Smarter Gov Tech, Stronger MerITocracy
White House

President Biden today delivered most Federal workers an early holiday present in the form of a day off on Dec. 24 – the day before Christmas that is celebrated by many. The Federal government is already closed for Dec. 25. […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) is using artificial intelligence (AI) tech for missions that range from responding to emergencies to planning energy investments and determining the risks of nuclear weapons, the department’s new principal deputy chief information officer said on Dec. 18. […]

Government officials at both the Federal and state levels are working on a wide range of new AI use cases with focuses on administrative efficiency and improving decision-making, several Federal and city officials said this week.    […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is gearing up to release a new white paper on how the Federal government can improve collaboration with industry to bolster the security of the subsea cable network, according to DHS Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security Christa Brzozowski. […]

Federal money spending government

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced today that the Biden-Harris administration has delivered over $100 billion in savings and cost avoidance through the work of category management – an enterprise-wide approach to Federal contracting that makes the government a more organized, better-informed buyer. […]

White House

As the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) approaches its fourth anniversary on Jan. 1, 2025, a group of cybersecurity experts is offering the incoming Trump administration five key policy recommendations to clarify ONCD’s mission. […]

The Senate voted today to approve the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today by an 85-14 vote, sending the annual defense policy bill to President Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. […]

semiconductor chips

The Department of Commerce said on Dec. 18 that it finalized an award of up to $406 million of direct funding to GlobalWafers Co. Ltd. under the CHIPS and Science Act to create semiconductor wafer operations in the United States.  […]

generative AI, ChatGPT

The House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence released its final 273-page report on Tuesday morning, providing sweeping policy recommendations and laying out a roadmap for what lawmakers are calling an “agile approach” to the new technology.   […]

TMF
CISA

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a binding operational directive (BOD) on Tuesday that requires Federal civilian agencies to implement secure practices for cloud services. […]

A group of Senate Democrats today pushed to pass a bill that would block the incoming Trump administration from enacting a new Schedule F classification for Federal employees, but ultimately failed in that effort as the motion was shot down by Republicans on the Senate floor. […]

House Democrats today chose Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. – one of the most influential members of Congress on Federal government technology and workforce issues – as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee when the 119th Congress begins its work in January. […]

DoD

Despite grumbling from some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the Pentagon’s newly released Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) rule has successfully completed its 60-day Congressional Review period without any changes, signaling that the rulemaking process is officially complete. […]

White House

The Alliance for Digital Innovation (ADI) sent an open letter today to President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) calling on the advisory group to focus its efforts on “three critical areas where targeted engagement and direction from DOGE can dramatically enhance government performance while driving long-term efficiency.” […]

capitol government shutdown government closed-min
semiconductor chips
NIH

Adele Merritt, who has run technology operations at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) since 2022, started work today as the new chief information officer (CIO) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  […]

DoD

While the Pentagon continues to build its cybersecurity capabilities, not everyone within the agency’s departments is prioritizing meeting cybersecurity standards, said David McKeown, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) senior information security officer and deputy chief information officer, on Friday.     […]

CISA

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) today unveiled a draft update of its National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP), which was first published in 2016, and is seeking public comment on the draft through mid-January.   […]

DoD

The Department of Defense (DoD) has launched a new platform to streamline collaboration with innovators, researchers, and organizations with the aim of speeding up the development of technologies that strengthen national security. […]

MeriTalk Tech Tonic - December 2024

As the whirlwind of 2024 gives over to the promise of 2025, it’s time to give thanks and recognition to some of the Federal government’s very top technology talent at MeriTalk’s Tech Tonic on Dec. 19 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Morton’s the Steakhouse in Washington, D.C. […]

Women
White House

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a report on Thursday highlighting the progress made by the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer (OFCIO) in cybersecurity, technology modernization, digital service delivery, and artificial intelligence during the Biden-Harris administration. […]

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