State and Federal Relations
Department of Justice sides with Elon Musk’s xAI in Southaven lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed by the NAACP, claims that xAI is illegally operating gas turbines to power its data centers in Southaven and Memphis.
Feds praise BEAD’s progress, but others aren’t convinced
The NTIA touted the program’s first-ever connections and said more is to follow. Some Democrats in Congress said the agency is being evasive about what happens to leftover funds.
Cyber framework harmonization is a thorny, yet not intractable issue, experts say
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.
Senator seeks admin leadership to testify on AI policy
Elizabeth Warren, the Senate Banking Committee’s ranking member criticized the lack of administration officials asked to testify at an upcoming hearing on AI and the American Dream.
Feds intensify screen time scrutiny in schools
The FCC will vote later this month to study whether its E-Rate program is fulfilling its goal of improving educational outcomes, rather than subsidizing kids’ misuse of devices.
GOP bill would make Pa. law from Trump administration accords on data centers
Rep. Craig Williams said accords with PJM governors and tech companies are answer to controlling costs.
Lawmaker unveils bill to restore cyber information-sharing program funding
Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee also sent letters to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and to every governor urging them to support state and local cyber defense.
Lawmakers propose AI framework that would preempt state laws for 3 years
A bipartisan House proposal looks to codify existing programs, set an all-hands-on-deck approach to AI governance and allow for the federal preemption of state AI laws for 3 years.
New federal privacy bill called a ‘consensus’ of existing state laws
Congress is trying again for a national data privacy standard that would preempt current regulations in 22 states, but opponents argue a patchwork is better than this effort.
HHS wants states to use more predictive analytics in child welfare
The artificial intelligence push is part of the Trump administration’s agenda to modernize the child welfare system and address the shortage of foster homes across the U.S.
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New drone authorities for local law enforcement: Turning power into preparedness
COMMENTARY | State and local agencies now have more ability to combat aerial threats on their own, but they must make sure they are fully equipped to do so.
Disability advocates sue over website accessibility delays
The National Federation of the Blind sued the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services after a rule requiring government websites to be accessible was delayed for a year.
State leaders renew call for cyber grant program’s renewal
The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program is facing down a September deadline for reauthorization. Without it, officials warned that current efforts would lose momentum.
Feds assign two officials to lead intelligence coordination on election threats
For months, it was unclear if ODNI ever named an election threats executive responsible for leading election security efforts in the 2026 midterm cycle.
Advocates pledge action to restore digital equity grants
One year after President Donald Trump rescinded the funds, various groups and lawmakers have kicked off a month of action to push for their restoration.
White House withholds $1.3B in Medicaid payments to California amid broader fraud crackdown
Vice President JD Vance said the administration will audit states’ Medicaid Fraud Control Units and threatened to “turn off” federal funding for the watchdogs if their fraud prevention efforts are found to be deficient.
Aligning state and local AI security investments with the Cyber Strategy for America
COMMENTARY | State and local leaders do not need to start from scratch to strengthen their cyber posture. The federal strategy offers a practical path forward.
‘No time to waste’ in prepping governments for AI cyber threats, top Dem lawmaker says
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the Department of Homeland Security to work closer with states and localities, and bemoaned the end of federal funding to an information-sharing center.
Website accessibility remains ‘slow-moving crisis’ despite rule delay, experts warn
Disability advocates are dismayed about the DOJ's one-year delay on its rule, while government leaders are calling for accessibility work to accelerate ahead of the new deadline.
Feds create controversial bidding portal for E-Rate
The FCC said the new rules would bring integrity and transparency to the program, but schools and libraries said it is a “solution in search of a problem.”
