The Report to the President on Federal IT Modernization recommends modernizing the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) program, which is critical to the Federal government’s broader digital transformation strategy. By the end of this month, the report calls for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct data calls to agencies to discuss their cloud migration projects, and identify any delays caused by current TIC policy. And, by March 2, OMB will share a “preliminary update to the TIC policy,” and launch select pilot projects to test the new TIC requirements. […]

Despite an air of uncertainty coming from the Trump administration, the Department of Energy’s research arm is forging ahead with what it calls “transformational research,” putting up $100 million to try to ensure that it doesn’t miss a trick when it comes to potentially disruptive energy research. […]

The White House wants to clear the way for Federal agencies to adopt commercial cloud computing, even if that means tweaking acquisition rules to help them get there. […]

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation released a report on ways to support innovation in the Federal government, including establishing a chief innovation officer (CINO), even though the White House still  hasn’t nominated a chief information officer. […]

The Federal government needs to set standards for cybersecurity and hold the proper people accountable, technology executives that gathered at the White House on June 19 told Rob Joyce, cyber coordinator for the White House. […]

The Office of Management and Budget today unveiled its plan to reorganize Federal agencies, called the “Comprehensive Plan for Reforming the Federal Government and Reducing the Federal Civilian Workforce,” which responds to President Trump’s March 13 Executive Order to OMB. […]

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) update on the “MyVA” transformation shows progress in serving veterans. This is the third update of the semi-annual report on the effort to make VA the No. 1 customer-service agency in the Federal government. […]

The White House released the code for its Facebook Messenger chatbot for public use. […]

The White House announced that it will provide more than $300 million to support science and technology on the day of the White House Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh. […]

The White House released a report on artificial intelligence (AI) and a National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan on Wednesday that address the state of AI and the progress that will be made. […]

The White House announced that it’s launching the Data Driven Justice initiative, which intends to use data to decrease prison recidivism and improve response and care for at-risk and mentally ill citizens. […]

Following this week’s announcement of the Smart City Challenge winner, the White House is prompting a call to action for state and local governments to further build on smart city initiatives. […]

The White House expects to solidify the United States’ cyber relationship with India in the next two months. […]

Calling all young filmmakers! The White House is accepting entries for the White House Student Film Festival through July 15. K-12 students, including graduating seniors, can submit their video on the theme “The World I Want to Live In.” […]

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced a series of workshops on artificial intelligence and machine learning, plus recognizing the opportunities and risks involved with this technology. […]

The future of scientific and technological innovation is in the hands of today’s students, President Obama said in his speech at the White House Science Fair. “Some of the best moments I’ve had as president have been with science and at the science fair,” he said. “There’s nothing that makes me more hopeful than seeing the young people that are here.” […]

The White House is encouraging Federal software collaboration and improvement with the software draft policy it released on Thursday. The policy would require software developed by or for the Federal government to be made available for sharing and improvement across Federal agencies. […]

The White House launched its “Opportunity Project,” an open-data program that partners with public and private organizations and provides information about access to opportunity in cities across America. The aim: to provide all Americans with access to as many opportunities as possible, regardless of social or financial status. […]

President Obama appointed two industry leaders to head his Cybersecurity National Action Plan. Tom Donilon, former National Security Adviser, will serve as the chairman of the committee and Sam Palmisano, former CEO of IBM, will serve as the vice chairman. […]

Alongside the release of the proposed 2017 budget, the White House released its annual Analytical Perspectives of that proposal. MeriTalk spotted five important trends in the IT world and describes how the Federal government plans to address them. […]

The White House is looking to fill the Federal CISO position in the very near future. The posting for the job, which is designed to establish the direction of Federal cybersecurity policy and strategy in accordance with the Federal CIO, closes on Feb. 26. […]

Ashkan Soltani, the former CTO at the Federal Trade Commission who joined the White House in December to advise U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, is stepping down after being denied a security clearance. Soltani played an active role in the Washington Post’s reporting on the National Security Agency surveillance programs leaked to the media by Edward Snowden. […]

Shawn Kingsberry, who led the first Federal technology system, Recovery.gov, to the cloud, will head Unisys Corporation’s global government practice division. Kingsberry will provide guidance to Federal clients as they transition from manual and analog processes to digital government techniques. […]

President Barack Obama is directing the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security to deliver a strategy within 90 days that will expedite the deployment of modern technologies that could help keep children, criminals, and the mentally ill away from guns. […]

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Veteran Affairs are hosting a suicide prevention hackathon and data jam on Dec. 12. Technology nonprofits and other local agencies will collaborate in hosting the free day-long events, which will take place in Boston, Chicago, New York, […]

A former Facebook executive has been named the first White House director of product. Josh Miller, who founded a messaging company acquired by Facebook and later became the social meda giant’s director of product, announced his new gig Tuesday in a personal blog post. “I’m moving on to something new while also returning to an […]

The White House announced a final set of federal spending data standards Monday in what it is calling a “key milestone” in its efforts to make government spending data more consistent and transparent. Nearly four months after releasing the proposed standard data definitions and issuing formal policy guidance to agencies, the Office of Management and […]