The Daily Scoop Podcast

Just days after it was revealed that the FBI used software from Israeli firm Cellebrite to break into the phone of the man who shot former President Donald Trump, the company announced a strategic acquisition to expand its U.S. government work. Cellebrite purchased Cyber Technology Services Inc. and is establishing Cellebrite Federal Solutions, aiming to boost U.S. operations and engage more feder...

In today's episode, significant updates from federal agencies are highlighted, shaping the future of aviation and artificial intelligence. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established a backup system for the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system following a major outage in January 2023. This critical step addresses one of the most severe disruptions to air traffic since the September...

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pushing forward with its artificial intelligence initiatives by awarding sole-source contracts to Abridge AI, Inc. and Nuance Communications, Inc. These contracts aim to develop AI-driven healthcare dictation tools. The pilot program will employ ambient AI technology to transcribe clinical encounters and seamlessly generate medical notes. This initiative...

As federal agencies patiently await final modernization guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) finds itself navigating through a transitional period. Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), a staunch advocate for federal IT modernization and the author of the FedRAMP Authorization Act, voiced his concerns about the progr...

Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Gary Peters (D-Michigan) have introduced the Securing America's Federal Equipment (SAFE) in Supply Chains Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to safeguard federal cybersecurity by mandating that electronic purchases be limited to original manufacturers or authorized resellers, addressing the increased risks of counterfeit products from unverified vendors. In an...

The IRS has successfully piloted its free Direct File online tax-filing system in 12 select states, despite facing numerous technical challenges. At a President’s Management Agenda event, IRS officials Merici Vinton and Chris Given discussed how over 1,000 fixes were made after the launch. Commissioner Danny Werfel's cautious approach was crucial to the program’s success. More than 140,000 taxpaye...

In today's episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast, host Billy Mitchell examines the implications of the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Chevron deference and its impact on federal AI regulation. The 6-3 ruling removes the requirement for courts to defer to federal agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes, complicating the Biden administration's efforts to regulate artificial intelli...

Today's Daily Scoop Podcast delves into the transformative impact of user-focused technology on government missions, with a special emphasis on the Department of Defense's UX overhaul. The discussion opens with an in-depth analysis of the NATO summit in Washington D.C., a pivotal event involving expanding support for Ukraine and launching new cybersecurity collaborations with Indo-Pacific partners...

The GSA has announced an AI-themed hackathon, inviting the public to reimagine federal websites using artificial intelligence and cloud tools. Co-sponsored by OpenAI and Microsoft, the event will provide participants with access to large language models, coding technologies, and AI response consistency features. Scheduled for July 31 in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and New York City, the hackathon a...

The Department of Commerce’s Tech Hubs program, a key initiative supported by the CHIPS and Science Act, aims to bolster federal research and innovation in emerging technologies, especially in areas outside major cities. Senior Biden administration officials discussed the program's impact during a call announcing 12 new initiatives that will receive funding. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo emphas...

The General Services Administration (GSA) has launched a new initiative to prioritize generative AI technologies in the FedRAMP cloud authorization process, aligning with a 2023 executive order. This effort focuses on accelerating the approval of AI capabilities such as chat interfaces, code generation, and image generators to enhance their integration into government systems. Additionally, the Ch...

In this episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, host Billy Mitchell discusses the Department of Defense's evolving strategy towards artificial intelligence. The Joint Staff, under the guidance of Lieutenant General Todd Isaacson, has initiated an AI task force, which recently completed a crucial 90-day review to identify viable AI applications and necessary organizational structures to support AI-enab...

On today's Daily Scoop Podcast, we explore the Department of Energy's (DOE) newly issued reference guide for the use of generative AI tools by its employees and contractors. Released on the DOE's internal network on June 14, this 61-page document outlines best practices and mentions that tools like ChatGPT are available by request. While it isn't considered formal policy, the guide acts as a found...

Chris DeRusha, former Federal Chief Information Security Officer and Deputy National Cyber Director, has joined Google Cloud to lead its global public sector compliance initiatives. DeRusha's new role will involve expanding Google Cloud's offerings in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and security across public sector entities globally. He will report to Jeanette Manfra, Google Cloud’s Glo...

In this episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast, Eric Mill, GSA’s Executive Director for Cloud Strategy, shares comprehensive updates on the modernization of the FedRAMP program, including strategic hires and a new partnership approach aligned with the Department of Defense to enhance cloud authorizations. Additionally, the episode delves into a recent DHS report that discusses the imperative of mitiga...

Today on the Daily Scoop Podcast from the Scoop News Group, The White House launches a new procurement copilot tool and Arpa-H Awards Palantir a $19 million contract for AI and data software.

Today on The Daily Scoop Podcast, Capt. Brian Erickson was appointed as the U.S. Coast Guard’s first ever chief data officer in 2021. Not long after that, the service added artificial intelligence to his portfolio, making him also the first chief data and AI officer for the Coast Guard. Now Erickson has been called on by the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency for the Coast Guard, t...

CISA leads its first tabletop exercise for AI cybersecurity And, lawmakers question Microsoft president over China ties, repeated breaches

The VA extends its EHR contract with Oracle Cerner for another 11 months. And, a scathing Senate report on regulating hedge funds’ use of AI.

There’s a pair of new bipartisan Senate bills out this week that looks to foster responsible AI adoption in two key areas: federal acquisition and small businesses.

GSA takes new steps to secure the software acquisition process And, the White House goes against the idea of an Army Drone Corps

The Department of Veterans Affairs, like many federal agencies, is facing a tightening budget landscape. Because of that, resources to support modernization and emerging tech adoption can be hard to come by. FedScoop reporter Caroline Nihill spoke recently with Charles Worthington, the dual-hatted chief technology officer and chief AI officer for the VA. During their wide-ranging discussion, they...

Today on The Daily Scoop Podcast… from The Scoop News Group. Pentagon CIO John Sherman is leaving government And, Microsoft rolls back a highly criticized AI security tool. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

IRS’s Direct File is on the chopping block in a 2025 appropriations bill and the FBI obtains 7,000 LockBit ransomware decryption keys.

House Republicans want to slash funds for election security. And, the Army is in line to get a new network chief.