How Federal Agencies Have Deployed Claude
Federal agencies, including NASA, the Treasury Department and OPM, have deployed Anthropic’s Claude AI to automate tasks such as drafting documents and coding. The Trump administration has now ordered a halt to further use, citing concerns over data security and potential political influence. The pause comes amid a broader clash between the AI developer and the White House over permissible government applications. Agencies are reviewing existing deployments while policymakers debate federal AI governance.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management Drops Claude, Adds Grok and Codex to AI Use Disclosure
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) updated its public AI‑use disclosure, removing Anthropic’s Claude after a Trump‑issued ban and adding xAI’s Grok and OpenAI’s Codex. The removal follows a dispute over Claude’s guardrails that prompted multiple federal agencies to...
U.S. Targeting Iran’s Space Capabilities Early Into Operation Epic Fury
The United States launched Operation Epic Fury, striking nearly 200 Iranian targets within 72 hours. The attacks focused on infrastructure that enables Iran to move data and conduct space‑warfare operations. Admiral Brad Cooper highlighted the bomber force’s role in degrading...
Dem Lawmakers Press IRS CEO Frank Bisignano on the IRS-ICE Data-Sharing Agreement
Democratic lawmakers grilled IRS Chief Executive Frank Bisignano Thursday over a court‑ordered finding that the agency illegally shared confidential taxpayer data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The hearing focused on a staggering 42,695 instances where the IRS transferred immigration‑related information to...
Iran’s One-Way Attack Drone Launches Drop as U.S. Prepares to Rev up Operation Epic Fury
U.S. and Israeli forces have struck key Iranian drone launch sites and weapons launchers in the newly‑named Operation Epic Fury, achieving a measurable drop in Iranian drone and missile activity over the past 24 hours. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and...
Alleged ICE, DHS Location Data Purchases Under Scrutiny by Dems
Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general demanding a probe into alleged warrantless purchases of location data by ICE and DHS. The request follows a 2021 report that first exposed the agencies’ use of...
Alleged ICE, DHS Location Data Purchases Come Under Scrutiny of Democrats
More than 70 House and Senate Democrats have urged the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general to launch an investigation into alleged warrantless purchases of Americans’ location data by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The inquiry will focus on the legality...
Anthropic Faces Fallout Across Federal Agencies From DOD Clash
The Daily Scoop reported that President Donald Trump ordered the removal of Anthropic’s AI platform, Claude, from every federal agency after a standoff with the Department of Defense over military applications. The directive prompted the General Services Administration, State Department and...
Opening Remarks | GDIT Emerge: Modern Government
At GDIT Emerge: Modern Government, Billy Mitchell opened the event, outlining a focus on innovation, modernization, and mission‑driven technology. He highlighted accelerating digital transformation, secure interoperable systems, responsible AI, and citizen‑centric services. Mitchell stressed collaboration among government leaders, industry partners,...
Improving Citizen Experience
At GDIT Emerge, Maryland Deputy Secretary Marcy Jacobs and GDIT CTO Michael Cole discussed modernizing government services through human‑centered design. They emphasized beginning with the citizen problem, not the technology, and building cross‑functional teams that address real needs. The conversation...
Investing in Results
At GDIT Emerge, Dr. Kelly Fletcher, the State Department’s CIO, highlighted how government agencies can truly invest in results. She cited a year of milestones, including the rollout of generative AI tools, a broader online passport‑renewal platform, and strengthened cybersecurity...
Advancing Agentic AI From Pilot to Mission Impact
At a GDIT Emerge forum, senior officials from the Department of Commerce, CDC, and ServiceNow discussed moving agentic AI from experimental pilots to mission‑critical deployments across federal agencies. The panel highlighted the need for secure, well‑governed AI agents that integrate...
Optimizing Cloud at Scale: Speed, Security & Mission Impact
At a GDIT Emerge event, CMS CIO Patrick Newbold detailed how the agency is scaling a secure hybrid cloud to deliver always‑on services for millions of Americans. The agency now builds new capabilities in weeks rather than years, emphasizing speed,...
Driving Efficiencies in Integrated Large-Scale EHR Systems
At GDIT Emerge, GDIT CTO Lance Scott and IHS CIO Mitch Thornbrugh discussed large‑scale EHR modernization for federal health agencies. They highlighted the need to balance efficiency, modernization, and collaboration while delivering interoperable, reliable health IT services. The panel addressed...
Driving Faster Technology Acquisition
At a GDIT Emerge session, GSA’s Corey Nickens and Commerce Department’s Trevor Wagner examined how federal agencies can speed up technology acquisition. They highlighted friction points in the procurement lifecycle and advocated for solicitation designs that keep pace with rapid...
Closing Remarks | GDIT Emerge: Modern Government
At GDIT Emerge: Modern Government, Scoop News Group SVP Billy Mitchell delivered closing remarks that emphasized the shift toward outcome‑focused modernization across federal agencies. He highlighted key priorities such as strengthening cybersecurity, optimizing cloud environments, responsibly adopting AI, and improving...
Modernizing Systems, Streamlining Processes & Delivering Services
Acting CIO Debbie Stephens of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office joined Scoop News Group’s Billy Mitchell at a GDIT Emerge session to discuss modernizing legacy systems. She emphasized moving beyond mere technology deployment to achieve genuine adoption, highlighting artificial...
State Department Makes Multiple Awards Under $10B IT Program
The Daily Scoop highlighted two concurrent federal developments – a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security that is stalling the $625 million FIFA World Cup Grant Program, and the State Department’s issuance of nearly 50 indefinite‑delivery‑indefinite‑quantity (IDIQ) contracts under...
DHS Shutdown Puts Strain on Security, Information-Sharing Ahead of World Cup
The video highlights that the Trump administration is refusing to release $625 million in FEMA‑approved security grants for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, money already appropriated by Congress. The funds, intended for host cities and states to bolster police staffing, mutual‑aid...
House Passes Bill to Scrap Education Requirements From Federal Contracting Jobs
The House passed the Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act, a bipartisan bill from Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), that would bar minimum education requirements—including four-year degrees—on certain federal contracts. Backers, including Rep. William Timmons, argue the measure removes...
House Dems Question DHS, ICE Use of Surveillance Tech
House Democratic members of a House Oversight subcommittee sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Christy Gnome demanding a briefing on the department’s use of advanced cell‑phone surveillance technologies. The lawmakers, led by Rep. Shantel Brown, highlighted recent acquisitions of...
Senators Press SEC Chair on Agentic AI Guardrails During Senate Banking Committee Hearing
Senators pressed SEC leadership during a Senate Banking Committee hearing to address risks from 'agentic' AI systems that can autonomously execute trades, raising questions about who would bear liability if such tools commit illegal or harmful acts. Lawmakers warned that...
SEC Chair Considers ‘Innovation Exemption’ for In-House AI Testing
SEC Chair Jay Clayton (note: actual chair may vary) signaled support for creating an 'innovation exemption' to enable regulated firms—broker-dealers and investment advisers—to pilot AI tools in a controlled sandbox. The proposal aligns with the administration’s 2025 AI Action Plan...
FAA, DOD Data Silos Were Partly to Blame for Last Year’s DCA Crash
Federal investigators concluded last year’s DCA mid-air collision was preventable, citing a history of ignored safety recommendations—notably wider adoption of ADS‑B In—and a poor safety culture within air traffic operations that suppressed employee reporting. The probe found many staff were...
CBP Ramps up Surveillance Tech without Much-Needed IT Personnel
The Daily Scoop highlighted a growing gap at U.S. Customs and Border Protection: while surveillance technology along the northern border has expanded dramatically over the past five years, the agency’s pool of information‑system specialists has stagnated, and the Department of...
Federal Judge Blocks ICE From Using IRS Taxpayer Data
A federal judge has barred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using IRS taxpayer data under a memorandum of understanding that had allowed cross‑checking taxpayer information for immigration enforcement. The ruling follows a November decision that stopped the IRS from...
How Does AI Factor Into IRS Modernization Efforts?
Treasury leadership, including Secretary Scott Bessant, is betting that an AI surge and smarter IT will help the IRS offset recent staffing cuts and improve collections. The agency has increased its reported AI use cases from 49 last year to...
CBP Personnel — Not U.S. Troops — Used Military Laser to Shoot Object Near El Paso
Customs and Border Protection personnel — not U.S. troops — used a military counter‑drone laser to shoot down an object near El Paso, Texas, after the Defense Department transferred the system to CBP with Defense Secretary approval. Troops with Joint...
DHS Officials Testify Before House Panel
Department of Homeland Security officials told a House panel that body-camera rollouts and surveillance upgrades are expanding but remain only partially deployed. ICE has about 3,000 active body cameras out of roughly 13,000 field agents, with another 6,000 cameras being...
ICE Director Denies Existence of Database Tracking US Citizens
Acting ICE director Todd Lyons told the House Homeland Security Committee there is no ICE database tracking U.S. citizens, rejecting claims fueled by think-tank reports and a viral clip of an agent in Maine. DHS public affairs reiterated the department...
The 2026 Tax Filing Season Is upon Us. Is the IRS Prepared?
The podcast reports that the 2026 U.S. tax-filing season faces significant strain after the IRS cut roughly 19% of its workforce in 2025—about 19,000 jobs—including 8,300 staff who handled critical filing-season duties. Those reductions, combined with paused modernization efforts and...
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons Denies Existence of Database Tracking US Citizens
Acting ICE director Todd Lyons told lawmakers that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not maintain any database tracking American citizens or protesters. He repeatedly denied that agents photograph or catalog First Amendment activity, and declined to explain an incident...
Department of Homeland Security Privacy Probe Will Focus on Biometric Tracking by ICE, OBIM
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General has opened an audit into DHS privacy practices, focusing initially on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of Biometric Identity Management to examine how personally identifiable information and biometric data...
Securing Government Digital Identity in the Age of AI, Deepfakes and Quantum Risk
Federal officials and industry experts warned that as government services digitize, robust identity assurance is essential to prevent sophisticated fraud, AI-enabled impersonation and emerging quantum risks. The GSA’s federal identity and cyber security division supports agencies with centralized resources (idmanagement.gov),...
