Research & Public Sector

Tysons, Va. – October 07, 2026 -- Oddball, a digital services agency focused on government technology modernization, has appointed Kathy Klapacz as Chief Operating Officer, bringing 20 years of federal executive leadership experience to the role.

Klapacz previously managed federal portfolios exceeding $100 million

Klapacz has led complex federal programs valued at more than $100 million and organizations with upwards of 400 personnel, according to the company. Her career spans operational strategy, technology transformation, and cloud modernization initiatives at agencies including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Defense Health Agency (DHA).

Long Island, N.Y. – October 02, 2026 -- Clearview AI and the National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF) located 34 children and teens reported missing to police across Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Queens through a multi-day rescue operation.

Operation recovers minors aged 7 to 18 across three New York counties

The Long Island Missing Child Rescue Operation was coordinated by NCPTF in partnership with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Missing Persons Clearinghouse and the Office of Children and Family Services. The multi-day effort combined local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies with nonprofit organizations and private technology partners to review case notes and pursue new investigative leads.

Dakar – – October 02, 2026 -- The fifth Africa Business and Human Rights Forum closed in Dakar, Senegal, with more than 1,100 delegates from 45 African countries pressing governments and companies to convert human rights commitments into enforceable business practice, as the continent loses an estimated $195 billion annually to environmental degradation, illicit financial flows and unsustainable resource use.

Los Angeles – September 30, 2026 -- California's economy expanded at an annualized 3.7% rate in the first quarter of 2026, nearly double the 2.1% national growth rate, even as the state's unemployment rate climbed to 5.1% in August, the highest of any U.S. state, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast's September 2026 outlook.

California outpaces every state but Washington in growth while shedding jobs by one measure

Over the year ending in the first quarter, California GDP grew 3.3% versus 2.7% nationally. Payroll employment rose by 138,500 jobs over the 12 months through August, but a separate household survey showed 246,700 fewer Californians employed and a 351,100 drop in the labor force over the same period. The state's unemployment rate has stayed above 5% for 31 consecutive months.

Fairfax, Va. – September 29, 2026 -- CGI Federal Inc. has launched an AI Agent Catalog developed with Amazon Web Services, offering thousands of curated agentic AI use cases to help U.S. federal agencies automate cyber defense, fraud detection, benefits processing and back-office operations.

Catalog targets scalable, enterprise-wide agentic AI deployment

The offering provides tooling to generate self-directed agents capable of navigating secure federal environments while meeting government security, governance and compliance requirements. CGI Federal says the goal is to move agencies beyond isolated pilot programs toward mission-specific agent deployment at scale.

Phoenix – September 28, 2026 -- A new statewide survey from the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) finds 93% of Arizona voters agree elected leaders must make long-term investments to secure the state's water future, including dedicating more state funding to water systems.

Bipartisan Support Crosses Party Lines on Water Funding

Support for long-term water investment spans the political spectrum, with 90% of Republicans, 91% of independent and unaffiliated voters, and 97% of Democrats in agreement, according to the 2026 Arizona Voters' Agenda research.

Voters Back Diversified Water Supply Strategies

89% of respondents agree Arizona needs to expand its water supply through strategies including new water sources, desalination investment, and wastewater recycling. That figure includes 87% of Republicans, 86% of independent and unaffiliated voters, and 96% of Democrats.

New York and Reston, Va. – September 28, 2026 -- LeapXpert and Carahsoft Technology Corp. have signed a partnership that puts governed messaging tools into the hands of Federal, State and Local Government agencies, closing a compliance gap created by employees' use of consumer apps like WhatsApp and Signal for official business.

Carahsoft becomes Master Government Aggregator for LeapXpert's platform

Under the agreement, Carahsoft will distribute The LeapXpert Communications Platform through its reseller network and four contract vehicles: The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS Contract #220105), OMNIA Partners (Contract #R240303), E&I Cooperative Services (Contract #EI00063~2021MA) and The Quilt (Master Service Agreement Number MSA05012019-F).

Paris – September 28, 2026 -- ISO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched ISO/UNDP 53001, the world's first International Standard providing organizations with a requirements-based management system to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into strategy, governance and operations.

Standard debuts at ISO Annual Meeting to close implementation gap on SDGs

The standard was unveiled on the opening day of the ISO Annual Meeting in Paris, marking a shift from voluntary SDG commitments to a structured, auditable framework. ISO/UNDP 53001 gives organizations tools to identify priorities, set objectives, embed them into existing processes and measure performance over time, offering a consistent basis to demonstrate compliance and strengthen accountability.

Washington – September 25, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior has appointed Dr. Robert "Robbie" Kröger, founder and executive director of The Origins Foundation, to the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation and Access Council, the agency announced Sept. 21.

Kröger joins the council as a primary member representing wildlife-associated recreation interests

The federal advisory council delivers recommendations through the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting and shooting sports, conservation partnerships and public land access.

Hong Kong – September 25, 2026 -- The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) trained 35 law enforcement officials from 19 jurisdictions in a 10-day programme running September 7 to 16, targeting the investigation of illicit enrichment by public officials.

Programme draws senior officials from 19 countries and regions

Participants came from Indonesia, Kuwait, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nigeria, Oman, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Tonga and Ukraine, alongside officials from the Guangdong Provincial Commission of Supervision, the UNODC Regional Corruption and Financial Crime Hub for South-East Asia and the Pacific, the Commission Against Corruption of Macao SAR, the Hong Kong Police Force, Customs and Excise Department, the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.