Government, policy, and civic life — what's changing and what it means for you.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s amendment to place a new service under the Army fell short in committee, even as lawmakers advanced separate provisions examining Cyber Command’s role and resourcing.

Senators are urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to clarify rules for event contracts and strengthen monitoring standards, warning that rapid growth in prediction markets is exposing weaknesses in safeguards against manipulation and consumer harm.

Those inside and outside government agree harmonizing and streamline cyber regulations would save time and compliance costs. A consensus might be emerging around what to do next.

In this rural Alabama community, some residents can’t flush their toilets. Developers want to build a state-of-the-art data center next door.

Section 702 is set to expire for the first time after a failed House vote, even as a White House nomination aims to resolve a separate battle over who should oversee the intelligence community during the transition.

State lawmakers passed a variety of artificial intelligence guidelines before the end of the legislative session.

COMMENTARY | States and localities are embracing the technology but must keep several security challenges in mind as they do so. As AI evolves, controls must evolve too.

Bipartisan legislation would grant civilian federal employees up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave per year.

A survey from the Partnership for Public Service also found that a majority of Americans oppose the Trump administration’s changes to government.

Most federal employees under FERS rely on Social Security as part of retirement. The latest trustees report suggests the choices to preserve full benefits are getting tougher.

Industry groups found that over 18,000 incidents were reported last year, which represented a 59% jump from 2024. Better enforcement and regulation could prevent it, the groups said.

At least six states this year have outlawed or imposed regulations on such guns.

Through public office, environmental justice and urban planning, they’re demanding a say in what gets built in communities across the country.

The measure would require CISA to refresh long-outdated sector cybersecurity plans as lawmakers warn that advanced AI tools could accelerate the discovery and exploitation of software flaws.

The sites posed as consulting companies and used paid research opportunities to connect with people holding national security expertise, prosecutors said.

A recent upgrade project offers a glimpse at how one agency adapted its technology footprint as more federal employees returned to government offices.

The Social Security commissioner frequently tried to shout over Democratic lawmakers during the occasionally raucous hearing.

The Trump administration has cut staff and grants at the National Institutes of Health, and employees warn further overhauls appear to be likely.

The agency plans to consolidate more than 100 personnel systems into a single platform serving 2 million federal employees.

Legislators in New York passed a bill imposing a one-year pause on new hyperscale data centers, while residents in one California city voted recently for a complete ban.

It’s a significant revision of state policy, touching on tax breaks, nondisclosure agreements, water use and testing, utility billing, and potential impacts on local governments.

Seven out of 10 Illinois residents supported the POWER Act, but it didn’t pass in the Illinois Legislature this session. Supporters are pretty confident the bill will be brought back up later this year.

A new weekly column on the tech reshaping the world from Stockholm to Singapore, including the parts nobody planned for.

After negotiations over enforcement restrictions collapsed, lawmakers approved $70 billion, funding that will give the Trump administration resources to continue its immigration crackdown through nearly the end of the president's second term.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorth, D-Ill., expressed “serious concern” about the Office of Personnel Management’s controversial proposal, including its impact on whistleblowers and employees who report wrongdoing.

In order for agencies to attain top talent, Office of Personnel Director Scott Kupor pointed to job websites specific to college students, multi-agency position postings and tech recruiting programs — all strategies that the Biden administration also employed.

The watchdog found contracting missteps, health lapses and oversight breakdowns at a Texas immigration facility, raising concerns as the federal government moves ahead with a far larger detention expansion.

As the technology roils campuses nationwide, a House subcommittee debated how to form policies around its use to ensure it does not replace students’ learning.