The Daily Scoop Podcast

Federal civilian agencies have long faced a fragmented cybersecurity landscape – each operating its own tools, budgets, and detection logic, leaving gaps in whole-of-government visibility. In December 2025, there was a landmark shift in how the U.S. government can now defend itself: CISA launched its shared, cloud-hosted Security Information and Event Management -as-a-Service (SIEMaaS) offering to Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies, at no cost. The initiative consolidates security telemetry across agencies onto FedRAMP-authorized Elastic Cloud, and is managed by CISA's Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program. Now nearly a year into that initiative, Chris Townsend, Global VP of Public Sector for Elastic, joins the Daily Scoop Podcast to explore how the SIEMaaS model represents a fundamental rethinking of federal cyber operations, how it tackles OMB M-26-14 logging requirements and why partnerships like this one are key to the future of coordinated national cyber resilience.

The Office of Personnel Management released an artificial intelligence chatbot focused on answering questions about federal workforce data in plain English. Now, it wants people to try to break it. FWD Chat, or Federal Workforce Data Chat, was officially released to the public Wednesday in a testing phase, with the intention of making improvements on the tool as officials get user feedback. Sample prompts invite users to ask how many federal employees were hired last year, what the average salary is by state, and the most common types of employee separations. Outputs are accompanied by suggested follow-up questions and data downloads. “It’s a beta. Use it, try to break it, and hit the feedback button,” Adam Starr, chief information officer of OPM, said in a LinkedIn post announcing the tool. In emailed responses to FedScoop, Starr said the chatbot is built on an OpenAI model, leverages a data programming language, and is planned for integration with the Trump administration’s America.gov chatbot. Per Starr, the project took the agency roughly three months to complete.

The Pentagon is launching a pilot program that will use artificial intelligence to manage its classification processes and handling of sensitive military information, according to a memorandum reviewed by DefenseScoop and sources familiar. Within the next six months, the department will start an “initial small-scale deployment of an automated security classification capability” intended to “overhaul” the way the department classifies info, according to a memorandum issued Monday by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg. The DOD will use an AI-backed system the Air Force recently developed, known as the Automated Classification Management Environment (ACME), for the trial program while tapping the service’s top civilian official as the executive agent for the pilot. If the pilot is successful, according to the memo, the automated system will eventually serve as “the single, digital authoritative reference” for all of the DOD’s original classification decisions, a responsibility historically reserved for specially designated human officials who determine how sensitive information is categorized.

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Former Department of Homeland Security CIO Antoine McCord has returned to defense technology company Anduril, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. McCord helmed DHS’s multibillion-dollar IT portfolio from March 2025 to August 2026. The official wore a number of other hats, including acting CISO and head of the Office of Biometric and Identity Management. Under his leadership, DHS prioritized surveillance systems, expanded its data estate, accelerated AI use and boosted investment in biometric technologies. Privacy experts and transparency advocates raised concerns about the efforts, pointing to seemingly sluggish governance controls and accountability levers. Following McCord’s appointment, DHS also increased its spending on his former — and now current — company. DHS spent roughly $148 million on Anduril’s services in fiscal 2025 and $431 million in fiscal 2026, nearly tripling its annual investment. DHS welcomed Kyle Schutt to its ranks in August to fill the gap left by McCord’s departure.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an identity verification pilot on its website through CLEAR, according to Wednesday press releases. Billed as “one of the first steps of a larger VA modernization effort,” the announcement said veterans can use “CLEAR1” for free to access and create their VA-dot-gov accounts, though it is not mandatory and choosing not to enroll will not affect veterans’ ability to access VA benefits or services. VA-dot-gov is the front door to veterans’ benefits, serving roughly 17 million veterans — 9.1 million of which are enrolled in VA healthcare, the release said. Currently, users can access the site through Login-dot-gov or ID.me. Veterans can now set up their CLEAR accounts or visit CLEAR locations at six VA medical centers across the country.

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David Shive is one of the longest-tenured CIOs in all of the federal government. Also vice chair of the Federal CIO Council, Shive has a wealth of knowledge on what it means to be a CIO at the federal level and how the role has evolved over the last decade-plus. Shive, a nominee for the 2026 FedScoop 50 Awards, recently joined the Daily Scoop Podcast to share how he thinks about his role as GSA CIO amid the ongoing AI boom and why IT management inside the government has become as much about good business practices as the technology itself.

The Trump administration and Anduril Industries unveiled plans Tuesday for a new “software-defined” shipyard that will help build attack submarines for the Navy. The announcement comes as the Navy aims to boost its undersea arsenal, which could play a key role in a potential future conflict with China in the Pacific, and President Donald Trump seeks to enhance domestic manufacturing. The Navy has awarded Anduril a contract worth up to $2.9 billion to support the effort, according to a press release from the contractor. The firm plans to invest $3.7 billion of its own funding to help stand up the facility, grow the workforce, and add new tech and other capabilities that will be required for the project. The facility, dubbed Arsenal-2, will be constructed at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum that was publicly released on Friday with updated policies to expedite counter-drone technology deployments across U.S. military bases, critical infrastructure, and other domestic assets, as unmanned systems continue to disrupt national security and transform global warfare. The five-page directive, dated Sept. 28, targets specific administrative and procedural bottlenecks that have historically slowed the Defense Department’s counter-drone hardware and software adoption — like radio spectrum and frequency authorization delays and often arduous safety review processes. Notably, this new policy requires review and approval authorities to treat any delays in handling requests associated with DOD’s counter-drone needs as operational risks. Hegseth’s memo appears to serve as an enforcement mechanism for Joint Interagency Task Force 401, which he previously launched to lead the Pentagon’s high-priority counter-drone initiatives.

Also in this episode: SAP NS2’s Hunter Downey explains how federal agencies can accelerate AI adoption by using tools embedded in enterprise applications on government-authorized sovereign cloud platforms. Downey argues that established security controls can help agencies navigate compliance requirements, modernize legacy systems and protect sensitive data. He also discusses the differences between generative and agentic AI, why trusted cloud operations and secure data connections matter, and how agencies can measure AI’s value through faster, better-informed mission decisions. This segment was sponsored by SAP NS2.

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The General Services Administration has issued its artificial intelligence acquisition clause as a class deviation from its regulations, according to a regulation overhaul memo updated Monday, making it a policy that can be used immediately. GSA previously proposed a rule to amend federal regulations for AI acquisitions and took two rounds of public comment on drafts. Since then, the agency decided on a class deviation from the GSA’s Acquisition Regulation first. While the memo says the deviation will be effective Oct. 19, contracting officers could use it now and existing contracts may be changed at the discretion of the officer, it said. As a deviation, it is essentially policy until GSA rescinds it or codifies it through formal rulemaking, which the memo says will include a public comment period.

A bill to eliminate educational requirements in federal contracting jobs unanimously passed the Senate late Wednesday night, putting the legislation a presidential signature away from becoming law. The Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act (H.R. 5235), led by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and co-sponsored by Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, cleared the House in February and advanced out of committee in the upper chamber in August. The bill would ban federal agencies from putting minimum education standards into contract solicitations — unless the agency includes a written explanation showing why those requirements are critical to the mission. Mace said in a press briefing Thursday this “is a middle-class American workers bill. If you have the skills, you should get the job.” Mace, who’s retiring from Congress at the end of this term, said the bill will be transmitted to the White House within “the next couple of days” or “up to a week.”

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Carter Farmer, the Environmental Protection Agency’s chief information officer, is said to be the White House’s pick for the new federal CIO, according to several sources familiar with the matter. Farmer replaces Greg Barbaccia as the federal government’s top IT official. Barbaccia left government and returned to Palantir at the end of August. Barbaccia told FedScoop: “I’ve always enjoyed working with Carter, and I think he’s a great fit for the role. We share a very similar culture and approach to getting things done, and he knows his competencies exceptionally well.” Farmer was added to the Technology Modernization Fund Board as a fully voting member last month, a position he would hold permanently as the federal CIO, along with General Services Administration CIO David Shive. The EPA posted its open CIO position on USAJobs-dot-gov on Monday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking to build out its AI ecosystem by assigning software development work to AI agents and expanding existing platforms, per a request for information published Friday. An agentic software factory, which ICE wants to build, has AI agents handling a significant share of the planning, implementation, testing and review process of the development lifecycle. ICE’s IT shop wants help across three layers of the agentic software factory, which are “desired future-state capabilities, not existing ICE implementations,” the unit explained in its documentation. The first layer is an enterprise control plane that will include the governance, architecture, infrastructure, shared services and cost-reporting mechanisms. The next layer contains the agentic orchestration, allowing ICE to coordinate AI agents and map out protocols for tool access, human escalation and stop conditions. The third layer that’s top of mind for ICE is its independent assurance boundary, which will provide cybersecurity, accessibility and mission ac ceptance testing before production. The STELLA platform, which stands for Secure Technology Environment for Large Language Agents, was implemented earlier this summer, FedScoop previously reported. Documents obtained via a public records request outlined ICE’s plans to use the platform as a way to develop, test and deploy AI use cases. At least a dozen fully deployed, production-ready AI applications are already live on the platform, per ICE’s background documentation provided in the RFI.

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The Trump administration unveiled an artificial intelligence chatbot Tuesday that it views as a new front door for services from the federal government. America.gov, which launched Tuesday morning, opens with a search bar inviting users to ask anything — from booking a campsite at a national park, to getting a passport for their child, to replacing their Social Security card. “Whatever you need from the government, start here,” the homepage says. “Under the hood, America.gov is an extraordinary use of AI designed to improve your life. It’s trained specifically on one official source of truth: The United States Government,” Joe Gebbia, the U.S. Chief Design Officer and co-founder of Airbnb, said during the launch event in Washington, D.C. According to remarks Gebbia made to CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday, the platform is powered by Google’s Gemini and Elon Musk’s Grok. The initiative comes as the Trump administration has, generally, sought to increase the use of AI in government and decrease restrictions on the technology.

Google has extended its OneGov deal with the General Services Administration for its artificial intelligence Gemini, according to a Tuesday website update. The deal, which charged $0.47 per agency for one year for Gemini for Government and gave 20% off list for first-party cloud services, was set to expire Wednesday but will now last until Nov. 15. The deal includes Gemini, Google AI platform and tools, FedRAMP High authorized Google Cloud Platform products and builds upon a previous 71% discount Google Workspace agreement, the website says. GSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Google declined to comment. The extension follows a recent OneGov extension for Anthropic’s Claude and a new deal for OpenAI’s ChatGPT models.

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For the U.S. federal government in the age of AI, data policy is critical to building better outcomes for the American people. That’s the chartering mission of the Federation of American Scientists’ new Data Policy Institute, which is led by former U.S. Chief Data Scientist Denice Ross. Ross sits down with FedScoop Senior Reporter Madison Alder to discuss her time supporting the federal government’s data utility and accessibility as U.S. chief data scientist and how her new role within the Federation of American Scientists continues that effort, particularly as many federal datasets have vanished from the public domain.

A coalition of dozens of software developers and former government employees is calling on the General Services Administration to reverse recent actions related to the U.S. Web Design System, warning that its current direction could have widespread impact on website accessibility. In an open letter shared exclusively with FedScoop, the coalition warned GSA leaders that recent moves to put the lead official at USWDS on administrative leave, implement new leadership, remove contributors to a public GitHub repository for the system, delete public comments and add in new AI programs have put the system and thousands of websites it powers “in jeopardy.” Those actions leave agencies with a difficult question: “Can we continue to treat USWDS as trusted government infrastructure?” the signatories wrote. “Given the removal of experienced community maintainers and user comments from public discussions, we believe the answer, currently, is no.” To remedy the situation, the signers asked GSA to take seven actions, including restoring access to USWDS GitHub for community maintainers, bringing back former leaders and staff, communicating openly, and maintaining “rigorous manual accessibility testing and documented quality assurance.” The takeover of USWDS described in the letter unfolded rapidly over the past several weeks. It more or less began with a move to place USWDS lead Anne Petersen, the final remaining member of the legacy team, on administrative leave at the beginning this month, and a flurry of activity in the GitHub page. Those tensions boiled over last week when a newcomer to the project, Ryan Parker, stated plans to “automate as much accessibility testing as possible across current and future USWDS versions.”

The Federal Aviation Administration is asking Congress for an additional $30 billion to reach its modernization goals tied to the overhaul of air traffic control systems and aviation infrastructure. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., introduced the Modern Skies Act on Monday, which lays out the plan including efforts to implement a common automation platform and cloud computing infrastructure. The bill is backed by nearly 60 organizations, including Airlines for America, the Association of Value Airlines, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Schmitt appeared Monday alongside representatives from the trade groups, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at a news conference announcing the plan at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

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Login-dot-gov now widely accepts mobile driver’s licenses for identity verification, partially in an effort to combat artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes, according to a General Services Administration press release Tuesday. The agency previewed this capability in December 2025, though GSA aimed to make it available by this summer. However, Login is currently only supporting mobile driver’s licenses in Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet, and “is in the process of adding support for additional mDL sources.” “​​The new process grants users greater control over their privacy, as they can preview and share only the specific attributes required for verification rather than their entire document,” the release said. Mobile driver’s licenses use “cryptographic verification to confirm that a digital credential is valid and has not been altered,” but using them is not mandatory for Login users, it said. “This approach provides additional protection against fraud techniques such as AI-generated deepfakes and counterfeit identity documents,” the release said. As of March, 20 states and one territory offer mobile driver’s licenses, the release said, making them available to about 71.5 million people, with 8 million current users.

Over 30,000 veterans’ health data was exposed in a June cybersecurity incident at the genetic testing laboratory Baylor Genetics, and the Department of Veterans Affairs said the company didn’t meet its notification expectations, according to an email sent by an agency official Monday and viewed by FedScoop. Names, dates of birth, medical testing information, lab test results, health insurance data and partial Social Security numbers were accessed by an “unauthorized third party” around June 15, according to the email from the VA notifying congressional staff. However, Baylor reported that it is “not aware of any identity theft, fraud, or misuse of personal information related to this incident at this time,” the email said. “Upon learning of the incident, VA took immediate actions to ensure that affected Veterans are protected, by evaluating Baylor’s notification process and compliance with its contractual and security responsibilities,” it said. VA met with Baylor and determined the company’s initial notification and information sharing “did not meet VA’s expectations for timely, complete, and appropriately coordinated notifications,” it said, and specifically briefed providers with its Pharmacogenomics and Medical Genetics programs. “VA worked with Baylor to improve the notification process and revised Baylor’s Interconnection Security Agreement to address delays in Baylor’s sharing of breach-related information with VA,” the email said.

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The secret to the State Department’s AI success by The Daily Scoop Podcast

Sam Berry, the Department of Agriculture’s chief information officer, is stepping down from his role but staying with the agency, USDA confirmed Monday. Berry, a former associate of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, replaced longtime CIO Gary Washington last year. While it is unclear what Berry’s exact role will be, he will be focusing on implementing the “One Farmer, One File” modernization initiative, USDA said. The agency launched the initiative earlier this year to create a unique streamlined record for each farmer, a press release said. USDA tapped Palantir for IT modernization and other digital work as part of a $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement in April, which includes the One Farmer, One File initiative. In a press release at the time, Berry said the agreement would provide the agency with “the visibility and speed needed to safeguard our food supply.”

As calls for an AI slowdown and stronger safety measures around the emerging technology grow louder, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged lawmakers Tuesday to not give in to frontier labs on liability exemptions. Appearing before the House Financial Services Committee, Bessent was asked by Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., what the Trump administration is doing for AI safety. Bessent said the department has been “working on safety nonstop since the release of Mythos,” the Anthropic model whose cybersecurity risks prompted an April meeting at Treasury headquarters between the secretary, then-Fed Chair Jerome Powell and bank CEOs. But going forward, he said it’s clear that what the government “shouldn’t do on safety is to give these labs a liability exemption, which is what they are asking for.” “The best way to guarantee safety is that the creators are liable for what they build and generate,” Bessent continued. The Treasury secretary’s comments came days after Anthropic’s Dario Amodei penned an essay calling on AI companies to tap the brakes on model development amid increasingly stark warnings about the technology’s potential dangers. Though President Donald Trump rejected calls to ease the pace of AI development, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and xAI’s Elon Musk backed Amodei’s slowdown plan. The Anthropic head’s plan included a note for the federal government to “issue a narrow waiver for certain kinds of safety conversations” while industry works toward voluntary standards. OpenAI, meanwhile, previously backed an Illinois bill to limit liability for AI-fueled harms.

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