The mass firings of IRS employees are putting at risk the agency’s ability to issue timely refunds and answer taxpayer questions – along with threatening to reverse recent upgrades to some of the agency’s antiquated technology – former IRS managers said on March 11. […]

Industrial control systems are just as vital to government programs and operations as they are to traditional critical infrastructure operators (power, telecom, utilities, etc.). These systems are more susceptible to cyber threats due to legacy infrastructure, complex supply chains, and inadequate IT-based cyber protection that doesn’t meet the needs of Operations Technology (OT) and stringent compliance requirements. […]

The Senate on Friday confirmed Stephen Feinberg as the new deputy secretary of defense with a 59-40 vote, officially filling the Department of Defense’s (DoD) second-highest civilian position. […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has named Antoine McCord its new chief information officer (CIO), a spokesperson for the agency confirmed to MeriTalk. […]

A Federal judge in Baltimore is set to consider whether to block the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to personal data of and about millions of Americans that is held by the Social Security Administration (SSA). […]

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has created a new Council for National Security within the FCC to oversee telecom supply chain risks, cyber threats, and emerging technologies. […]

A bevy of tech-sector and public interest groups are calling on the Trump administration to maintain current guidance on Federal agency artificial intelligence use case inventories to ensure transparency and accountability in government AI deployment, while others are pleading with the administration to not slash the Federal workforce critical to AI innovation.  […]

Senators clashed on March 13 over President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system, with key disagreements about funding and priorities at a Punchbowl News “pop-up” conversation on space policy. […]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize Federal operations, but agencies are struggling to move beyond pilot programs. A new MeriTalk study, “Tech Tonic: 2025 Federal CAIO Outlook,” reveals that while AI use cases have doubled over the past year, government leaders face systemic hurdles in scaling AI for real mission impact.  […]

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is flagging flaws in the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s management of system security plans (SSPs) for the Federal government’s central banking account, which it said has limited insight into the accuracy of financial information.  […]

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) oversees a vast and dynamic IT ecosystem that supports a wide range of operations – from the Department of Defense’s (DoD) classified mission systems to a host of other critical functions – and that scope presents unique challenges, an top agency tech official explained this week. […]

The Department of Defense (DoD) plans to propose military spending cuts alongside its fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request, according to a letter from Pentagon leaders to Congress. […]

As Federal agencies continue to see cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a “radical change” is needed across the Federal government to invest in artificial intelligence technologies and make their use a national priority. […]

President Donald Trump has nominated Eric Ueland, a veteran Senate and White House aide, to serve as the deputy director for management (DDM) at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). […]

House Oversight and Reform Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is demanding answers from Federal agencies regarding their use of AI technologies – particularly in connection with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) activities – and whether they are complying with Federal security laws. […]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has selected HQC as its fifth standard for post-quantum encryption, providing an additional layer of security to protect encrypted data against potential threats from future quantum computers. […]

Former Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) Suzette Kent issued a call today for the Federal government to focus on enterprise-wide systems as the “North Star” for guiding future improvements to government workforce management technologies and service improvements. […]

A Federal judge in San Francisco issued an order from the bench today demanding the reinstatement of all probationary employees who were fired at six Federal agencies based on directives from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). […]

The Department of Energy (DoE) is tapping Ross Graber – a security technology veteran with stints at Twitter and Google – to become the agency’s next chief information officer, knowledgeable sources told MeriTalk. […]

In a decision late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to release records and answer questions about the scope of their authority and their plans to reduce Federal spending. […]

President Donald Trump has announced his picks for the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) and the principal deputy director of national intelligence (PDDNI), sending his nominations to the Senate for confirmation.  […]

The House Homeland Security Committee is urging the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – a component of the Department of Homeland Security – to develop an “adaptive” cybersecurity posture to combat evolving threats. […]

The House voted on Monday to approve legislation that would integrate artificial intelligence tech and nanotechnology into U.S. border security operations.  […]

Two Senate committees voted on Wednesday afternoon to advance the nominations of Dan Bishop to serve as the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Paul Lawrence to serve as the deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). […]

Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), refused to testify before a Federal judge in a case determining OPM’s involvement in the firing of Federal probationary employees. […]

U.S. military leaders from across the service branches told lawmakers at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing today that budget uncertainties are hindering their efforts to maintain military readiness. […]

As the United States races to maintain its technological edge on the world stage, tech “diplomats” and immigrant talent – especially in quantum technology – are two of the keys to staying ahead of China in the global tech race, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle said today.    […]

As the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prepares to resume the rollout of its Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the VA to update the program’s modernization life cycle cost estimate and schedule. […]

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted 24-4 today to approve the nomination of Michael Kratsios to become the next director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). […]

Deploying artificial intelligence tools and improving agency data management and sharing could work to prevent fraudulent and improper payments made by the Federal government but reaching that goal also requires better agency accountability measures, witnesses told members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Government Operations on March 11.   […]