During Gabbard’s roughly 16-month tenure overseeing the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, the former Democratic congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate sought to reshape ODNI around President Donald Trump’s priorities --> www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

The United Arab Emirates has made a more concerted push for an end to the Iran war in recent days, joining Saudi Arabia and Qatar in urging US President Donald Trump to give negotiations a chance, sources say.

WH AI EO signing delayed, people familiar tell me. Appears that enough tech CEOs couldn't turn out for the signing.

New: Ahead of an AI EO anticipated today, the Export-Import Bank will vote this morning on a framework meant to boost exports of US-made AI. Financing tools including insurance, direct loans and loan guarantees would be used, per readout I obtained: www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

Confirming this. Per a summary I've seen, the EO has two sections, one for cybersecurity vis-a-vis AI and one for pre-release testing of frontier models. The second section will establish a voluntary process for AI developers to give the government 90 days of pre-release access.

New: Anticipated AI executive order could give NSA a key role, potentially tasking the spy agency for classified testing of models offered by AI labs under a voluntary framework. EO expected this week, but details are fluid. w/ @notamazonalexa.bsky.social www.nextgov.com/artificial-i...

New from the FBI: PSA - ShinyHunters: Cyber Criminal Group Attacks Learning Management System. 👀 'Do not send payment or respond to their demands...' www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA... #cybersecurity #ransomware @gate15.bsky.social @campuscodi.risky.biz @ecrime.ch @ransomwaresommelier.com

Trump says he and Xi discussed cyberattacks and spying between US, China --> “They’re talking about the spying. Well, we do it too,” he said. “We spy like hell on them too.” www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

ODNI recently named two officials to a joint role coordinating with the nation’s spy agencies on threats against the 2026 midterm elections, known formally as the election threats executive. Confirming @martinmatishak.bsky.social -> www.nextgov.com/defense/2026...

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday it would be “insane” for U.S. intelligence agencies to not have early access to advanced AI models that could be used for hacking and cyberdefense. www.nextgov.com/artificial-i...

Woah! Canvas parent company Instructure says it “reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor involved in this incident.” Sounds like a ransom was paid: www.instructure.com/incident_upd...

Offensive cyber operations would be a part of a suite of counterterrorism responses aimed at groups deemed threats to U.S. interests, according to the Trump administration’s counterterrorism strategy released Wednesday. www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

New w/ my colleague Eric Katz -> 10 years after the OPM breach, benefits for affected feds are starting to expire, marking the end of a decade-long response to one of the government’s most damaging cyber intrusions: www.govexec.com/management/2...

New -> Operational technology providers have been pressing for access to Anthropic’s Mythos model, arguing the initial rollout via Project Glasswing left out a widely exposed segment of critical infrastructure that’s often targeted by hackers. www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

New: Tom Parker, a security services lead at IBM, has emerged as a potential contender to lead CISA after the most recent nominee withdrew himself from consideration for the role, five people familiar tell me: www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

Scoop: The CyberCorps program is tightening recruitment standards to require AI + cybersecurity skills, with officials saying new scholars won’t be accepted without a plan to develop those competencies. Changes are “effective immediately” www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

House passes 45-day FISA extension after senators secure declassification deal: www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

GOP Sen. Rand Paul, who is pushing for significant FISA 702 reforms, has sent this letter to colleagues telling them that "not much would change as the United States would still be able to use its full might to defend itself" should the surveillance power lapse today.

The FCC proposed new restrictions that seek to block companies flagged as national security threats on its “Covered List” from gaining easy access to the U.S. telecom market: www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

The House passed a bill extending FISA 702 for three years, after weeks of GOP disputes initially forced Congress to issue much shorter extension earlier this month to keep the law afloat. Includes various add-ins but not a full warrant requirement: www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

White House crafting guidance to allow federal agencies to bypass supply chain risk designation on Anthropic and clear the way for gov't use of its tools, including the cyber-focused Mythos AI model, @notamazonalexa.bsky.social and I report. Axios reported first: www.nextgov.com/artificial-i...

"All of those relationships have been destroyed. We’ve had instances where our local election officials have been corresponding with members of CISA, and then, all of a sudden, there’s no response, because presumably that person has been fired." www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Efforts to scale back CISA and its election security resources have strained relationships + raised concerns that jurisdictions may be far less prepared to counter threats to the November midterms, officials in Michigan and Georgia said Tuesday: www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Ramirez out with a statement on her appointment:

Breaking: House Homeland Dems just selected Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois to be new ranking member of the panel’s cybersecurity subcommittee. Comes after Rep. Swalwell, who previously held the role, resigned from Congress earlier this month.

Exclusive -> The Trump administration is facing new calls from Americans for Responsible Innovation to halt US exports of advanced AI chips to China after the WH warned last week that Beijing is attempting to use US AI systems to train competing models: www.nextgov.com/artificial-i...

The White House OSTP accused China and others of engaging in “deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to distill U.S. frontier AI systems,” and said the Trump admin will be taking steps to safeguard domestic AI products. w/ my colleague Edward Graham: www.nextgov.com/artificial-i...

NASHVILLE — Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said Thursday that autonomous weapons are going to be a “key and essential part of everything we do” when asked about how such tools would fit into the future of warfare. www.nextgov.com/defense/2026...

Story up -- Sean Plankey withdrew himself from consideration for CISA director, he confirmed to Nextgov/FCW. www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

New: Sean Plankey, nominated to lead CISA, has pulled from consideration. Confirming Politico, story tk….

US Cyber Command carried out over 8,000 missions in 2025, up 25% compared to 2024, director Gen. Josh Rudd said Tuesday. New Pentagon cyber strategy also expected this summer, said senior DOD cyber official Katie Sutton -> www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Minority contractors sue Trump admin over anti-DEI order, claiming they're forced to "trade their First Amendment right to speak about race and discrimination for fair access to federal contracts." Sean Michael Newhouse explains here: buff.ly/AGjCYlX #DEI #firstamendment

NEW: A former FBI cyber chief is calling for the U.S. to consider applying terrorism designations to ransomware actors who target hospitals and related infrastructure, arguing a Bush-era terror financing authority could be applied beyond traditional uses. www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Reese Gorman scoop: Chavez-DeRemer out at the Dpt of Labor www.notus.org/trump-white-...

Senate passes 10-day FISA extension after House revolt sinks long-term deal www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

The House early Friday passed a 10-day extension of a FISA 702 after broader reauthorization efforts collapsed amid GOP divisions over the bill’s final form, derailing the Trump administration’s push for a longer-term renewal. www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

The FISA fun continues with the House approving a clean extension of ... ten days. Who could've seen this coming?

New FISA 702 amendment text proposes a 5-year extension with a number of reforms. Biggest change: FBI searches of Americans’ data under 702 must be tied to an existing, predicated national security investigation: rules.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

DOJ is appealing ruling from the nation’s top surveillance court that took issue with how spy agencies use certain tools to analyze and process data collected under FISA 702, which is being debated in Congress this week, confirming NYT: www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

Expect more cybersecurity executive orders soon, national cyber director Cairncross says: www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Just now: House Rules reported FISA 702 reauthorization to House floor without Biggs warrant requirement amendment included.

Long amendments list for FISA 702 extension listed here in House Rules. A clean reauthorization feels unlikely right now. rules.house.gov/bill/119/hr-...

New -> CISA reversed its decision to onboard summer interns participating in the CyberCorps SFS program amid the ongoing funding lapse in DHS, according to emails obtained by Nextgov/FCW: www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

In a long Truth Social post, POTUS says he’s working with Johnson, Jordan and Crawford to get a clean reauthorization of FISA 702 through the house and asks R’s to “unify” and vote together on it.⬇️

For cyber policy followers, Swalwell’s exit means that the House Homeland cybersecurity subcommittee will lose its leading Democrat. He has served as ranking member of the cyber panel since early 2023. x.com/repswalwell/...

FCC said Monday that California-based ioXt Alliance will be the lead administrator for the Cyber Trust Mark labeling program after the prior administrator pulled out of the initiative amid an investigation into its China ties: www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Confirming this email. It also says that, because of the funding situation, CISA doesn't have cash for other costs besides employee salaries. Any non-salary activities must get an exception under Antideficiency Act, it adds.

ICYMI: The FY27 plan to fold DHS I&A into department headquarters would not affect its oversight under ODNI, and would preserve I&A’s status as one of 18 U.S. intel agencies, an administration official told me. www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/...

"[I]t remains an open question where companies draw the line on cyber offense and where the government does. The boundaries around offensive cyber are often blurred, and the private sector is still trying to learn its place." www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Update: Unclassified talking points on the certification say the White House has until April 16 to appeal the order or correct the issues presented by the court. Trump admin is “working expeditiously to understand the mission impact of the court’s order,” it adds.