A Big to Do List for Congress as It Finishes the First Month With a New Administration

by  Tom Temin

Congress has a lot to do as it finishes off its first month with a new administration and there is the funding for the government, which runs out soon.

As Congress wraps up its first month under a new administration in February 2025, it faces a packed agenda. Government funding is set to expire in less than a month, with only 11 working days left to avoid a shutdown. Republicans, holding the majority, are weighing options like a stopgap measure or a full-year budget, though Democrats' influence in the Senate (requiring 60 votes) complicates negotiations. Meanwhile, the Senate is pushing a two-bill budget reconciliation strategy to advance President Trump's priorities—starting with defense and border spending—while the House favors a broader single-bill approach that includes tax provisions.

Congress is also tackling its own initiatives, such as using the Congressional Review Act to repeal Biden-era regulations. Despite some pushback on executive moves—like health agency staff cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—legislative resistance remains limited, though concerns are simmering among lawmakers. Time is tight, and the outcome hinges on bipartisan cooperation and strategic alignment with the White House.

 Read full story at Federal News Network…

ISPs Fear Wave of State Laws After New York's $15 Broadband Mandate

by  Jon Brodkin

When the FCC isn't regulating, states have more power to impose broadband laws

New York's law mandating Internet service providers (ISPs) to offer broadband at $15 or $20 monthly for low-income residents has prompted similar legislative proposals in Vermont, Massachusetts, and California. Vermont's bill, introduced by Democrat Christopher Morrow, mirrors New York's model to address affordability and the digital divide highlighted during COVID. Massachusetts aims for higher speeds (100Mbps for $15, 200Mbps for $20), while California's proposal remains broad, focusing on affordable access without set prices or speeds.

These state efforts follow a federal gap in ISP regulation, as the FCC no longer classifies ISPs as common carriers under Title II—a status upheld after a court blocked Biden's net neutrality push. With deregulation likely under new FCC Chair Brendan Carr, states have legal backing to act, as seen with New York's law surviving court challenges and California's earlier net neutrality rules. Maine also upheld a broadband privacy law after ISP opposition failed.

 Read full story at arsTechnica…

Salt Typhoon Hackers Exploited Stolen Credentials and a 7-Year-Old Software Flaw in Cisco Systems

by  David DiMolfetta

The Chinese hacking collective has widely leveraged vulnerabilities in communications infrastructure to breach dozens of telecom providers in the U.S. and overseas.

David DiMolfetta explains that Cisco disclosed that the Salt Typhoon hacking group, linked to Chinese intelligence, primarily used stolen credentials to infiltrate telecommunications systems globally, including at least nine U.S. telecom companies.

In one case, they exploited a seven-year-old, unpatched vulnerability in Cisco software, fixed in 2018, to access a router. No new Cisco flaws were found. The hackers moved laterally across networks, compromised devices, and even breached U.S. “lawful intercept” systems used for wiretapping, accessing communications of high-profile figures like President Trump and Vice President Vance. The campaign affected dozens of organizations worldwide, with Cisco urging customers to patch systems. The U.S. sanctioned a Chinese firm tied to the hacks, while Trump allies push for a stronger cyber response, though no plan is public yet. China denies involvement, accusing the U.S. of similar attacks.

 Read full story at NextGov…

Gmail Will Stop Using SMS for Two-Factor Authentication

by  Ian Carlos Campbell

QR codes are the planned replacement.

Campbell explains that Google is phasing out SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) for Gmail due to security vulnerabilities, as reported by Forbes. SMS codes, long used to verify identity, are prone to interception by criminals who can trick carriers into redirecting texts via number porting or profit from “traffic pumping” scams.

To address this, Google will replace SMS with QR codes, which users scan with their phones, maintaining smartphone reliance but bypassing SMS insecurities. Google's long-term plan is to adopt passkeys and eliminate passwords, but with slow adoption, enhancing current methods remains a priority. Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer emphasized reducing “rampant, global SMS abuse” as the driving factor.

 Read full story at engadget…

How to Spot and Avoid Phishing Scams: 5 Tips From Our Security Expert

by  Neil J. Rubenking

Phishing attacks are widespread but often easy to spot. I regularly test phishing detection using real-world samples and have everything you need to know to avoid being scammed.

PC Magazine's security expert provides practical advice to identify and steer clear of phishing attacks, drawing on his 30+ years of experience testing security software. Phishing scams trick users into entering credentials on fake websites that mimic legitimate ones, often using convincing replicas or slightly altered URLs (e.g., “pyapal.com” instead of “paypal.com”). Even poorly designed fakes can succeed by deceiving inattentive users. Here are the five tips:

1. Look for Obvious Phishing Sites
2. Pay Attention to the Address Bar
3. The HTTPS Lock Is Important
4. Be on the Lookout for Email Scams
5. Use Security Software:

Go to the PCMag article for detailed explanation and tips.

Microsoft Launches a Free Version of Office, but With Ads, Report Says

by  Mark Hachman

This new version of Office apparently allows you to edit and create Office documents for free, unlike the web version.

Microsoft has reportedly introduced a new, free, ad-supported version of its Office desktop apps—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—for Windows, addressing a key limitation of its free web app: the inability to create documents.

Unlike the web version, this local version allows document creation and editing, but requires saving files to OneDrive and includes ads (a persistent banner and occasional videos). Advanced features like Excel's pivot tables, PowerPoint's Designer, and Word's design tools are excluded, though basic functionality remains. Users can access it by downloading Office from Microsoft's site and selecting “Skip for now” at login, though availability may be limited as Microsoft hasn't officially confirmed it.

 Read full story at PCWorld…

Southern Company to Extend Life of Three Coal Plants Due to Data Center Energy Demand

by  Zachary Skidmore

The plants have a combined capacity of 8.2GW

Southern Company plans to extend the operation of three coal-fired power plants—Plant Daniel in Mississippi, and Plants Bowen and Scherer in Georgia—totaling 8.2GW in capacity, to meet rising data center energy demands.

Originally set to close by 2028 (Daniel and Scherer) and 2035 (Bowen), the plants' lifespans may now stretch to 2039. Georgia Power's latest Integrated Resource Plan forecasts a 9.4GW demand increase over the next decade, driven largely by data centers, prompting plans to co-fire gas with coal at Bowen and Scherer starting in 2030. In Mississippi, Mississippi Power cited load growth and capacity costs as reasons to extend Plant Daniel.

As the second-largest U.S. utility, serving six southeastern states, Southern reflects a broader trend, with coal gaining traction in the data center sector, exemplified by Hallador Energy's recent deal with a data center developer.

 Read full story at DCD…

New Data Shows Revolutionary Change Happening Across US Power Grid: 'We Never Expected It Would Happen Overnight'

by Justin Housman

New data shows revolutionary change happening across US power grid

Justin Housman highlights the growing role of renewable energy in powering the U.S. electricity grid. Over 30% of the nation's utility-scale electricity generation capacity now comes from renewables like solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower, a figure projected to reach 37% by 2037, per the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and U.S. Energy Information Administration.

In 2024, solar dominated new capacity additions, making up 79% through October and 92% in that month alone, marking 14 consecutive months as the top source of new capacity. Including small-scale solar (e.g., rooftop panels), renewables could hit 40% of total capacity within three years, surpassing natural gas (37%). This shift promises cost savings—renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels, per a Joule study&mdashand significant carbon emission reductions. By October 2024, renewables accounted for 24% of electricity generation, a trend celebrated by commenters on Electrek as a promising, albeit gradual, transition from fossil fuels.

 Read full story at Yahoo!…

Practical AI for Utilities: How to Prioritize and Scale Real-World Use Cases

by  Luke Martin

Artificial intelligence (AI) allows utilities to address pressing challenges, including aging infrastructure, workforce turnover and operational complexity.

The article discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) can help utilities tackle challenges like aging infrastructure, workforce turnover, and operational complexity. ScottMadden views AI as a broad set of technologies—including generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and deep learning that can drive measurable improvements if adopted strategically. Polls from the January 2025 EPRI AI Summit show most utilities are piloting AI, focusing on generative AI (e.g., automated reporting) and outage planning optimization as practical starting points.

Key AI use cases include predictive maintenance (e.g., detecting equipment issues), operational efficiency (e.g., grid balancing), compliance automation, and cybersecurity (e.g., prioritizing threats). A phased roadmap—piloting (0-6 months), deploying (6-18 months), integrating (18-36 months), and scaling (36+ months)—offers a sustainable path forward. The article urges utilities to start small with practical applications, using synthetic data to experiment, and think big to unlock AI's full potential for operational transformation.

 Read full story at UtilityDive…