February 2, 2024

Join the conversation with federal IT leaders as they explore the latest advancements in #DefenseIT, including cloud security, CJADC2, data innovation, artificial intelligence, and workforce development, at the GovCIO Media & Research Defense IT Summit on February 9. Secure your seat now to learn how emerging technologies are reshaping the future of national security.

Reserve your seat here

The Air Force Association is urging the Pentagon to jumpstart quantum sensing, navigation, and communications with stepped-up federal funding to help the military in ways that go beyond the quantum computing capabilities you're probably thinking of. Read more

The Space Force is "looking to leverage commercial services to the maximum extent possible" and has near-term plans to implement dynamic space operations that focus - among other exciting things - on propulsion units that can be strapped to satellites that have run out of fuel. Read more

As China continues to make it clear that it is intent on offering an alternative to the current international world order, the DOD is equally intent on harnessing science, technology, and development to remain abreast with the Far Eastern power's rapidly developing capabilities in AI, hypersonic weapons, and shipbuilding. Read more

A CCP cyber threat is positioning itself to take down vital US resources at a moment's notice, and the FBI’s director and key federal officials are urging lawmakers to hasten their plans to deal with the Chinese-backed threat to critical national infrastructure. Read more

Infamous Russian hacking gang ALPHV boasts of stealing documents that contain Technica workers’ personal details and DOD deals. A warning was sent to Technica by ALPHV, revealing their plans to leak the classified data if the veteran-owned company does not reach out to them soon. Read more

The USPS is planning to cut $5B in costs and grow its revenue to avoid running out of cash in the coming years. Postmaster General DeJoy says these plans are necessary to avoid a 'looming calamity' that is inevitable if the USPS continues to stick with the status quo. Read more

The Office of Space Commerce plans to explore how SpaceX’s automated satellite collision avoidance software could support its plans for a space traffic coordination system; OSC will perform an astrodynamics evaluation of the tools SpaceX uses to manage more than 5,000 Starlink broadband satellites to plan out its theoretical system. Read more

USAID crushes it with an A rating! But…oof….HHS, DOS, and DOT all get D grades in the recent FITARA scorecard release. A bright spot though…DOD’s score increased from a F+ back in 2018 to a solid B rating in 2024. The reason for the drop in grades: Continued struggles to implement best practices for moving workloads and services to the cloud. Read more | See the scores

Arlington Capital Partners has formed a new aerostructure components manufacturing brand dubbed Verus Aerospace; the new brand will manufacture highly complex components and assemblies for the aerospace, defense, and space sectors. Read more

Saalex announced the acquisition of Spalding Consulting to expand it’s defense IT and software capabilities. The acquisition is valued at over $75 million and will grow Saalex's annual revenues to over $175 million. The addition of Spalding's more than 430 talented professionals will increase the Saalex employee base to over 1,200. Read more

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Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks seems to think so, at least; she noted that the DOD is working to make the institution more agile and a good partner for private capital. Hicks claims DOD is investing heavily in innovation, and she points out that DOD's R&D budget request in 2024 is $145 billion. The procurement request is $170 billion. Read more

Carbon nanostructures are versatile. It can be used to make batteries, transistors, eco-friendly hydrogen storage devices, and so much more. Now that a machine learning technique has been developed to forecast the growth of carbon nanostructures on metal surfaces, it will be easier to design and make them. But how is it done? Read more

Musk finally did it! In the past few years, Neuralink has been developing a brain-computer interface that will enable the paralyzed to give commands to technology with their mind. Now that the first chip has been implanted into a human brain, what will happen next? Read more

TRIVIA ANSWER:
A - Googling “How to not get audited.”

I mean, really, who hasn’t Googled that? Here are some general things to look out for, to avoid those red flags:

Missing information, math errors, amended returns, too many zeros (unless you’re GDIT), repeated end numbers, being audited in the past (unless KPMG’s CEO is your friend), using an unscrupulous tax preparer, large changes of income, large refunds, large net operating losses (unless you’re Pfizer), foreign bank accounts, frequent cross-border transactions (unless you’re Leidos), claiming large charitable contributions (unless you’re Microsoft), deducting too many businesses expenses, claiming a huge home office deduction, and using neat round numbers. (Source | Source)

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