Modernization

Nearly Every Agency Missed Their Data Center Optimization Goals, Watchdog Says

Only two of 22 agencies expected to hit all five of OMB’s optimization benchmarks by the end of 2018.

Policy

Lawmakers Seek to Punish Robocallers with Prison Time

New bipartisan legislation aims to help Americans feel it’s safe to answer their phones again.

Policy

GAO Will Pour $15 Million Into New Tech Assessment Office in 2020

The Science and Technology Assessment and Analytics team aims to build lawmakers’ understanding of emerging technologies and weigh in on tech-centric policies.

Artificial Intelligence

The State of Tech Modernization

Will 2019 be the year federal IT breaks into the 21st century?

Artificial Intelligence

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Curb Algorithmic Bias

The Algorithmic Accountability Act would force companies to check whether their tech is making biased, inaccurate, discriminatory or otherwise unfair decisions.

Digital Government

NIST Expands Hiring Authorities for Top-Level Tech Talent

The standards-setting agency is making it easier for hiring managers to onboard IT managers, engineers and scientists through new direct hiring authorities.

Modernization

Pentagon Says No JEDI Conflict, Narrows Field to AWS and Microsoft

The Pentagon’s Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud contract could be awarded by mid-July.

Emerging Tech

Report: China’s Closing the Innovation Gap

Experts say the United States needs its own robust national strategy to compete in advanced technologies.

Artificial Intelligence

FDA Proposes Regulations for AI-Powered Medical Devices

Because AI retrains itself over time, the administration wants to keep tabs on what’s happening under the hood.

Digital Government

House Democrats Recommend Zero Money for OPM Reorganization

House Oversight Committee Democrats urged appropriators to effectively block an effort to merge the Office of Personnel Management with the General Services Administration.

Cybersecurity

DHS Cyber Chief is Ready to Update Federal Tech Hiring

The department is preparing to roll out a new personnel system that will let officials “hire people based on their skill sets, not what’s on a piece of paper,” said Chris Krebs.

Emerging Tech

114 Lawmakers Push to Fund Clean Energy Research

The group wants $500 million for the Energy Department’s advanced research projects agency, which would be eliminated under the White House’s 2020 budget request.

Digital Government

Survey: Four in Five Industry Tech Execs Favor Federal Privacy Law

Corporate America’s top tech officials favor a privacy law even if they aren’t sure how to adhere to it.

Digital Government

Expunging Criminal Records Offers Clear Benefits—But Few People Take Advantage

New research finds that automatic expungement of nonviolent criminal records could be a boon for eligible offenders, but few apply when the process is complicated.

Digital Government

OPM Is Giving CIOs More Direct Hiring Authority But Plans To Keep A Watchful Eye

The administration has been gathering feedback on giving agency CIOs more power over direct hiring authorities and plans to publish the final rule soon.

Digital Government

The Race to Code the Curb

Everyone—from ride-hailing cars to delivery trucks to bikes and scooters—wants a piece of the curb. How can smart cities map and manage this precious resource?

Emerging Tech

Interior Doubled Its Use of Drones in 2018

The agency flew more than 10,000 unmanned missions to survey federal land, monitor wildlife and respond to natural disasters.

Cybersecurity

Identity Theft Services Inefficient at Addressing Data Breach Risks, Watchdog Says

The Government Accountability Office also recommended that Congress should reconsider allowing federal agencies how much coverage is appropriate to offer.