Courts
Judge orders agencies to preserve discussions in airstrike Signal chat
The directive targets communications in a Signal chat with top intelligence and national security officials between March 11 and March 15 that discussed strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. The Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief was inadvertently added to that chat.
OPM asks to dismiss email server lawsuit, citing misinterpretation of law
The agency notably released a privacy impact assessment for the dubious email server used to mass-message federal employees about a deferred resignation offer on the same day as the legal dismissal request.
Unions sue Treasury over DOGE access to payment systems
Anonymous plaintiffs also called for a temporary restraining order Tuesday to prevent OPM from using a newly installed email system to mass-message federal employees.
Judge dismisses key claims in SEC lawsuit on 2020 SolarWinds hack
The original lawsuit faced pushback from dozens of cybersecurity executives.
Supreme Court sides with Biden admin over contact with social media firms
The decision now lifts potential legal burdens on federal agencies’ communications with social media companies about disinformation on their platforms.
EEOC says HR software company Workday should face bias claims in lawsuit
The federal agency filed an amicus brief in a case in which a job applicant is alleging algorithmic discrimination.
Supreme Court clarifies when public officials can block citizens on social media
The Supreme Court unanimously found in a pair of cases that whether a government official can block a constituent on their personal social media account hinges on if a post is a state action or is private conduct.
Exclusive
Flaws in public records management tool could let hackers nab sensitive data linked to requests
The GovQA platform, created by IT company Granicus, contained vulnerabilities that could have let cybercriminals retrieve tranches of sensitive files tied to public records requests, a security researcher revealed to Nextgov/FCW.
Biden admin to seek surveillance court blessing to renew Section 702 program through next year
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court will receive the White House filing next month.
Roberts: Legal field will be ‘significantly affected by AI’
Chief Justice John Roberts focused his end-of-year report on the intersection of technology and the legal system.
Federal Court Issues Nationwide Pause on Biden's Federal Employee Vaccine Mandate
The Biden administration has already filed an appeal on the injunction.
Federal Judge Declines to Block Vaccine Mandate for Feds
Judge says the challenge is both premature and unlikely to supersede the public interest in ending the pandemic.
Supreme Court Ends Oracle’s JEDI Challenge
Oracle first challenged the Pentagon’s Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud contract in 2018.
Featured eBooks
Court Deals Yet Another Blow to Firing Reform Law
Thousands of workers may now have a new avenue to getting their jobs back.
Justice Official Recommends Supreme Court Reject Oracle’s JEDI Petition
Oracle has not won at any level of court despite numerous bid protests against the Pentagon’s Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract.
Court to Explore Whether Trump Administration Interfered in JEDI Cloud Contract
The Defense Department previously said lengthy litigation could bring the contract’s future into question.
Bill Would Eliminate Immunity for Foreign Hackers
The Homeland and Cyber Threat Act would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to give Americans legal recourse for damages caused by foreign hackers.
Pentagon Hints It Could Abandon the JEDI Cloud Effort
The department still urgently needs an enterprise cloud and indicates it may consider other options.
Google Antitrust Case Suggests Apple Should Be in the Department of Justice’s Crosshairs Too
Apple’s role as the gateway to billions of searches is the critical factor here.
Union Sues and Democrats Introduce Bill to Block Trump Order Politicizing Civil Service
As opponents of the president’s effort to convert chunks of the federal workforce into at-will employees kick off their efforts to stop the initiative, the administration has signaled that agencies can push forward ahead of schedule.
Court Clarifies Timeline in JEDI Case
Judge Patricia Campbell-Smith issued deadlines through December for the Pentagon’s Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract.
