STRIPES (Linda F. Hersey) - Federal court rules in ‘very large bid protest’ over high-value VA contracts | Stars and Stripes
Eighteen companies were affected by the ruling in a case that involved how the VA evaluated proposals.
AXIOS (Ashley Gold) - California cements its role as the national testing ground for AI rules
To see where tech policy is going in the U.S., look west: California is escalating its push to regulate AI across multiple fronts. Why it matters: California's multi-pronged approach makes it likely that AI companies in the U.S. will treat the state's rules as a de facto national standard, even as the White House moves to rein in state regulation. - It follows a familiar pattern: California acts first, companies adapt to keep doing business there and Congress dithers, eventually ceding its role to states due to gridlock. Driving the news: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an AI executive order this week as state legislators advance a number of AI bills and consider other regulatory avenues for AI. The big picture: California is moving ahead as…
NYTIMES (Maria Varenikova) - A Choice of Deadly Drones Is Only a Few Clicks Away for Ukrainian Troops
Ukraine has created online marketplaces to let units select their own drones, a break from generations of standardized and centralized weapons procurement.
| Keywords | ukrainewarfaredronesuavmilitary-technologydefense-techprocurementonline-marketplacerussianytimesmaria-varenikovamilitary-strategymodern-warfaretechnologysupply-chainweaponization-of-internet |
NYTIMES (Kate Conger and Julian E. Barnes) - Google Sits Pretty as A.I. Rivals Compete for Pentagon Favor
The tech giant has been rebuilding its relationship with the Defense Department and is poised to benefit as it sidesteps competitors’ controversies.
AXIOS (Maria Curi) - Tech industry rallies behind Anthropic in Pentagon fight
Tech industry groups representing hundreds of companies are urging a court to pause the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic. Why it matters: The Pentagon didn't just stop doing business with Anthropic — it labeled the company a supply chain risk, a move industry says could chill innovation and reshape how the government treats AI vendors. Driving the news: Major tech industry groups representing companies with Pentagon contracts filed an amicus brief calling for a pause on the designation. - "The government has ample, well-established tools to resolve procurement disputes and to contract with providers on whatever terms it prefers," the March 13 court filing states. - What they can't do, the filing says, is "misuse extraordinary…
AXIOS (Ashley Gold) - AI policy's new power center
The Pentagon is turning procurement into policy, staking its claim as Washington's most powerful AI player with its decision to ditch Anthropic . Why it matters: As lawmakers debate guardrails, the Pentagon showed how it can reshape the AI industry with a single contract decision. - The Defense Department is the federal government's biggest tech buyer, and its requirements for companies to win contracts can become de facto rules and spread beyond military systems. - In a regulatory vacuum, defense contracts speak the loudest. What they're saying: "The biggest question is: What kind of business partner does the government want to be?" Jessica Tillipman, associate dean for government procurement law studies at George Washington…
AXIOS (Maria Curi) - Scoop: White House readies executive order to weed out Anthropic
The White House is preparing an executive order formally instructing the federal government to rip out Anthropic's AI from its operations, sources familiar with the matter told Axios. Why it matters: The move would escalate the administration's fight with Anthropic , which is already suing the Pentagon over its supply chain risk designation. - It would also formalize a broader push across agencies to remove Claude after President Trump said his administration would not use "woke" AI. State of play: Government agencies like the Treasury Department have already begun to offboard Anthropic . - Anthropic in a lawsuit on Monday said Congress in its procurement laws did not give the administration the authority to blacklist a U.S. company…
WAR (C. Todd Lopez) - Department Seeks Counsel of Industry Leaders to Advance Arsenal of Freedom
The War Department is asking industry experts to help the department better work with the defense industrial base, eliminate bureaucratic bloat in the acquisition process and more quickly field weapons to warfighters.
WAR (C. Todd Lopez) - DOW Restructures Foreign Military Sales, Prioritizes Speed, Efficiency
The War Department has moved two agencies critical to getting American-made combat gear into the hands of allied and partner nations under the department's Office of Acquisition and Sustainment.
STRIPES (Alison Bath) - Former NATO official among 2 charged by US in bribery scheme in military contracts | Stars and Stripes
A former NATO procurement official is accused of giving falsified reviews to help a man whose companies received U.S. and NATO military contracts.