Agencies Could Be Required to Move Loan Systems to 1 Platform Under Bipartisan Bill
Bipartisan legislation (H.R. 7789 and S. 3980) would require federal credit agencies to move their loan‑management systems onto a single shared‑services platform, Lending.gov, or justify exemptions. The bill targets a $5 trillion loan portfolio spread across roughly 20 agencies, from student aid to small‑business financing. Proponents argue the consolidation will curb billions in fraud, lower taxpayer costs, and provide a more user‑friendly borrower experience. Implementation hinges on a six‑month OMB‑guided plan that details migration sequencing, ownership, and funding.
DSIT and DESNZ IT Unit Signs £7.5m Laptop Deal
The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) unit, serving the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), has signed a Dell contract worth up to £7.5 million (≈$9.6 million). The initial 12‑month phase,...
MPs Urge Creation of National Body to Combat Disinformation
The UK Foreign Affairs Committee has called on ministers to establish a statutory National Counter Disinformation Centre to counter foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). The report notes that seven government departments – including the FCDO, MoD, Home Office and...
Claudia Sheinbaum’s Blitzkrieg War on Cash
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a nine‑month push to make digital payments mandatory at gas stations and toll booths, aiming to curb the country’s reliance on cash. The plan hinges on the Bank of Mexico’s CoDi platform, which now offers zero‑commission...
Airbility, iBuzz, KILSA Partner to Develop High-Speed Security eVTOLs
South Korean eVTOL developer Airbility has signed an MoU with Thailand’s NT iBuzz, SmartOkO Thailand, and Singapore‑based KILSA Global to develop high‑speed, security‑focused unmanned aircraft. The partnership will combine Airbility’s high‑speed eVTOL platform with iBuzz’s secure communications, SmartOkO’s AI video‑analytics,...
LawNext Podcast: Learned Hand’s Shlomo Klapper on Why Courts Are the Next Frontier for Legal AI
In a LawNext podcast, Shlomo Klapper, founder and CEO of Learned Hand, argues that courts represent the next major frontier for legal AI. Drawing on his experience as a litigator and appellate clerk, Klapper describes a new "reasoning engine" that...
Delta CEO Bastian Calls AI Modernization of Air Traffic Control Aviation’s Biggest Opportunity
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told Fortune that artificial intelligence offers the airline industry its most impactful gain – modernizing the nation’s air traffic control system. He warned that AI could cut travel times and improve reliability more than...
FCC Proposes Extending Ban on Chinese Networking Gear to All Products
The Federal Communications Commission has issued a proposal to expand its existing ban on Chinese networking gear, covering not only new models but also equipment previously authorized. The move targets Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Dahua, Hytera and other firms, prompting comments...
Metro Cities Halt Flock Safety License‑Plate Readers Amid Privacy Outcry
Dunwoody, Georgia, and several other U.S. cities have voted to defer renewal or shut down Flock Safety’s automated license‑plate‑reader cameras after residents raised privacy and security concerns. The move puts roughly $860,000 of recent municipal spending under review and signals...
BNY Mellon and Robinhood to Launch Treasury's $1,000 "Trump Accounts" For Children
The U.S. Treasury announced that Bank of New York Mellon will serve as financial agent and Robinhood Markets will build the digital platform for the new "Trump Accounts" program. Each child born between 2025 and 2028 will receive a $1,000...
Romanian Railway Modernisation Contracts Awarded
Romania’s rail infrastructure manager CFR SA awarded the TrackWorks consortium—led by Alstom and Terna—contracts to modernise 83 km of the Craiova‑Drobeta Turnu Severin‑Caransebeș line. The €992 million programme will raise passenger speeds to 160 km/h and freight to 120 km/h while upgrading electrification and signalling...
Dollar Stablecoins versus a Retail Digital Euro? They Are Different – Not Rivals
The U.S. Congress enacted the GENIUS Act, requiring stablecoin issuers to back each token with short‑dated Treasury securities, effectively tying the burgeoning stablecoin market to U.S. sovereign debt. This framework mirrors the EU’s MiCA rules for electronic money tokens, but...
To Lead in Tech, Congress May Need to Lead Less—And Rethink the FCC
Congress is debating a rewrite of the Communications Act, sparking debate over the future role of the Federal Communications Commission. Critics argue the FCC, created for monopoly telephone and broadcast spectrum oversight, is outdated in a fragmented digital economy where...
Listening to Bridges Before They Speak: Inside the World of Structural Health Monitoring
Bridges are dynamic structures whose vibrations reveal early signs of fatigue and damage. Combining Weigh‑In‑Motion (WIM) sensors that record vehicle loads with Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) accelerometers that capture the bridge’s response creates a continuous, data‑driven picture of infrastructure health....
UK Government Launches £50m Safety Tech Scheme
The UK government is committing £50 million (≈ $63 million) to the Safer Streets Challenges, a series of community‑led pilots delivered by UK Research and Innovation. The initiative sits within a broader £500 million (≈ $635 million) Research and Development Missions Accelerator aimed at halving knife...
Orban Saddles Up With Sage For Virtualized EAS Tech Demo
Orban Labs and Sage Alerting Systems demonstrated a virtualized Emergency Alert System (EAS) at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The demo used a card‑sized industrial PC running next‑generation EAS software, feeding two OPTIMOD 5950 HD transmitters via AES‑67...
Agra Metro Saves ₹5 Million in One Year with Regenerative Braking Technology
Agra Metro has cut its electricity bill by roughly ₹5 million (about $58,000) in the first year after installing Sécheron’s IGBT inverter for regenerative braking, the first such deployment in India. The system captures braking energy and feeds it back to...
Child Safety at Risk as EU CSAM Detection Law Lapses, Reporting Concerns Rise
The EU’s temporary legal framework that allowed online platforms to scan private communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) expired on April 3, 2026, creating regulatory uncertainty. Major tech firms—including Google, Meta, Microsoft and Snap—have pledged to continue voluntary detection using hash‑matching...
Dealing with Jamming and Spoofing — the Growing Importance of Civilian GNSS Resilience
Civilian reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) has exploded, making accurate position, navigation and timing (PNT) essential for sectors ranging from aviation to finance. However, GNSS signals are vulnerable to jamming, spoofing, space weather and urban multipath, which can...
Navigating Smart Water Metering: Help Is Here The Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN)
The Smart Water Networks Forum, in partnership with the Water Research Foundation, has released a Smart Metering Playbook that consolidates insights from over 50 utilities across 22 countries. The guide maps the maturity curve from pilot projects to full‑scale Advanced...
Mandate States, Departments, PSUs to Use BSNL 4G Services: Employees to PM Modi
BSNL employee unions have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging a mandatory shift to the state‑run carrier’s 4G network for all government offices, departments and public‑sector undertakings. They argue the move would reinforce India’s telecom sovereignty, support BSNL’s financial...
Paris Wants to Introduce Contactless Bank Card Payments
Île‑de‑France Mobilités is weighing an open‑payment system that would let riders tap a bank card directly on the Paris metro and RER, with a decision expected in May. The region already piloted contactless card payments on buses, aiming for full...
Trump Administration Releases Cyber Strategy
The Trump administration unveiled a new Cyber Strategy for America in March 2026, paired with Executive Order 14390 to intensify federal action against cybercrime. The strategy outlines six pillars—deterrence, streamlined regulation, federal network modernization, critical‑infrastructure protection, technology superiority, and talent...
Europe Gets Serious About Age Verification Online
The European Commission is tightening age‑verification rules under the Digital Services Act after finding major porn sites and Snapchat inadequate in protecting minors. It proposes a privacy‑preserving "mini‑wallet" that issues single‑use tokens to confirm users are over 18 without sharing...
Data Will Underpin Transport Better Connected Strategy
The UK government unveiled the Better Connected transport strategy, leveraging data to integrate buses, trams and trains with contactless tap‑and‑go travel. A £40 million (≈$51 million) fund will support local authorities testing digital technologies to cut congestion and improve journeys. The plan...
What Impact Does AI Search Have on the User Journey?
The Department for Education reports that AI‑driven search tools like Google’s AI Overviews and Microsoft Copilot are pulling users away from official public‑sector sites. While these assistants deliver faster answers, they often strip away the contextual safeguards and step‑by‑step guidance...
New Government Commercial Agency Launches DOS 7
The Government Commercial Agency (GCA) launched Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7 (DOS 7) shortly after its formation on 1 April, merging the previous DOS 6 and Digital Specialists agreements. DOS 7 uses an open‑framework model that reopens every 18 months, allowing new suppliers to join and...
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Don’t Wait for 2027 – Make Your Smart Product Security Visible Now
Australia is introducing a national security label for smart devices, slated for a 2027 launch, with an industry pilot beginning in October 2026. The label will provide a clear, comparable security credential at the point of sale, shifting security from...
Cambodian Parliament Passes Landmark Cybercrime Law
Cambodia's parliament approved its first cybercrime law targeting scam centres that have defrauded international victims of billions. The legislation prescribes prison terms of two to ten years and fines up to $250,000 for large‑scale operations. It also criminalises money‑laundering, data...
JPMorgan Flags $1 Trillion U.S. Grid Upgrade as Massive Investment Opportunity
JPMorgan’s March 25 research report labels the 60‑year‑old U.S. power grid a national‑security risk and estimates roughly $1 trillion of upgrades will be required by 2035. The bank says the scale of spending will create a flood of debt and equity...
UK Lawmakers Warn Palantir, Putting CEO Mosley and Board Under Regulatory Heat
Palantir Technologies faces a fresh political onslaught in the United Kingdom as MPs question its £330 million NHS data platform and defense contracts. Executive Vice President Louis Mosley defended the firm’s role in a BBC interview, but lawmakers warned the company...
Over Half of SNAP Recipients Want Chip‑Enabled Cards and Real‑Time Fraud Monitoring
A February 2026 Propel survey of 8,164 SNAP cardholders found 53% want chip‑enabled cards and 60% want round‑the‑clock fraud monitoring. The findings intensify pressure on Congress and states to upgrade the program’s payment infrastructure amid $600 million in reported thefts in...
Telecom News: BTRC, Du Telecommunications, Ericsson
Bangladesh’s telecom regulator, the BTRC, is set to unlock additional low‑band spectrum in the 700 MHz band to boost rural mobile coverage and lay groundwork for 5G, despite lingering legal disputes and limited auction participation. In the United Arab Emirates, an...
South Korea’s LX Overhauls Cadastral Survey Portal, Cutting In-Person Applications by Up to 80%
Korea Land and Geospatial Informatization Corp (LX) launched a revamped Cadastral Survey Application Portal that lets users apply for land‑boundary surveys online without creating an account. The redesign targets the 70‑80% of the roughly 200,000 annual applications that previously required...
ATO Adds In-App Call Verification to Stop Scams
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has introduced a new in‑app “verify call” feature that lets taxpayers confirm whether a phone call claiming to be from the ATO is authentic within 30 seconds. The tool, available on iOS and Android, pushes...
White House Asks for Record $75.7B for Civilian Agency IT
The White House is requesting a historic $75.7 billion for civilian agency IT in FY 2027, a $7.7 billion increase over 2026. The Veterans Affairs department leads with a $12.2 billion request, a 62% jump, followed by Treasury at $6.2 billion (48% rise) and Justice...
AI Outcomes Inconsistent
Australian governments are deepening digital transformation, with AI usage rising to 70% of public‑sector staff, up from 58% a year earlier. While AI now supports document handling, data analysis and decision support, agencies report uneven results when AI is layered...
North Haven to Automate $250 Fines for Passing School Buses
North Haven, Connecticut, will begin automatically issuing $250 fines on April 13 to drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, using BusPatrol cameras that capture license‑plate data. During a warning phase, the town sent nearly 300 warnings to violators. The...
The IRS Wants to Shrink Its Workforce by Nearly 4,000 — and Use Technology to Make up the Difference
The Internal Revenue Service is proposing to cut a net 4,875 positions, targeting roughly $777 million in savings, as part of a $1.4 billion budget reduction for FY 2027. To maintain service levels, the agency plans to invest in technology modernization, including AI...
Kenya Dispatch: High Court Suspends Automated Traffic Fines System, Testing Due Process Rights
Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority launched an AI‑driven Instant Fines Traffic Management System on March 9, issuing automated penalties of KSh 500–10,000 ($3–$67) via SMS. Within days, civil‑society groups filed a petition alleging the system breaches constitutional rights to fair trial...
Your Car Could Soon Become a Federal Surveillance Device — What to Know
Starting in 2027, the U.S. federal government will require all new passenger vehicles to install an active driver‑alertness system that monitors eye movement, steering behavior, and breath alcohol levels. The technology, born from the 2008 DADSS project and mandated by...
Maine House Advances McCabe Bill to Strengthen Cybersecurity at Maine Hospitals
The Maine House unanimously advanced Rep. Julie McCabe’s LD 2103, mandating hospitals adopt cybersecurity plans aligned with DHS and CISA best practices. The bill requires prompt law‑enforcement notification, backup communication systems, and annual staff training. It responds to spring cyber‑attacks that...
DoD Modernization Exchange 2026: Navy’s Scott St. Pierre on Modernizing the Service’s Enterprise Information Ecosystem
The Navy is accelerating its IT network and data‑center consolidation, dropping from 124 discrete IT environments to under 100 by the end of 2026. It has already cut networks from roughly 6,000 in the 1990s to 124 today and aims...
Genesee County Jail Restricts Body Cameras After Inmate Privacy Breach
Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson issued a March 23, 2026 memorandum prohibiting body‑worn cameras and other portable recording devices inside the county jail. The rule follows a September 2025 breach where an outside agency’s active camera captured another inmate’s medical...
A Single Strike Won’t Shut Off the Gulf’s Desalination System
The Gulf’s water supply hinges on a sprawling desalination network that produces roughly 40% of the world’s desalinated water. Recent Iranian drone strikes have hit power‑and‑desalination facilities in Kuwait and threatened sites in the UAE, but the system’s layered redundancy...
Does AI Mean We Don’t Need Structured Procurement Data Anymore?
AI can now read and extract data from messy procurement documents, but it remains a tool for creating structured data rather than a substitute for it. In systems that already capture structured information, AI augments by pulling in details from...
Michigan Just Unlocked $51M to Fix EV Charging Gaps
Michigan has secured the final $51 million of its $106 million NEVI allocation after receiving “fully built out” certification from the Federal Highway Administration. The state can now shift from corridor‑focused chargers to a broader deployment that addresses geographic gaps, reliability, medium‑duty...
New Cyber Strategy Shifts Attention to Cloud and Supply Chain Security
The White House released a new National Cybersecurity Strategy on March 6, 2026, shifting federal priorities toward cloud data protection and software supply‑chain security. While zero‑trust, AI security, and post‑quantum cryptography remain core, the strategy mandates faster cloud migration and...
Palo Alto Youth Demand City Promote Induction Stoves
These Palo Alto kids are pushing the city to promote induction stoves #energysky -- via Canary Media: https://t.co/xEcKA2C36b
Mass. PD to Add Body Cameras After Kelsey Fitzsimmons's Acquittal
North Andover Police Department announced it will roll out body‑worn cameras after former officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons was acquitted of assault, a case hinging on the lack of video evidence. Police Chief Charles Grey cited startup and maintenance costs as the...