The Daily Scoop Podcast

The Daily Scoop Podcast
  • 4.8 (15)
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The Daily Scoop Podcast

A podcast covering the latest news & trends facing top government leaders on topics such as technology, management & workforce. Hosted by Billy Mitchell on FedScoop and released every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

  1. OMB’s new impact report trumpets progress with emerging technologies; House, Senate introduce bipartisan bill to create national immersive tech strategy

    1 DAY AGO

    OMB’s new impact report trumpets progress with emerging technologies; House, Senate introduce bipartisan bill to create national immersive tech strategy

    As members of the Biden administration wrap up their duties ahead of next month’s transition, the Office of Management and Budget’s IT office is touting the “innovative” technological progress it’s made over the past four years in the face of “unprecedented challenges.” In an impact report shared exclusively with FedScoop, OMB’s Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer highlighted several of its tech-focused accomplishments throughout President Joe Biden’s time in office, pointing specifically to work in artificial intelligence, open data, cybersecurity and quantum, all in service of further modernizing the federal government. Lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced a bipartisan bill Wednesday that would create an advisory panel aimed at developing a national strategy for technologies such as virtual and augmented reality. Under the United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act, the Department of Commerce would be directed to establish such a panel that would advise the president on how to use those technologies, known collectively as immersive technologies or XR, for commerce, trade and economic competitiveness. That panel would also study XR and its impact on national security, according to a release from sponsor Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., announcing the bill. 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, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

    3 min
  2. Extreme Weather, AI, and Infrastructure Resilience: CISA ISD Chief Meteorologist Sunny Wescott

    3 DAYS AGO

    Extreme Weather, AI, and Infrastructure Resilience: CISA ISD Chief Meteorologist Sunny Wescott

    In this episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast, Sunny Wescott, CISA ISD Chief Meteorologist at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides an in-depth look at her critical role managing extreme weather impacts on national infrastructure. She blends her expertise in meteorology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Wescott discusses the growing intensity of extreme weather events and their direct impact on critical infrastructure, including supply chains, energy grids, and data centers. She also explores the role of AI in enhancing weather forecasting while tackling challenges like misinformation and computational demands, as well as sustainable solutions to balance the environmental toll of data centers and AI facilities with operational needs. Additionally, she highlights CISA’s collaborative efforts with public and private sectors to bolster resilience and preparedness. Throughout the episode, Wescott emphasizes her work in integrating advanced climate data into actionable strategies, ensuring stakeholders are equipped to navigate the evolving challenges of a warming world. 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, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

    34 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    OPM is using AI to modernize its legacy COBOL-coded systems

    The Pentagon announced Saturday that it selected five small, non-traditional defense contractors to receive funding to help move their emerging technologies into production. Each company will receive $10 million under the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) pilot program overseen by Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. The awards mark the first batch of APFIT funding distributed in fiscal 2025 and they’re being bankrolled through continuing resolution appropriations. Shyu said in a statement: “With the backing of APFIT, these companies have an opportunity to push their innovations over the finish line. We look forward to supporting additional projects important to warfighters as more funding is appropriated.” APFIT is intended to steer existing innovation projects across the so-called “valley of death” — a phenomenon in which emerging technologies that have successful research-and-development efforts with the Defense Department fail to receive additional funding for production.

    3 min
  4. Marsha Blackburn’s DOGE Acts would codify Schedule F, freeze federal hiring and salaries; Defense committees agree on independent cyber force assessment in 2025 NDAA

    4 DAYS AGO

    Marsha Blackburn’s DOGE Acts would codify Schedule F, freeze federal hiring and salaries; Defense committees agree on independent cyber force assessment in 2025 NDAA

    A package of bills introduced by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., last week would freeze federal hiring and salaries for one year and reintroduce a merit-based compensation structure for federal employees, among other provisions. Blackburn on Thursday announced a single bill as part of her DOGE Act, but a spokesperson from her office clarified in an email to FedScoop that she plans to introduce seven bills under that umbrella. The package would establish a pilot program for civilian employees in the federal government, codifying what President-elect Donald Trump attempted to establish during his first term with Schedule F. The House and Senate Armed Services Committees moved forward a provision paving the way for an independent study assessing the potential creation of a sixth U.S. military service focused on cyber. Both houses of Congress passed nearly identical provisions in their respective versions of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act earlier this year, and they were incorporated into the final conferenced bill that was reconciled between both chambers and released Saturday evening. The House passed a similar provision last year that was axed during this conference process for the annual defense policy bill, effectively killing it until it was revived this year. 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, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

    4 min
  5. Trump names an ‘AI & Crypto Czar;' Agencies are falling short on IoT cybersecurity compliance

    DEC 6

    Trump names an ‘AI & Crypto Czar;' Agencies are falling short on IoT cybersecurity compliance

    David Sacks, a venture capitalist, former CEO of enterprise social network firm Yammer and podcaster, will join the incoming administration in a new role President-elect Donald Trump referred to in a Thursday night announcement as the “White House AI & Crypto Czar.” In a series of posts on Trump’s own Truth Social platform, he said Sacks “will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness.” Trump said that Sacks will “focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas” while safeguarding free speech online and steering the nation away from what he referred to as Big Tech bias and censorship. Another key priority for Sack will be working on a legal framework so the crypto industry has “the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S. A handful of federal agencies missed deadlines to complete Internet of Things cybersecurity requirements called out in a 2020 law, a new congressional watchdog report found. The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 required the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Office of Management and Budget to develop guidance for securely procuring IoT — networked technology and devices typically connected to physical objects like buildings, vehicles and other infrastructure. The law also required 23 civilian federal agencies to implement IoT cybersecurity requirements, though a waiver process was to be established by OMB. 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, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

    3 min
  6. The SAMOSA Act passes the House; the Senate introduces bipartisan National Quantum Initiative reauthorization

    DEC 5

    The SAMOSA Act passes the House; the Senate introduces bipartisan National Quantum Initiative reauthorization

    Legislation to improve federal agency oversight and management of software purchases passed the House on Wednesday, keeping top IT and software trade groups’ hopes alive that the bill will get through the Senate and become law before this congressional term is up. The Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act (H.R.1695) – better known as the SAMOSA Act — was introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., last year and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 20 House lawmakers. Calling the rooting out of waste, fraud and abuse a “signal mission” of the House Oversight Committee, Cartwight said the bill would ensure that federal agencies are required to conduct a “comprehensive assessment of their current software assets and restructure their operations to reduce unnecessary costs.” A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to reauthorize and refocus the National Quantum Initiative after certain research and development activities in its initial five-year run lapsed in September. The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act would authorize $2.7 billion for quantum R&D at federal agencies for the next five years and shift the initiative’s focus “from basic research to practical applications.” It would also expand the initiative to include agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the State Department and the Small Business Administration, according to a news release. 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, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

    5 min
  7. GSA’s David Shive talks digital transformation, AI and what’s ahead

    DEC 3

    GSA’s David Shive talks digital transformation, AI and what’s ahead

    David Shive is one of the longest-tenured CIOs in all of the federal government and serves as vice chair of the Federal CIO Council. He also helms the IT portfolio of one of the most innovative and forward-leaning agencies across the executive branch. As such, he’s an insightful leader with a strong read on the state of technology transformation across the federal government. FedScoop recently caught up with Shive on the sidelines of ACT-IAC’s Imagine Nation ELC event in Hershey, Pa. During our conversation, we touched on a variety of things, including trends in digital transformation that GSA and other agencies experienced over the past year, AI adoption and what’s next – as well as an interesting insight he picked up recently on where the U.S. stands compared to its allies in digital service delivery. Top lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee are using the stretch run of this congressional term to address the impact artificial intelligence has on the finance and housing sectors. Reps. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the chair and ranking member of the committee, respectively, announced Monday the introduction of a resolution to acknowledge the rising use of AI in financial services and in the housing industry, as well as a bill that calls on financial regulatory agencies to study the benefits of the technology within the sector. The resolution and bill are the culmination of nearly a year of work from the committee’s bipartisan AI working group and come just days before a hearing that will explore how the technology is framing the future of finance. In an era where personal data is increasingly commodified, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is attempting to regulate the sprawling industry of data brokers. A newly proposed rule released Tuesday aims to put data brokers in line with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), ensuring accountability and consumer privacy amid widespread security issues. Initially established in 1970, the FCRA was one of the first pieces of legislation aimed at protecting consumer privacy. The proposed changes by the CFPB intend to broaden the law to include data brokers, holding them to the same standards as traditional consumer reporting agencies such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The CFPB’s proposed rule redefines consumer reports to encompass any broker that obtains personal data related to credit and financial assessment.

    25 min
  8. Trump team signs transition MOU but refuses GSA’s tech services; Justice Department OIG calls out lack of an updated public AI strategy

    DEC 2

    Trump team signs transition MOU but refuses GSA’s tech services; Justice Department OIG calls out lack of an updated public AI strategy

    The Trump-Vance transition team and the Biden administration signed a memorandum of understanding last week formally kicking off the process to hand over executive power — though the Trump team has decided not to accept some of the government’s available resources, including tech and information security provided by the General Services Administration. The transition team will reportedly run as a “self-sufficient organization” with existing security and information protections already built-in, utilizing private funding, according to the press release from the Trump transition team. That includes not using technology or buildings provided by the General Services Administration as part of the transition resources the agency is authorized and appropriated to provide. The Trump team said it “already has existing security and information protections built in, which means we will not require additional government and bureaucratic oversight.” The Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General called out the agency’s lack of an updated public strategy for artificial intelligence and underscored the need to be proactive in a report on its management and performance challenges last week. The comments came as part of the OIG’s determination that maintaining cybersecurity and keeping up with emerging technologies, such as AI, were among the top challenges for the DOJ. For AI specifically, the report underscored how long ago the department’s public AI strategy was released. The OIG’s office said in the report: “While the Department has made efforts to adapt to the change in the technological landscape, such as hiring the Department’s first Chief Science and Technology Advisor and Chief AI Officer, the most recent publicly issued strategy on AI from the Department—which outlines an AI adoption and coordination strategy with DOJ component responsibilities—is from 2020.” 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, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

    4 min
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4.8
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

A podcast covering the latest news & trends facing top government leaders on topics such as technology, management & workforce. Hosted by Billy Mitchell on FedScoop and released every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Information

  • Creator
    The Daily Scoop Podcast
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    507
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Daily Scoop Podcast

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