AI Agents in Government: A Transformation Guide for State and Local Agencies

by  Keith Nelson Sr.

Navigating the current technology landscape in government can be challenging, but agentic AI offers numerous opportunities if used in the right way.

State and local government agencies are facing growing pressure to modernize quickly. Citizens increasingly expect public services to match the digital convenience of the private sector, a shift that accelerated during the pandemic and shows no signs of slowing down.

At the same time, agencies are navigating the limitations of legacy systems, siloed infrastructure, shrinking funds and risk-averse cultures that make large-scale innovation difficult.

The challenge isn't just technical — it's human. IT departments are stretched thin, and are focused on maintaining aging systems rather than driving new initiatives. Budget constraints and persistent hiring challenges make it even more difficult to bring in the skills needed for modern transformation.

This has created a paradox: the need to innovate is urgent, but the capacity to do so is limited.

 Read full story at Route Fifty…

DOGE Now Has Approval Authority for Defense IT, Consulting Contracts

by  Ross Wilkers

A new memo from the Defense Department's acquisition leader spells out what agencies and components have to inform the Department of Government Efficiency before proceeding on certain contracts.

The Defense Department has laid out more detail on how reviews of new contracts and task orders for IT consulting, management services, and advisory and assistance support work will happen.

Effective immediately, DOD agencies and components must seek to obtain approval from the Department of Government Efficiency before they make a new unclassified award that falls under either of those three categories

 Read full story at Washington Techonology…

Facial Recognition Technology Stirs More Controversy in Milwaukee

by  Isiah Holmes

A local law enforcement agency is facing public criticism over biometric surveillance plans.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin is calling on the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office to reconsider plans to adopt the use of facial recognition technology. Like the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), the sheriff's office is considering acquiring facial recognition technology from the company Biometrica. The company has offered MPD free access in exchange for 2.5 million images, jail records, and other related data of people who have passed through Milwaukee's criminal justice system, including many who presumably haven't been convicted of a crime.

“Given all the public opposition we've seen to the Milwaukee Police Department's push to expand their use of facial recognition, the news of the Sheriffs office's interest in acquiring this technology is deeply concerning,” Amanda Merkwae, advocacy director for the ACLU of Wisconsin, wrote in a statement for an ACLU press release. “Law enforcement's use of facial recognition software poses a number of serious threats to civil rights and civil liberties, making it dangerous both when it fails and when it functions.“

 Read full story at Wisconsin Examiner…

California Colleges Spend Millions to Catch Plagiarism and AI. Is the Faulty Tech Worth It?

by  Tara García Mathewson

Colleges and universities renew Turnitin subscriptions year after year even though its flawed detectors are expensive and require students to let the company keep their papers forever.

It has been more than two years since the release of ChatGPT created widespread dismay over generative AI's threat to academic integrity. Why would students write anything themselves, instructors wondered, if a chatbot could do it for them? Indeed, many students have taken the bait, if not to write entire essays, then certainly to draft an outline, refine their ideas or clean up their writing before submitting it.

And as faculty members grapple with what this means for grading, tech companies have proved yet again that there' money to be made from panic. Turnitin, a longtime leader in the plagiarism-detection market, released a new tool within six months of ChatGPT's debut to identify AI-generated writing in students' assignments. In 2025 alone, records show the California State University system collectively paid an extra $163,000 for it, pushing total spending this year to over $1.1 million. Most of these campuses have licensed Turnitin's plagiarism detector since 2014.

 Read full story at The Markup…

How to Recover Data From Damaged Mac or External Drive

By Karen Haslam and Chris Barylick

If your external hard drive or your Mac hard drive has failed and you want to recover the lost data here is what to do.

It's all very well telling people to back up their Mac. But human nature means that searching for backup advice is something that usually happens after the worst has already happened.

Hopefully, you'll be able to fix the damaged drive and get your data back by following our advice, but we will also cover what you need to know about crashing without a backup and how to recover data from damaged hard disk or an external drive.

This guide is also relevant if you have accidentally deleted a file. Deleted files can be retrieved too, but only if they haven't been overwritten. Once the part of the disk with the data is overwritten, nothing can get it back.

 Read full story at MacWorld…

Is Your PC Running Slow? Here's How to Get It Back Up to Speed

by  Jason Cipriani

There are few things as frustrating as a slow PC. But why is it slow in the first place? We've got some ideas.

Summary

Struggling with a sluggish PC can be frustrating, whether you're gaming or racing against a work deadline. A slow system or stuttering mouse often has identifiable causes, and addressing them can restore your computer's performance. Common culprits include too many background applications, low hard drive space, or the need for a simple restart. With some tweaks and regular maintenance, you can often return your PC to its original speed—or even improve it with upgrades.

Task Manager is a powerful tool for diagnosing slowdowns, acting like a window into your PC's health. Accessible via Ctrl + Shift + Esc or the Taskbar's search, it reveals which processes are taxing your CPU, memory, or network. For deeper insights, switch to the Details view to monitor apps and background processes. Observe Task Manager for a few minutes to spot resource-heavy apps or processes that spike and disappear. If a process seems problematic, Google its name for clarity, then use the End Task button to close it.

One frequent issue is antivirus software, which can bog down your system during scans. While essential for security, these scans often consume significant resources, appearing high on Task Manager's list. Other common slowdown causes include excessive background apps, fragmented or full hard drives, or outdated hardware struggling with modern software demands.

 Read full story at CNET…

FERC Revises NEPA Procedures to Make Permitting More Efficient

by  FERC Press Release

FERC voted unanimously to revise its regulations on the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and issued a staff manual outlining the revised procedures.

FERC voted unanimously to revise its regulations on the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and issued a staff manual outlining the revised procedures. This effort was directed by President Trump's Unleashing American Energy Executive Order 14154 issued on January 20, 2025, which calls for unleashing American energy dominance through efficient permitting. In response to President Trump's E.O. 14154, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) rescinded its NEPA implementing regulations, which simplified the burdensome environmental review process and enabled FERC to implement revisions at an unprecedented pace. FERC's revisions remove all references to the now inoperative CEQ regulations.

“We will continue to ensure our environmental reviews are legally durable so projects stand up in court and get built,”l1 FERC Chairman Mark Christie said. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, our new staff guidance on NEPA will inform all interested parties on our process and should be a useful tool in making the permitting process more efficient and transparent.”

The FERC staff manual provides details on how staff will: assess what actions are subject to NEPA's procedural requirements and the requisite level of NEPA review; ensure that relevant environmental information is identified and considered early in the process to support informed decision making; conduct coordinated, consistent, predictable and timely environmental reviews, and reduce unnecessary burdens and delays; and implement NEPA's mandates regarding lead and cooperating agency roles, time limits, and applicant preparations of environmental documents.

 Read full story at FERC…

Google Signs PPA for 200 MW from Virginia Fusion Power Plant

by  Paul Ciampoli

Google and Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) on June 30 announced that Google has signed a power purchase agreement for 200 megawatts of electricity from CFS' inaugural ARC power plant.

CFS expects the fusion power plant will put power on the grid in the early 2030s. The plant is located in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Google also has the option to offtake power from additional ARC power plants.

An investor in CFS since 2021, Google also is deepening its relationship with CFS by increasing its stake in the company. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

“By entering into this agreement with CFS, we hope to help prove out and scale a promising pathway toward commercial fusion power. We're excited to make this longer-term bet on a technology with transformative potential to meet the world's future energy demand, and support CFS in their efforts to reach the scientific and engineering milestones needed to get there,” said Michael Terrell, Head of Advanced Energy at Google, in a news release.

 Read full story at American Public Power Association…

Sempra to Sell Mexican Natural Gas Business to Fund Transmission Expansion in Texas

by Emma Penrod

The sale of gas assets and a minority interest in Sempra Infrastructure would reduce the company's need to issue new common stock to fund its $56 billion capital plan, CEO Jeff Martin said.

Sempra plans to sell Ecogas Mexico, a three-utility conglomerate that provides natural gas service in the Mexicali, Chihuahua and La Laguna-Durango– bsp;regions in Mexico, and a minority stake in its development arm Sempra Infrastructure in order to finance expansion plans in Texas, company leaders said during a Thursday earnings call.

 Read full story at Uti;ityDive…