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 afraid to speak up about hazards due to retaliation concerns, and revealed longstanding miscommunication and coordination failures between the FAA and the Department of Defense, including conflicting guidance on airspace closures. Officials warned these systemic issues mirrored past collisions and contributed directly to the conditions that produced the DCA crash.
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),...