cyber Tools with Transforming Its Cyber Stance

The space agency has a much better grip on its vast data since it has deployed Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation tech.

Policy

OMB Issues New Policy for Credentialing People, Devices and Bots

The administration’s updated identity, credential and access management policy extends physical credentials to the digital world.

Digital Government

OPM Encourages Agencies to Expand Telework Amid Summer Metro Station Closures

Six Metro stations in Virginia will shut down entirely for platform repairs, beginning next week and lasting through early September.

Artificial Intelligence

42 Countries Agree to International Principles for Artificial Intelligence

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released its global standards, which aim to ensure AI is designed to be robust, safe, fair and trustworthy.

Cybersecurity

Inside the Government's Open Source Software Conundrum

How do agencies make sure the crowdsourced code that underlies nearly every piece of tech on the market is safe to use?

Cybersecurity

Government Needs to Diversify Its Cyber Workforce

And experts told Congress that agencies will need to intentionally expand how and where it looks for talent.

Artificial Intelligence

Lawmakers Propose $2.2 Billion to Advance AI Over the Next Five Years

The Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act would devote significant resources to education and research, and help coordinate AI adoption across government.

Modernization

Federal Acquisition Service Corrects IT Reseller Price Issues

The agency inspector general said the service took “appropriate corrective actions” to address price variances on Schedules.

Digital Government

Labor and Management Share Dim View of OPM-GSA Merger Proposal

Officials fear a provision that would send rulemaking authority to a non-Senate confirmed White House official an attempt to politicize the civil service.

Policy

House Panel Rejects Space Force

The Pentagon’s arguments are unconvincing, a House Appropriations Committee subcommittee says.

Modernization

Shoddy Contracting Practices Lead to Overbilling at EPA

A limited review by the inspector general found the agency had paid of unallowable costs.

Modernization

VA To Codify Customer Experience As Part of Core Values

The need to consider ease, effectiveness and emotion in all decisions will become part of the department’s Code of Federal Regulations.