Nikon AM Synergy Secures New DLA Supply Chain Contract
The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency awarded Nikon AM Synergy a contract under the JAMA IV IDIQ Pilot Parts Program, making the firm a direct additive‑manufacturing supplier for defense components. The pilot will test whether 3‑D printed parts can replace traditional production for critical, hard‑to‑source legacy items, aiming to shorten lead times. The award comes as DLA’s Manufacturing Technology Program budget shrank by nearly 50% to $50.6 million for FY 2026, even as it expands the pool of qualified AM vendors, including Stratasys Direct. Success will hinge on meeting military qualification standards rather than exclusive vendor status.
Evoila U.S. and Carahsoft Partner to Deliver VMware by Broadcom Consulting, Training and Managed Services to the Public Sector
evoila U.S. and Carahsoft Technology Corp. have signed a strategic partnership that designates Carahsoft as evoila’s Master Government Aggregator. The deal makes evoila’s VMware by Broadcom consulting, training, development and managed services available to U.S. federal, state and local agencies...
Delivering the Digital Railway: Coordinating Routes and Renewals
Rail BI highlights that the European Train Control System (ETCS) rollout hinges on synchronising route assets, renewal schedules, and rolling stock readiness. By consolidating route‑level asset data, Target Renewal Dates, and fleet fitment into a single platform, planners gain real‑time...
Disruptions to Digital Services and a Surge in Phishing Emails
In April, Estonia’s Information System Authority logged 1,138 cyber incidents that disrupted a range of public digital services, from health‑insurance prescriptions to digital signature platforms. A software error halted the Health Insurance Fund’s e‑prescription system for about 30 minutes, while...
White House AI Vetting Proposal Is Bad Policy
The White House is reportedly drafting an executive order that would subject generative AI models to a pre‑release government approval process, a sharp turn from its earlier pro‑innovation stance. The proposal was sparked by Anthropic’s decision to withhold its Mythos...
New Database Tracks Shifting Outcomes of Malaysia’s Political Corruption Cases
An AI‑driven database called Prosecutorial Accountability Watch (PAW) was launched by civil‑society group Projek SAMA and hosted on Malaysiakini to monitor 33 high‑profile corruption cases involving Malaysia’s current and former politicians. The cases span from former prime minister Najib Razak’s...
Call for Wastewater Technology Providers to Support South Africa’s Sanitation Future
South Africa’s Water Partnership Office has issued a Request for Information to build a national database of onsite grey‑water, black‑water and decentralized wastewater treatment technologies. The RFI seeks proven solutions that enable water reuse, sludge management, energy recovery and sustainable...
City of London Calls for Tech-Led Fraud Fight
The City of London Corporation is urging technology firms to create stronger digital identity‑verification services to curb financial‑sector fraud. It proposes a voluntary, secure network that lets users verify once with a trusted provider and reuse that proof across multiple...
Consultation on the Draft Guidelines on Transparency Obligations Under the AI Act
The European Commission opened a public consultation on draft guidelines for transparency obligations under the AI Act, running from May 8 to June 3, 2026. The guidelines aim to clarify how providers and deployers must label interactive and generative AI systems, including...
Madrid Is Preparing the First Fully Automated Metro Line in Its Network
Madrid’s regional government is investing €8 million (≈$8.7 M) to retrofit platforms at all 28 stations of Line 6, the network’s busiest circular line, paving the way for full driverless operation by 2027. The upgrade includes automatic platform doors, new signaling, and accessibility...
Southern Railway Rolls Out EV-Battery Swapping Facility at Suburban Stations
Southern Railway’s Chennai division is launching EV battery‑swapping stations across its suburban network, targeting key stations to boost last‑mile connectivity. Twenty‑one contracts have been awarded for a five‑year rollout, with operators responsible for installation, operation and maintenance. The model lets...
Public Sector Facilities Teams Unprepared for AI
A Bellrock survey of 285 estates professionals found that only 1% of public‑sector leaders consider today’s facilities‑management model ready for AI. Skill gaps are stark, with 40% lacking AI deployment expertise and 65% never receiving training. Legacy systems impede progress...
PDS Joins International Consortium to Strengthen Architecture Capabilities
Police Digital Service (PDS) has joined The Open Group, becoming the first UK policing organization to do so, to bolster its enterprise architecture capabilities. The membership provides PDS with direct access to global standards such as TOGAF, forums, and work...
Home Office Alerts Market to £300m ‘Modernisation’ Plans for Key Biometrics System
Britain’s Home Office has unveiled a £296.2 million (≈$376 million) modernisation programme for its Strategic Central and Bureau Platform (SCBP), the core system behind the national IDENT1 and IABS biometric databases. The department is launching a market‑engagement phase, requiring suppliers to sign...
Morning Brief Podcast: Mythos and the New AI Cyber Panic
Anthropic’s new AI system Mythos, designed to autonomously locate and exploit cyber vulnerabilities, sparked a fresh wave of concern among governments and financial regulators. In a 19‑minute interview, AI veteran Gary Marcus highlighted the dual‑use dilemma: a tool meant for...
Newcastle Wi-Fi Moves From Launch to Everyday City Service
Newcastle City Council has expanded its city‑wide public Wi‑Fi, launched in September 2025, to become a core municipal service. The network now covers council buildings, libraries, leisure centres and more than 1,000 local businesses, allowing seamless sign‑on across the city....
Joel Thayer and Matthew Wong: Space Policy Can’t Run on Dial-Up Speeds
The United States now hosts 15,296 active satellites, generating $65.2 billion in 2024, but the FCC’s Space Bureau backlog has swelled to 1,475 applications, slowing projects. A bipartisan push, including FCC rulemaking and the Satellite and Telecommunications (SAT) Streamlining Act, seeks...
Inrix Is All About the Timing
Inrix has rolled out major upgrades to its Signal Analytics platform, enabling transportation agencies to monitor and improve signalized intersections without installing new hardware. The enhancements include a before‑and‑after analysis, a green calculator that quantifies fuel savings and emissions reductions,...
Opinion: K-12 Needs Deeper State-Vendor Collaboration
The 2025 K‑12 landscape was marked by a surge in cybersecurity breaches, funding volatility, and swings in classroom technology use, exposing flaws in the traditional transactional state‑vendor model. As 2026 begins, educators and policymakers argue that merely reacting to crises...
Interim Final Rule Extends HHS Deadlines for Section 504 Web, App Nondiscrimination Requirements
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule on May 7, 2026 that pushes back the Section 504 web and mobile‑app accessibility deadlines for entities receiving federal funds. Organizations with 15 or more employees now must comply by...
ICE Plans to Develop Own Smart Glasses to ‘Supplement’ Its Facial Recognition App
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is evaluating the creation of smart glasses to supplement its Mobile Fortify facial‑recognition app, which scans individuals and cross‑references a database of roughly 200 million biometric records. The agency argues the wearable heads‑up display would free officers’...
Seven Years on, Still No New Electronic Surveillance Law
Seven years after the last overhaul, Australia still lacks a comprehensive electronic surveillance law. Despite mounting pressure from recent violent incidents—including the Bondi Beach Hannukkah‑by‑the‑Sea attack and the murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby—legislators have not introduced new monitoring powers. The...
Digital Canberra Taps Service NSW's CDO
Digital Canberra has appointed Service NSW chief digital officer Dr. Christina Igasto as its inaugural director‑general, effective May 25. Igasto, who has led digital transformation across more than 80 NSW government agencies, succeeds interim director‑general Bettina Konti, who will move into...
Will Scotland Be the First Nation to Pass Primary Legislation Covering Live FRT?
The Scottish privacy commissioner is urging primary legislation to regulate live facial recognition (LFR) by police, which could make Scotland the first nation with a dedicated law. Across England and Wales, 13 forces already employ live FRT, and London Metropolitan...
France Identité App Launches Sandbox for iOS, Proves Age Check Privacy Bona Fides
The French government’s France Identité digital‑identity app has released a sandbox build for iOS, joining its existing Android version, enabling developers to test end‑to‑end flows across the two dominant mobile ecosystems. Both sandbox versions now support the OpenID 4 Verifiable Presentations (OID4VP) 1.0...
Digital ID Success at Scale Hinges on Tech, Governance, Adoption: IN Groupe
French identity provider IN Groupe released a white paper showing that large‑scale digital identity systems succeed only when technology, governance, and ecosystem adoption align. The study of 210 countries finds just 33 percent have reached full maturity, while 36 percent remain nascent...
New Book Makes Case for DPI as Fully Integrated Ecosystem
Digital development specialist Pedro Tavares released a new book outlining how governments can build digital states through an integrated Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem. The work introduces the "Digital State Spine," a three‑layer model that links foundational DPI rails, public...
Real-Time Security Centers Keep a Watchful Eye on Campus Activity
Arizona State University’s Real‑Time Analysis Center (RTAC) now monitors over 3,000 cameras, license‑plate readers, body‑camera streams and GPS data to support campus policing. The live‑feed system, built on Genetec’s video‑management platform, has cut property crimes and gives officers instant visual...
How Federal Agencies Can Get Cloud Cost Management Under Control
Federal agencies are rapidly adopting cloud services, prompting a shift from "if" to "how" they control spending. The article advocates FinOps—a disciplined approach that aligns cloud costs with mission value—starting with comprehensive tagging for visibility. It recommends establishing showback or...
South Korea Expands PQC Pilot to Telecommunications, Finance, and Defense
South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT announced the expansion of its post‑quantum cryptography (PQC) pilot to five additional critical sectors—telecommunications, finance, transportation, defense and space—building on a 2023 rollout that covered medical, energy and administrative domains. Industry partners such...
67 ELDs Revoked Since January. 2 More Just Made the List.
The FMCSA announced that Safe ELD (iOS/Android) and MYLOGS ELD have been removed from the agency’s registered electronic logging device list, bringing the total revocations to 67 since January 2025. The regulator framed the removals as part of an active enforcement campaign, not...
How IT Vendors Should Approach the Federal Post-Quantum Cryptography Market
The U.S. government has set a 2035 deadline for all federal agencies to transition to post‑quantum cryptography (PQC), with the Department of Defense (DoD) already issuing a 2025 memo that phases out legacy cryptographic methods by the end of 2030‑31....
DHS S&T Highlights Counter-Drone Purchasing Tool to Support C-UAS Program Executive Office
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has launched a free Counter‑UAS (C‑UAS) Purchasing Tool, created by the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, to help first responders and public‑safety agencies evaluate and buy counter‑drone systems. The tool provides...
Mobai Face Biometrics, Liveness Selected for Norway’s Public Sector Digital ID
Mobai, in partnership with Commfides Norge, won Norway’s Digdir tender to supply face‑biometrics and liveness detection for the national digital ID platform, MinID. The Digital ID‑kontroll solution will verify identity documents and capture selfie biometrics, moving MinID toward the higher‑assurance...
Teams Form for Qiddiya High-Speed Rail PPP
The Qiddiya high‑speed rail project has entered a public‑private partnership phase, assembling teams to design a line that will link King Salman International Airport and the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh with the upcoming Qiddiya entertainment city. The initiative...
TISA Feedback on UK Digital ID Address Inclusion Highlights Sectoral Divergence
The UK government’s national digital ID consultation has drawn mixed feedback from the financial sector. The Investing and Saving Alliance (TISA) largely backs the proposal, especially the inclusion of a verified home address to simplify KYC and AML processes, and...
Arkansas Tackles Large-Scale Permitting Challenges
Arkansas' State Broadband Office unveiled a 75‑page permitting toolkit to streamline the complex approval process for projects funded under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The guide centralizes federal, state and local requirements, covering everything from environmental...
Feds Propose Framework to Push Nuclear Microreactor Deployment
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a proposed Part 57 rule that creates a streamlined licensing framework for nuclear microreactors of 100 MWe or less. Published May 1 in the Federal Register, the rule promises to cut permitting and licensing time to...
New York Proposes Biometric Checks for Sports Betting Apps
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has directed the State Gaming Commission to explore mandatory biometric verification, such as facial recognition, for online sports betting platforms. The draft regulations would require operators to collect biometric data when accounts are opened and...
ResilienX Selected to Support GrandSKY in Project ULTRA UAS Integration and Simulation Efforts
ResilienX, Inc. has signed a subcontract with GrandSKY to provide engineering integration and operational modeling for Project ULTRA, a Department of Defense‑backed effort to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace. The company will deploy its AAM OptiX digital infrastructure as...
To The Surprise Of No One, Cops Are Using ALPR Cameras To Stalk Their Exes
The Institute for Justice identified at least 14 instances since 2024 where police officers misused automatic license‑plate reader (ALPR) networks to monitor romantic interests, predominantly women. The cases span multiple states and involve private surveillance platforms such as Flock Safety...
USAC Reports Little Change in Q3 Funding Projections
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) released its Q3 2026 funding projection, showing a consolidated budget of $65.82 million—virtually unchanged from the $65.67 million forecast in Q2. The filing details $18.33 million for rural broadband, $20.28 million for low‑income subsidies, $20 million for schools and...
The Guardian View on Facial Recognition Technology: Mistaken Identities Are a Political Issue | Editorial
The UK government is pushing live facial‑recognition pilots, with the Home Office hailing the AI‑driven tool as the biggest post‑DNA breakthrough for policing. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Mayor Sadiq Khan have endorsed the technology despite a recent...
New Rules for FEMA
Congress approved funding that includes Section 313, a new FEMA rule mandating a public, interactive dashboard for all reimbursement requests under the agency's Public Assistance program. The dashboard must be updated within 90 days of receipt and 60 days after final...
Anduril Secures $100M Modification to Modernize Space Surveillance Network
Anduril Industries has secured a $100.3 million contract modification from the U.S. Space Force to expand and modernize the Space Surveillance Network (SSN). The award funds the rollout of SDANet, a mesh‑based communications architecture built on Anduril’s Lattice software, replacing fragmented...
Trump Admin Will Push for ‘Long-Term’ Reauthorization of Key Cyber Data-Sharing Law
The White House is urging Congress to grant a long‑term reauthorization of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, which currently expires in September 2026. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said the Trump administration wants a permanent extension to keep private‑sector...
Air Force Plans to Ditch BACN Jets for Satellite Communications
The U.S. Air Force will retire its seven E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft by fiscal year 2028, shifting the mission to satellite‑based communications. The transition will be driven by the Hybrid SATCOM Terminal program, which aims to field...
Dubai Launches Tunnel Boring on $5.6B Blue Line Metro Expansion
Dubai’s $5.6 billion Blue Line metro expansion entered the tunnel‑boring phase on May 3, launching a 15.5‑km underground stretch that will serve nine previously unconnected districts. The MAPA‑Limak‑CRRC consortium leads the 30‑km project, which includes 14 new stations and an elevated crossing....
Vodafone Signs German Sovereign Cloud Deal with AWS
Vodafone has sealed a partnership with Amazon Web Services to deliver a sovereign cloud offering for German enterprises and public‑sector clients. Leveraging its recent acquisition of Skaylink, Vodafone will provide migration assistance using AWS‑certified staff and ensure all data resides...
Can a New Police Device Put an End to High-Speed Chases?
Law‑enforcement agencies are testing the Grappler, a $5,000 net‑launch device that snags a fleeing car's rear tires, aiming to end high‑speed pursuits more safely. Riverside County deputies used it in March to stop a suspect on the 60 Freeway, joining...