Emerging Tech
Why the Trump administration grounded these middle schoolers’ drones—and other STEM research
Researchers and educators worry the sweeping cuts to education research at the National Science Foundation will limit opportunities for girls and students of color to pursue STEM careers.
Artificial Intelligence
Indianapolis Public Schools to expand staff use of AI in pilot program, school board to consider draft policy
The policy provides general guidelines for staff on acceptable use of AI in the classroom.
Artificial Intelligence
How states and the private sector can work together to shape AI governance
COMMENTARY | The technological prowess of the private sector and the public sector’s governance culture make for a strong combination as states and localities look to integrate the technology.
Sponsor Content
Transportation and healthcare: How government agencies are leveraging AI to improve critical public service delivery
AI is transforming public sector healthcare and transportation, boosting safety, efficiency, and equity through smart tools, predictive insights, and ethical implementation.
Artificial Intelligence
‘All in on AI’: Shapiro, Amazon announce $20B AI investment in Pennsylvania
Gov. Josh Shapiro said the investment is the largest private-sector investment in the history of the commonwealth.
Cybersecurity
US agencies assessed Chinese telecom hackers likely hit data center and residential internet providers
Data center giant Digital Realty and mass media titan Comcast were documented as likely victims of the Salt Typhoon cyberespionage group, people familiar say, marking a potentially major expansion of the group’s initial telecom hacking campaign discovered last year.
Cybersecurity
Gov. Greg Abbott signs law creating Texas Cyber Command
The Texas governor had declared creating a cyber command an emergency item earlier this year. State officials said it will be the largest state-based cyber department in the U.S.
Artificial Intelligence
Senate reconciliation bill text tweaks state AI regulation ban
The Senate Commerce Committee would block some funding from states that want to regulate the technology. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of lawmakers have said any moratorium should be dropped altogether.
Management
Ohio lawmakers introduce competing proposal for online age verification
The latest offering, House bill 302, aims to share responsibility between apps and app stores.
Exclusive
Digital Government
Direct File is 'beloved by its users,' internal IRS report says
The IRS is reportedly ending the Direct File, but a report obtained via the Freedom of Information Act says that 94% of users rated their experience as “excellent” or “above average.”
Management
As food insecurity creeps up, data helps food banks cater to those in need
Americans are concerned about food access and costs. Data maps are one tool communities can leverage to meet their needs.
Featured eBooks
Digital Government
Feds unveil ‘critical reforms’ to BEAD program
The $42.5 billion program to expand broadband will now be technology-neutral, rather than prefer fiber. Various workforce, climate and environment rules have also been relaxed.
Sponsor Content
Don’t let austerity slow you down
How UK government can cut tech costs and boost innovation by leveraging data platforms and refining data strategies during austerity.
Artificial Intelligence
Report warns of agentic AI cyber risks
AI-powered agents are growing in popularity among the public and private sector, but could be exploited at various stages by bad actors, the R Street Institute warned.
Digital Government
Texas lawmakers pull funding for child identification kits again after newsrooms report they don’t work
For the second legislative session, lawmakers have withdrawn funding for a company selling kits that promise to help find missing kids after ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reported there’s no evidence to support that claim.
Artificial Intelligence
‘Little tech’ lobby starts campaign against AI regulation bills
The American Innovators Network is warning about unintended consequences of the RAISE Act and other legislation regulating AI companies.
Workforce
How one Virginia county takes an ‘intentional’ and ‘intergenerational’ approach to AI
In Fairfax County, one local leader is building staff’s artificial intelligence skills now to ensure the workforce can keep up with tech advances in the future.
Digital Government
Hunt for clarity on BEAD’s future goes on
With little word on the status of the Commerce Department’s review of the $42 billion broadband program, Senate Democrats and some industry groups have looked to up the pressure.
Infrastructure
Data centers are building their own gas power plants in Texas
Not long ago, developers of the massive server farms talked about powering them with wind and solar energy. Now they’re bypassing the grid and building their own gas-fired power plants on site.
Cybersecurity
‘I do not have confidence’ that US infrastructure is cyber-secure, former NSC official says
At the AI Expo for National Competitiveness, Anne Neuberger told audiences that artificial intelligence tools are an enhancement opportunity for U.S. cyber defenses and intelligence collection.
Digital Government
Governments should prioritize agility in IT projects, expert says
Monolithic IT modernizations, according to U.S. Digital Response’s Waldo Jaquith, can increase a government’s risk of an IT project failure that requires even more time and resources to amend.
