Newsletter Archive
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Take Action! Partnerships for Transformational Artificial Intelligence Models and More
December 19, 2025by Meghan MauryRead MoreData RFI of the Week: Partnerships for Transformational Artificial Intelligence Models
DOE intends to establish a public-private consortium to curate DOE scientific data across the National Laboratory complex for use in artificial intelligence (AI) models and to develop self-improving AI models for science and engineering using this data. This RFI asks questions about how to best structure those partnerships and about how DOE should best provide AI models to the scientific community through programs and infrastructure making use of cloud technologies. The RFI is available at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/18575cee90e74b11bbe963d7750408d8/view.
Comments due January 14.
Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making. -
Take Action — Collection and Use of Biometrics by USCIS and more
December 15, 2025by Meghan MauryRead MoreData Regulation of the Week:
Collection and Use of Biometrics by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Among other things, this proposed rule would require submission of biometrics by any individual - regardless of age - filing or associated with an immigration benefit request; expand biometrics collection authority; codify and expand DNA testing, use, and storage; modify how VAWA self-petitioners and T nonimmigrant status applicants demonstrate good moral character; and clarify biometrics collection purposes. DNA use changes include testing for "biological sex" and for genetic relationship between family members.
Comments due January 2.
Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making. -
Take Action! Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications and More
December 08, 2025by Meghan MauryRead MoreData Sharing Notice of the Week: Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN Applications. Through this notice, SSA is announcing its intention to share citizenship and immigration data with DHS and to share data with Treasury for the purpose of identifying, preventing, or recouping fraud and improper payments. Comments due December 12.
Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making.
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In Remembrance of Dearly Departed Federal Datasets
October 31, 2025by Denice RossRead Morecross-posted from Federation of American Scientists
There’s been lots of talk – and some numbers (often in the thousands) – about disappearing federal datasets, especially after many went dark last January when agencies rushed to scrub the perceived spectre of data on gender, DEI, and climate from the public record. Most of those datasets have returned from the dead, some permanently changed by the experience.
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Uncovering Additional Threats to Food Security Data: Why the “Redundancy” Claim Doesn’t Hold Up
October 29, 2025by Melanie Klein, Beth Jarosz, Ronette Briefel, and Gina Plata-NinoRead MoreIn late September, USDA terminated the Food Security Supplement (FSS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS), calling it “redundant” and “extraneous.” Since we began debunking those claims in a blog post, Forsaking Food Security, and in our Rapid Response Data Briefing, additional information has surfaced that further challenges USDA’s rationale.
While USDA claims it will rely on “more timely and accurate data sets,” our review found that none of the national surveys that collect food security data using USDA food security survey modules are capable of replacing the CPS-FSS. The CPS-FSS is unique because it is collected annually, is nationally representative, has a large sample size, provides robust prevalence and state-level estimates, uses the full 18-item food security questionnaire, and captures adult and child experiences.