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Christopher Wright Confirmed as Energy Secretary
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Christopher Wright Confirmed as Energy Secretary

Christopher Wright, a fracking executive, received Senate confirmation on Monday as secretary of the Department of Energy in a 59-38 vote.

Reuters reported that Wright will be responsible for DOE’s budget of approximately $50 billion and 17 national laboratories involved in supercomputing and research fusion energy, among other areas.

During his nomination hearing, he said his top priority is to expand the domestic production of liquefied natural gas and nuclear energy. He also believes in the potential of geothermal power to provide the country with emissions-free energy.

According to the report, Wright is expected to play a key role in a new national energy dominance council.

Christopher Wright’s Career Background

The newly confirmed DOE secretary most recently served as CEO, chairman and founder of Liberty Energy.

Wright served on the boards of several companies, including small modular reactor developer Oklo and global mining royalties company EMX Royalty.

In 1992, the oil industry leader and MIT graduate founded shale gas producer Pinnacle Technologies, where he also served as chief executive.

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Karen Evans Rejoins DHS as Senior Cyber Adviser at CISA
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Karen Evans Rejoins DHS as Senior Cyber Adviser at CISA

Karen Evans, a former chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security, has joined the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as senior cyber adviser.

A CISA spokesperson confirmed Evans’ return to government service, Federal News Network reported Monday, adding that multiple sources claimed Evans would either become an executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA or assume a top-level position at DHS headquarters.

Meanwhile, the returning DHS executive announced her new role in a LinkedIn post on the same day.

Evans’ Recent Career History

Evans served in the first Trump administration as assistant secretary for cybersecurity, energy security and emergency response at the Department of Energy between 2018 and 2020. She then moved to the DHS for the CIO post and held the role from June 2020 to January 2021.

Evans worked as a partner at KE&T Partners and served as managing director of the nonprofit Cyber Readiness Institute after her government stint. She also played a leading role in a 2022 National Academy of Public Administration study on CISA’s role in building a national cybersecurity workforce.

Her appointment comes as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called for a smaller CISA, leaving the agency’s future uncertain under the second Trump presidency.

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House Bill Seeks to Ensure DHS Research Security
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House Bill Seeks to Ensure DHS Research Security

Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., has introduced a bill that would direct the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, or S&T, to develop a process to protect sensitive information in research and development projects.

What’s in the Bill?

Strong’s office said Friday the Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act would require the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on DHS’ compliance with governmentwide policies to safeguard R&D.

The proposed legislation would also direct DHS to provide a briefing to the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees to address the Office of Inspector General’s 2022 report concerning S&T’s oversight of R&D projects.

The OIG report found lapses in the directorate’s efforts to protect sensitive data in R&D initiatives due to a lack of guidance and oversight.

“This bill will strengthen safeguards to prevent unauthorized access of sensitive information, ensuring that our nation’s research and development efforts remain secure,” said Strong.

“Chinese espionage is one of our country’s greatest threats. Protecting our innovations is critical to national security, and this legislation takes an important step in ensuring the integrity of DHS research,” added the lawmaker from Alabama.

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LMI Execs on How GenAI Could Help Accelerate EO Implementation
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LMI Execs on How GenAI Could Help Accelerate EO Implementation

Matthew Finney, Milasy Mugnolo and Harry Edelman of LMI discussed five ways the management consulting firm’s generative artificial intelligence program — LIGER for Policy — could help the Trump administration quickly implement executive orders, or EOs, and automate challenging policy tasks during the transition period.

In a blog post published Thursday on the firm’s website, the three LMI executives mentioned LIGER’s ability to help agencies assess the impact of EOs and improve decision-making through quick analysis that uncovers emerging priorities and key adjustments.

With LMI’s LIGER for Policy, organizations can comply with new directives under the current administration by searching document collections to identify content that needs updates.

LIGER Use Cases

The firm’s generative AI platform could support transition activities by enabling incoming leaders and their personnel to summarize large document libraries and generate insights for informed decision-making, the LMI representatives said.

The executives also cited how LIGER could enable organizations to produce reports, memos and synopses by preserving critical program data and institutional knowledge during transitions and allow teams to quickly respond to policy and program questions during transitions.

Finney is LMI’s vice president of generative AI and Mugnolo is the firm’s vice president of policy analysis and operations. Edelman serves as LMI’s principal technical adviser for policy.

Finney will be part of the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 20. Register here to join and hear more about cutting-edge AI innovations from industry and government experts.

POC - 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit
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Marco Rubio Appointed as USAID Acting Administrator
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Marco Rubio Appointed as USAID Acting Administrator

President Donald Trump has appointed State Secretary Marco Rubio as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. 

In a media note, the Office of the Spokesperson said that the appointment was an initiative toward “gaining control and better understanding over the agency’s activity.”

According to the office, significant portions of USAID funding no longer align with the country’s core national interests.

Rubio informed Congress of plans as acting USAID secretary to review USAID’s foreign assistance activities and potentially reorganize the agency.

About Secretary Rubio

Rubio was nominated by President Trump in November 2024 and confirmed by the Senate as the secretary of state with a vote of 99-0 in January, hours after President Trump was sworn into office. 

He served as a senator representing the state of Florida from 2011 until his confirmation as state secretary.

During his tenure as senator, Rubio held several positions in different committees, including senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

He wrote the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and co-authored the Hong Kong Relations Act and the VERDAD Act.

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2025 USMC Aviation Plan Focuses on Tech Advancements, Expeditionary Mobility
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2025 USMC Aviation Plan Focuses on Tech Advancements, Expeditionary Mobility

Marine Corps Aviation has launched a new roadmap that seeks to improve operational readiness and ensure the lethality of marine aviation in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, or MAGTF.

USMC said Monday the 2025 Marine Corps Aviation Plan focuses on technological advancements, sustainment, expeditionary mobility and total force integration as key areas of transformation.

“Through continued modernization and an unwavering commitment to current readiness, Marine Aviation is prepared to support the MAGTF through competition to conflict,” said Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering, deputy commandant for aviation at the U.S. Marine Corps.

“The 2025 Aviation Plan demonstrates our resolute dedication to maintaining operational superiority and ensuring we are always ready to project force, wherever and whenever needed,” Gering added.

Table of Contents

Project Eagle

The plan also introduces Project Eagle, a modernization strategy that prioritizes Decision-Centric Aviation Operations and Distributed Aviation Operations to maintain operational effectiveness in contested environments. 

Through Project Eagle, USMC intends to adopt artificial intelligence-driven decision-making software, advanced digital command and control, unmanned systems, manned-unmanned teaming, autonomous systems and other technologies to improve the service’s ability to operate in increasingly complex environments.

Other Key Priorities

Other important priorities outlined in the 2025 plan are aviation readiness, enhanced expeditionary mobility, aviation logistics modernization, marine air command and control system modernization, and total force integration.

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NIST Seeks Public Comments on Revised Encryption Guide
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NIST Seeks Public Comments on Revised Encryption Guide

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued a second public draft of the revised Special Publication 800-38G, or SP 800-38G, to invite public comment on the document.

The initial revision of the “Recommendation for Block Cipher Modes of Operation: Methods for Format-Preserving Encryption” includes key technical changes, such as increased domain size of the FF1 encryption method and unspecified FF3 encryption method, NIST said Monday. Under the new draft, the inverse advanced encryption standard cipher and floating point arithmetic have been disallowed.

Addressing Sensitive Information Management

First published in March 2016, SP 800-38G was designed to specify and approve the FF1 and FF3 methods for format-preserving encryption, or FPE. The publication intended to address issues, such as sensitive information management of software packages. According to NIST, the document provides ways to convert a digital code and make it indecipherable to hackers.

Since the publication came out, researchers have identified several FPE vulnerabilities that prompted NIST to implement revisions. For instance, the FF3 tweak parameter was reduced to 56 bits and named FF3-1. The adjustment also led NIST to set the minimum domain size for FF1 and FF3-1 at one million.

Interested parties can submit their comments on the revised draft by April 4.

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DARPA Launches INSPIRED Program to Enhance Signal Detection
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DARPA Launches INSPIRED Program to Enhance Signal Detection

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched the Intensity-Squeezed Photonic Integration for Revolutionary Detectors, or INSPIRED, program, to break the quantum noise limit and enhance signal detection capabilities.

The agency said Monday the program intends to reduce the quantum noise limit in order to enhance the sensitivity of optical detectors enabling them to detect faint signals. This is necessary to convert light into measurable signals, which are essential in fiber-optic communication, biological imaging, motion sensors and other critical technologies.

Reducing Quantum Noise Limit

INSPIRED aims to harness “squeezed light,” a special kind of light manipulated to reduce quantum noise in measurements. By utilizing advanced chip-scale photonics technology, the program intends to create compact, integrated squeezed-light sources 40 times quieter than the quantum noise limit. These will then be utilized in developing highly sensitive detectors capable of overcoming traditional noise barriers and enhancing sensing, communication and quantum computing capabilities.

INSPIRED Program Framework

The three-year program has two phases. The first phase involves the development of core squeezed-light components while the second focuses on the completion of a squeezed-light detector.

Eight research teams will be involved in the program, including the University of California, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Santa Barbara, Stanford University, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Yale University, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and RTX BBN Technologies.

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MDA Wants Industry Input on Next-Gen Missile Defense Shield
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MDA Wants Industry Input on Next-Gen Missile Defense Shield

The Missile Defense Agency has issued a request for information to help identify technologies for a next-generation missile defense shield to protect the United States against advanced foreign aerial attacks. According to a SAM.gov post by MDA last week, the RFI acts on a recent presidential executive order titled “The Iron Dome for America.”

Options Sought for Accelerated Defense Deployment  

The MDA seeks responses addressing the EO’s line of efforts, including defense against next-generation missile attacks from peer, near-peer and rogue adversaries. The RFI responses should also inform on deployment acceleration of the hypersonic and ballistic tracking space sensor system and development and operationalization of proliferated space-based interceptors with boost phase intercept capability.

In addition, the responses should address  MDA’s four timelines for capability demonstration or delivery of the EO’s goals, with the first scheduled not later than Dec. 31, 2026.

Gauging Market Capabilities and Acquisition Strategies

The RFI’s inputs will inform agency decisions, business case analyses and acquisition strategies on the current market and industry capabilities on accelerating deliveries and meeting demonstration timelines. 

An industry day for the RFI is scheduled on Feb. 18 to be followed by industry one-on-one sessions on Feb. 18 and 19 either virtual or in person. The deadline for response submissions is on Feb. 28.

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NASA Seeks Industry Partner for VIPER Lunar Exploration
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NASA Seeks Industry Partner for VIPER Lunar Exploration

NASA has announced it is seeking proposals for potential partners to collaborate on the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, mission.

The agency said Monday the Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership will focus on landing and operating VIPER on the moon and then sharing the results of the lunar exploration mission.

VIPER Mission Partnership

Through the partnership, NASA will contribute its VIPER rover while the selected contractor will be responsible for integrating and landing the rover on the moon. The vehicle will then explore the lunar surface and transmit scientific data it generates.

As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, VIPER will be equipped with instruments to explore the lunar surface, particularly to search for ice. The mission aims to determine the location of ice that astronauts can potentially use in future missions. The agency also intends to understand how the moon and its surface evolved.

Interested vendors have until Feb. 20 to respond with their proposals.

Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, said, “Such a partnership provides the opportunity for NASA to collect VIPER science that could tell us more about water on the Moon, while advancing commercial lunar landing capabilities and resource prospecting possibilities.”

Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, added, “This solicitation seeks proposals that clearly describe what is needed to successfully land and operate the rover and invites industry to propose their own complementary science goals and approaches.”

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