Government Interest in Chat Archiving Service Skyrockets Following Signalgate

by  David DiMolfetta

Top staffers across the government have reached out to Whiterock Technologies about its electronic communications preservation service amid a court ruling tied to last week's Signal chat with top administration officials that accidentally included The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg.

Requirements for agencies to maintain internal communications under the Federal Records Act have come to the forefront of staff discussions in the days following bombshell reporting from The Atlantic's top editor that showed he was inadvertently added to a Signal group with top government officials discussing airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

Several agencies have moved swiftly to ensure their communications meet those legal standards for government records preservation, and a little-known tech provider has been getting significant attention.

Offices in the departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security are querying Whiterock Technologies to help them preserve records of chats conducted over encrypted messaging apps used on work devices, fueled by a lawsuit filed last week and a subsequent judicial order that directed messages from the infamous Signal chat to be preserved, according to people familiar with the discussions.

 Read full story at NextGov…

Industry Layoffs Mount as Cancelled Contracts and DOGE Efforts Take Hold

by  Nick Wakeman

Just shy of 2,500 workers in Maryland and Virginia are poised to lose their jobs as 13 companies issue mass layoff notice.

The layoffs and firings that are happening across government agencies have spread into the contractor workforce that supports them, with multiple companies filing notifications in Virginia and Maryland of workforce reductions.

Companies with over 100 employees are required to file notifications when they conduct a mass layoff.

A total of 13 GovCon companies have issued WARN notices in Virginia and Maryland, which adds up to 2,425 people losing their jobs.

One of the largest groups of layoffs was announced by Mitre, which Wednesday reported that it plans to lay off 442 people.

 Read full story at Washington technology…

What Is Agentic AI, and How Can Agencies Use It to Enhance Citizen Services?

by  Francisco Ramirez

The ability to autonomously synthesize information and interact with citizens makes agentic artificial intelligence a powerful resource for agencies, but only if it stays on-premises.

While artificial intelligence will dominate this year's state and local government technology landscape, there's one iteration of AI that agencies will want to pay close attention to. Agentic AI — AI systems that act autonomously to access and synthesize relevant information — is poised to positively impact government agencies'ability to deliver quality citizen services efficiently.

Let's explore agentic AI, its benefits and how implementing it on-premises can help with data control and security.

What Is Agentic AI?

Agentic AI refers to AI systems that autonomously and proactively make decisions and provide information. These systems use “agents” to perform specific services and gather information from various data sources to achieve a desired goal, such as helping citizens find the status of their tax refunds or apply for a license.

Inside Microsoft's 50th: Iconic Moments, Strong Memories, and the Realities of the Outside World

by  Todd Bishop

It had been eleven years since Microsoft's three CEOs had appeared together on stage, and the public reunion Friday of Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella for the company's 50th anniversary brought back brought a flood of memories for all three.

Todd Bishop covers Microsoft's 50th anniversary event in Redmond, Washington, where former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer joined current CEO Satya Nadella for a rare public reunion, their first together in eleven years.

The event highlighted Microsoft's history and future, with Gates praising Ballmer and Nadella' people skills, Ballmer revisiting his iconic “developers” chant, and Nadella reflecting on the company's high standards. Current and former executives, like Phil Spencer and Brad Silverberg, attended, sharing personal connections to Microsoft's legacy

Whether you are shocked that Microsoft is 50 years old, or shocked that you remember when Microsoft was created, this article is for you.

 Read full story at …

Why Doesn't the United States Use the Metric System?

by  Elizabeth Yuko

Wondering why the United States measures things in inches and pounds? The answer will definitely surprise you

Have you ever noticed that systems of measurement tends to change when you leave the United States? Weight is typically measured in kilograms instead of pounds, distance is measured in kilometers over miles, and volume is measured in liters rather than ounces. But that's not all: we also measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. While most of the rest of the world uses the metric system (formally known as the International System of Units, or SI), the United States uses the U.S. Customary System, which—fun fact—is often mistakenly referred to as the “imperial system.”

So, why doesn't the U.S. use the metric system? Reader's Digest spoke to experts in the metric system to find out. Here's what we learned about the history of the metric system, and the reasons why the United States hasn't fully adopted the system favored throughout most of the rest of the world.

 Read full story at Reader's Digest…

Cyberattacks on Water and Power Utilities Threaten Public Safety

by  Staff

80% of utility operators were targeted by cyberattacks in the past year, according to The State of Critical Infrastructure Resilience report.

As reported in Help Net Security, Nation-state cyberattacks, like those by China's Volt Typhoon, are increasingly targeting utilities, compromising critical infrastructure such as water and electricity systems.

Recent breaches at American Water Works and a Massachusetts utility highlight vulnerabilities, especially in identity systems. The EPA urges enhanced cybersecurity, as experts warn undetected attacks may be widespread. Utilities must prioritize resilience, securing essential recovery components to protect public health and national security.

 Read full story at Help Net Security…

The Digital Grid Is Coming, and the Energy Transition May Just Depend on It

by  John Engel

The next step in the power grid's evolution takes place at the utility substation, where technology is breathing new life into equipment ripe for innovation.

The transformation of the power grid is no longer a theoretical discussion—it is an operational necessity. Aging infrastructure, increasing demand from data centers and electrification, and the surge of renewable energy integration have forced utilities to rethink how they manage, protect, and modernize their systems. One of the most important steps to realizing the vision of a “smart grid” experts say, is ready to breakout.

At the center of this shift is the concept of the virtual substation, a critical move toward the broader virtualization of grid management systems infrastructure. One that could ultimately grant utilities real-time visibility into power grid performance, along with more efficient maintenance schedules and dynamic, flexible operations. Arnaud Cantin, senior vice president of digital power at Schneider Electric, joined the “Factor This” podcast about the urgent need for utilities to embrace this transition, which still requires widespread education to scale.

 Read full story at Factor This…Watch on YouTube

US Utilities Grapple With Big Tech's Massive Power Demands for Data Centers

by  Laila Kearney< and Seher Dareen

U.S. electric utilities are fielding massive requests for new power capacity as Big Tech scours the country for viable locations for new data centers to keep up with the compute demands of AI.

A Reuters survey of 13 major U.S. electric utility earnings transcripts found nearly half have received inquiries from data center companies for volumes of power that would exceed their peak demand or existing generation capacity — that' everything they supply to homes and businesses — a metric that reflects the sheer size of oncoming data center needs.

Now, the power industry is struggling with a question that will determine the course of billions of dollars in investment: how to meet the demand? …

If utilities underestimate the demand, they risk an unstable electrical grid with a higher chance of blackouts for their customers. If they overbuild, consumer rate-payers could end up with the tab.

 Read full story at Reuters…