Adriana Bankston

So many ways you can inform the first ever National Nature Assessment! Check out the webinar series below! #nature #science

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Open government is government that everybody can evaluate and understand. Consider adding your thoughts to the docket for the next open government action plan!

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I'm keeping an open mind about the potential for AI to impact CBRN threats and generally encourage efforts to measure these issues in order to ground the conversation and minimize often-fantastical dooms-day scenarios. That said, evidence that AI is meaningfully changing current CBRN threat levels is lacking and probably overstated. Beyond this report, DHS must consider how to best prioritize its limited AI bandwidth. With a fixed budget, any excess money spent on mitigating or analyzing these hypotheticals nessesarily comes at the expense of other, evidence-backed priorities. Rather than over-invest in AI-CBRN issues, DHS should spend on the following: 1. Cybersecurity and other evidence-based challenges: while early days, there is indeed evidence that AI has changed the cyber game. In the past year spear phishing increase 1,200%, machine translation improved the quality of social engineering attacks, and state backed actors have used LLMs to generate operational malware. While not quite a crisis, this is a meaningful change that could portend a real challenge if capabilities continue to improve. Rather than chase CBRN 'what ifs,' resources should focus on this very real, evidence-backed challenge. 2. Preparing for the unknown: Its still early days, the tech is changing rapidly, and its uncertain what challenges will be the core AI issues of the coming years. Rather than overinvest resources on CBRN threats, DHS should invest in the agility and capacity needed to quickly identify and react to a range of unexpected, emergent challenges. The first step is state capcaity, DHS should focus on upskilling and hiring to build a work force that not only understands AI, but AI's intersection in a broad diversity of domains. Second is regulatory flexibility, DHS should actively analyze its rules to ensure it can act with minimal bureaucratic delay if we see a black swan AI development. Third is vigilance, DHS should foster the infrastructure, such as Information Sharing and Analysis Centers, needed to quickly identify unexpected changes in the threat environment. It is indeed worthwhile for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction office to analyze how AI could impact their work. Without evidence, however, this shouldn't become a preoccupation. As the DHS proceeds it should focus limited bandwidth on proven challenges and for all else, build the threat-agnostic capacity needed to act with agility.

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Excellent! We need the talent in government to not only implement this tech, but ensure decisionmakers make technically informed choices. The challenge will be both making use of that talent and retention. Already government IT is a revolving door, I'd wager in large part due to the inflexibility inherent to gov IT. Unfortunately, under the AI exec order our already expansive IT rule set will be loaded with additional restrictions. To attract, retain, and make use of talent we need to loosen the rules, enable development, and allow experimentation. https://lnkd.in/dc3jbJF2

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Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board to advise the secretary on critical infrastructure risks. While a worthwhile initiative, the design of our current critical infrastrucure policy structure is a fundamental disservice to such efforts. Today, critical infrastrucure encompasses 16 industrial sectors, an unwieldy 60% or more of the U.S. economy, and a grab bag of non-critical assets including casinos, ride share vehicles and the cosmetics industry. For a small committee of 22, this unwieldy scope will strain priorities, waste time, and distract focus from the core systems that really matter. Effectively securing our critical infrastrucure demand we set the priorities, shrink policy scope, and finally determine what is indeed the most critical and the most deserving of DHS’s limited resources. https://lnkd.in/eXdRveWB

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The #SBP must publish voting history of #MonetaryPolicy Committee publicly--who voted for what--for a more transparent decisions making. Importantly, analysis of #MPC voting records can help assess how are external and SBP members thinking about future course of #inflation.

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Join FutureEd and a national panel of experts for a lively webinar conversation on Nov 13 at noon about the future of state standardized testing, a critical but controversial issue in the national education conversation. Register here: https://lnkd.in/exdAGnfV  #standardizedtesting #ESSA #schoolaccountability

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"AI Day for Federal Statistics: A CNSTAT Public Event" When: Thursday, May 2, 2024 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM ET Where: National Academy of Sciences Building 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20418 REGISTER NOW at https://lnkd.in/g5rRV-xa The Committee on National Statistics, the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology, the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, and the National Institute of Statistical Sciences are working together to organize an AI Day, in which the implications of AI for federal statistical agencies will be explored, including a look at what statistical research needs to be performed. Join us for this in-person public event on federal employees' experiences in and plans for incorporating AI as a tool for federal programs. The goal of the event is to facilitate the appropriate use of AI within the federal government by discussing potential uses, highlight issues involved when seeking to incorporate AI, discuss practical tools, and summarize which AI tools provide the best return. The sessions will particularly focus on applications concerning federal statistics, including data collection, data processing, data generation, quality control, statistical analysis, and accounting for uncertainty.

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Come check out this roundtable on benefit-cost analysis and frontiers thereof! Should be a good one.

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With future Trump administration officials being more candid about the blueprint for governance laid out in Project 2025, it is helpful to review the changes proposed for FEMA and emergency management more broadly: - Upon the dissolution of DHS, move FEMA to the Department of the Interior or the Department of Transportation - To increase the threshold for major disaster declarations, to reduce the federal role in smaller events - Alternatively, to establish a 'disaster deductible' at the state level that would serve a similar purpose - To shift the cost-share between federal and state government, from 25% federal for smaller events and up to 75% for catastrophic disasters - Wind down the NFIP program and replace it with private insurance options - Eliminate federal preparedness grants by shifting these costs to state and local governments - Require Senate confirmation for the Administrator only What about disaster recovery programs beyond FEMA? Project 2025 would also directly impact the most common programs. The Small Business Administration provides low-interest loans to households and businesses post-disaster. Project 2025 recommends ending the SBA's disaster loans authority by shifting it to another agency and privatizing their administration. It also recommends that the SBA be barred from developing any further loan programs. HUD administers the second largest disaster program (CDBG-DR) and conducts significant research on disasters and housing. The HUD chapter of Project 2025 is mostly ambiguous on DR although it encourages Congress to "consider a wholesale overhaul of HUD that contemplates devolving many HUD functions to states and localities with any remaining federal functions consolidated to other federal agencies." It does explicitly address research, saying that the "Office of Policy Development and Research should suspend all external research and evaluation grants..." The USDA is another important source for post-disaster assistance, especially for agricultural producers and rural housing, but Project 2025's USDA chapter is quiet on that topic. The Economic Development Administration is the lead organization in support of economic recovery under the NDRF and works primarily by providing grants in disaster affected areas. Project 2025 recommends abolishing the EDA and 'reallocating its funding to other overlapping federal grant programs.' And finally, NOAA. Project 2025 really, really doesn't like NOAA, which it describes as "a colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity." NOAA does a lot of work in the emergency management space, from the National Weather Service to supporting partners in pre- and post-disaster preparedness and recovery. Project 20225 strongly recommends disbanding NOAA and distributing (some) of its functions to other agencies or privatizing them as in the case of the NWS.

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This week, IEDC gathered federal leaders and the inaugural cohort of 65 ERC Fellows in Washington D.C. to discuss how distressed communities across the nation can greater access federal resources. With the 65 fellows in their field placements providing dedicated technical assistance and capacity-building support now for the next 2.5 years, this convening aimed to enhance communication and build relationships between federal entities and underserved communities to improve their access to federal funding. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gU4z7pjn Funded by a $30M cooperative agreement with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and led by IEDC, ERC was created to address enduring economic challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly affecting historically underserved populations. Explore the 65 projects across 42 states and 2 U.S. territories that are underway for the next 2.5 years, and learn more about the ERC program at https://lnkd.in/dZKMN9BU. RAIN Catalysts National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Center on Rural Innovation National League of Cities National Association of Counties ICMA - International City/County Management Association #IEDC #EDA #ERCFellow #EconomicRecoveryCorps #FederalResources #EconomicDevelopment

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How can we make mission-driven government really work? Mission Public is a new collaborative initiative that aims to help define the concept, convene and support practitioners, and develop the implementation tools necessary to make a success of mission-driving working. Read the full blog from Nesta's Chief Practices Officer, James Plunkett👇

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My latest commentary in The Baltimore Sun highlights the city's failed tax policy. It's both ineffective (it fuels disinvestment and flight) and inequitable (pols dole out subsidies to those who "pay to play," withhold a competitive, fair rate to everyone else). Details on the latest outrage are here: https://lnkd.in/eyVJmxzm

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Unrestrained presidential tariff authority is the biggest threat to American competitivness, national security, innovaiton and growth. From my tech policy perspective: I've mentioned this problem so many times to people in tech and Silicon Valley, who seem to consistently brush tariffs off assuming any new tariff would fail given Congress' opposition. This isn't true. Tariffs can be enacted unilaterally by the president, a truly awesome presidential power that if abused, could crumble our economy overnight. Lets be real: AI, silicon valley, and cutting edge science can all quickly turn into 'nice to haves' if Americans can't afford food, clothes, and basic necessities. Ten percent tariffs would drive massive cost increases, flash freezing capital and discretionary spending. Silicon Valley would crumble, as would the rest of the economy. We need to stop sleep walking towards this policy failure and give such tariff proposals, and the underlying authorities, the serious treatment they demand. Thank you so much Clark Packard and Scott Lincicome. https//

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I had the pleasure to present the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's #Generative #AI guidance and capabilities at the The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's CNSTAT AI Day for Federal Statistics in DC. Moving AI technology into government in a responsible, secure, and safe manner is not just a technology challenge; it requires a multidisciplinary and iterative approach that puts people first. https://lnkd.in/gaBsxfAq #generativeai #responsibleai #trustworthyai #aifairness #aisafety #privacy #aigovernance #ai #ml #machinelearning #artificialintelligence

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🚀 New action-ready policy memo by Federation of American Scientists, co-authored by our director Elizabeth Linos, Anna Harvey Evan White, Roseanna Ander & Laura Feeney! It highlights the pivotal role of research-practitioner partnerships in supporting state & local gov't innovation. 🤝 Why focus on these partnerships? They boost governments' ability to conduct rigorous evaluations and implement evidence-based programs. Anchoring reforms in solid evaluation practices helps effectively use federal funds and drives innovation in essential services. 🌱 For more insights, dive into the full memo:  https://lnkd.in/erbYSKan.

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The five U.S. Territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands — are excluded from most federal statistical products, a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows. That means that far less is known about the people, communities, agriculture, environment, and businesses in the territories compared to what is known about them in states, which in turn makes it harder to formulate policy and provide adequate resources for the roughly 4 million U.S. residents living in the territories. hinder-inclusive-and-precise-policymaking…

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Yesterday, International Center for Law & Economics and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation filed an amicus in the 8th Circuit opposing the FCC's new "digital discrimination" rules. "The Order will not only stifle new deployment to unserved areas, but also will delay network upgrades and maintenance out of fear of alleged disparate effects." A summary of our arguments are on Truth on the Market. https://lnkd.in/gu3d3jKC

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