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SBA's nonbank lending program faces scrutiny over fraud risks

SBA's nonbank lending program faces scrutiny over fraud risks

The Washington Business Journal flags SBA IG findings that nonbank lenders contribute to widespread Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud. Nonbank lenders, who issued $61 billion in PPP loans, were found to be five times more likely than traditional banks to process fraudulent loans, accounting for $14 billion in suspected

New York mag highlights polarization around Pete Hegseth for DOD secretary

New York mag highlights polarization around Pete Hegseth for DOD secretary

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Defense, faces skepticism in a New York piece. Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, brings firsthand military experience to the role; however, his transition from military officer to conservative media figure—

Bayer and Microsoft partner on industry-specific AI

Bayer and Microsoft partner on industry-specific AI

Bayer, maker of pharmaceuticals and agricultural pesticides, has partnered with Microsoft to develop specialized AI models that presumably recommend continued use of both companies’ products, notes the *Wall Street Journal.* These models, fine-tuned on Bayer’s proprietary data, are designed to address agronomy and crop protection queries and are now

POGO runs a fool’s errand encouraging transparency in forthcoming Trump administration

POGO runs a fool’s errand encouraging transparency in forthcoming Trump administration

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) has submitted recommendations for the Sixth U.S. Open Government National Action Plan, urging bold reforms to enhance government transparency and accountability. As a nonpartisan watchdog, POGO emphasizes the need for a strong ethics executive order, improved Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) implementation, and

DHS’s new AI framework has requirements and opportunities for federal contractors

DHS’s new AI framework has requirements and opportunities for federal contractors

DHS has released its ”Roles and Responsibilities Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Critical Infrastructure,” detailing voluntary guidelines for the safe use of AI across 16 critical infrastructure sectors. According to a recent FedNewsNetwork article, DHS sees the framework as vital for addressing risks, including attacks targeting AI systems and the

DC’s use of web surveillance raises transparency concerns

DC’s use of web surveillance raises transparency concerns

As reported by the *Washington City Paper,* the District of Columbia has spent over $348,000 since 2020 on Tangles, a web-surveillance platform developed by Cobwebs Technologies, an Israeli-founded cyberintelligence firm. Licensed by the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), Tangles is marketed as a tool for

Doug Burgum: From tech entrepreneur to Trump’s interior secretary pick

Doug Burgum: From tech entrepreneur to Trump’s interior secretary pick

Doug Burgum, North Dakota’s governor and a former software entrepreneur, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of the Interior, signaling a strong push toward energy expansion under the new administration. The announcement came during a gala at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, where Trump praised