Army, Anduril Enter Into New $20B Enterprise Agreement

by  ROSS WILKERS

Much like with Palantir, the Army is entering into this pact with the idea of establishing pre-negotiated prices so it can buy goods and services on an as-needed basis.

Summary

The Army consolidated 120 contracts with Anduril into a single enterprise agreement worth up to $20 billion over 10 years.

The agreement focuses on Anduril's Lattice operating system and aims to streamline software acquisition, eliminate redundancies, and accelerate tool delivery.

 Read full story at NextGov…

What Federal IT Leaders Should Know About the Emerging National AI Policy Framework

by  Adam Stone

As the White House pursues a national artificial intelligence framework, agencies should prepare by strengthening data governance, cybersecurity and risk management.

Summary

At the end of 2025, the White House issued an executive order directing the Commerce Department, FCC, and other agencies to develop a national AI policy framework, aiming to preempt a patchwork of state regulations. In 2025 alone, states introduced about 1,200 AI-related bills, building on 635 in 2024, with experts viewing the order as a direct response to avoid the fragmented privacy landscape.

The forthcoming framework is expected to prioritize innovation while addressing data management, security, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It will likely guide protections for enterprise data and emphasize cybersecurity amid rising AI-driven threats, where adversaries now move laterally in as little as 27 minutes.

Federal IT leaders can prepare now by aligning with the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, strengthening data governance and privacy practices, and exploring AI adoption for efficiency. Future policies may ease procurement of commercial AI tools and promote their default use in repeatable tasks, alongside AI-enhanced cyber defenses.

 Read full story at FedTech…

Why Intelligent IT Asset Management Platforms Matter for Government Resilience

by  by Joe Manna

IT asset management can improve availability, track lifecycles

Summary

Managing modern government IT environments has become increasingly complex, moving far beyond traditional data centers to include cloud subscriptions, IoT sensors, and hybrid infrastructures. This article explains that relying on manual tracking or disconnected spreadsheets creates significant blind spots, leading to redundant spending, security risks, and unexpected service outages.

To address these challenges, agencies are adopting intelligent IT asset management platforms. These systems provide real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance, allowing for a shift from reactive repairs to planned, phased upgrades. By automating inventory and mapping system dependencies, these platforms eliminate single points of failure and ensure 24/7 service availability for citizens. Ultimately, such digital oversight reduces administrative overhead, helping lean IT teams strengthen resilience and maximize the value of taxpayer dollars through smarter, data-driven lifecycle management.

 Read full story at StateTech…

FBI Started Buying Americans' Location Data Again, Kash Patel Confirms

by  Jon Brodkin

Tom Cotton supports FBI data purchasing, compares it to searching people's trash.

Summary

FBI Director Kash Patel recently confirmed the agency has resumed purchasing Americans’ commercial location data, reversing a 2023 pause. During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Patel defended the practice as a “valuable” tool for national security that complies with current electronic privacy laws.

This admission has reignited a fierce bipartisan debate over the 4th Amendment. Senator Ron Wyden argued that buying data to bypass warrant requirements is an “outrageous end-run” around constitutional protections, especially as AI enables massive data mining.

Conversely, Senator Tom Cotton compared the practice to searching abandoned trash, supporting a “clean” reauthorization of FISA Section 702. With current surveillance authorities set to expire on April 19, 2026, Congress remains deeply divided over imposing stricter warrant requirements on third-party data brokers.

 Read full story at arsTechnica…

Google Launches Threat Disruption Unit, Stops Short of Calling It 'Offensive'

by  David Dimolfetta

The unit will use legal authorizations and technical capabilities to impede cyber threat groups, though company execs say it will not go so far as to hack into adversaries' systems.

Summary

Google launched a disruptive cyber unit to impede cyber threat groups using legal authorizations and technical capabilities.

The unit will focus on cutting off hackers' paths to breach systems, rather than hacking into adversaries' networks. This initiative aligns with the Trump administration's push for a more proactive U.S. cybersecurity culture.

 Read full story at NextGov…

US Bans All New Foreign-Made Network Routers

by  Anna Washenko

The FCC has deemed even US-based companies' products a security risk if they're made anywhere overseas.

Summary

The FCC has designated all new foreign-made consumer routers as a security risk, placing them on the Covered List. This move aligns with the White House's 2025 national security strategy to reduce dependence on foreign components.

In addition to Chinese tech giants like TP-Link, US companies will also be affected. NetGear, Eero and Google Nest are all headquartered domestically but have manufacturing in Asia.

Companies can apply for conditional approval by outlining plans to shift some manufacturing to the US.

 Read full story at engadget…

A New Milestone for Smart, Affordable Electricity Growth

by  Michael Terrell

We've now signed 1 GW of data center demand response with utility partners, harnessing our electricity growth for smarter utilization of U.S. electricity systems.

Summary

Google integrated 1 gigawatt of demand response capacity into long-term energy contracts with multiple U.S. utilities. This capability allows data centers to reduce power demand during peak periods, helping stabilize the grid and optimize infrastructure build-out.

Demand response, combined with other resources like solar and geothermal, contributes to a smarter, more affordable electricity system.

 Read full story at Google Blog…

Alabama House Committee OKs Senate Bill Regulating Data Centers

by  Ralph Chapoco

An Alabama House committee has approved SB 270, a bill granting the Public Service Commission authority to evaluate the specific impacts of data centers on the state’s power grid.

Summary

Sponsored by Senator Lance Bell, the legislation ensures that the regulatory agency considers whether these high-demand facilities are covering their own operational costs when reviewing contracts between public utilities and large-load data centers. The goal is to verify that such agreements provide a tangible benefit to the community rather than burdening existing ratepayers.

The committee also advanced a House version of the bill, HB 403, sponsored by Representative Neil Rafferty. This parallel legislation successfully passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday—signaling strong legislative momentum toward monitoring the infrastructure demands of Alabama’s growing data industry.

 Read full story at Alabama Reflector…

Duke Energy Agrees to Explore a Cleaner Way to Power Data Centers

by  Elizabeth Ouzts

A settlement deal would commit the North Carolina utility to working with Google on a scheme that lets data centers pay to secure 24/7 clean energy.

Summary

Duke Energy, North Carolina's largest utility, agreed to explore a “clean transition tariff” with Google. This tariff would allow data centers and other large electricity customers to connect to the grid while developing enough clean energy to meet their own demand, limiting their carbon footprints.

The settlement, endorsed by various parties including Google and the Southern Environmental Law Center, still requires regulatory approval

 Read full story at Canary Media…