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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: July 17, 2026
Army Contracting Command Exec Director Highlights Efforts to Accelerate Software Acquisition
(ExecutiveGov) The U.S. Army Contracting Command is leading initiatives to reform the branch’s software acquisition infrastructure, according to ACC Executive Director Danielle Moyer. Moyer cited challenges including disparate contracts of identical products and the absence of a dedicated pricing framework. The ACC plans to consolidate contracts of repeat software purchases as one of the solutions to their procurement issues. The U.S. Army is pursuing changes to its contracting approach to address speed and efficiency challenges in software procurement that stemmed from obsolete acquisition practices, Read More
Environmental Liabilities: Coast Guard Should Give Congress More Information on Millions of Dollars in Potential Costs
(U.S. Government Accountability Office) The Coast Guard manages hundreds of sites, such as boat and air stations, from which it conducts maritime safety and security operations. The Coast Guard can be responsible for cleanup of environmental contamination at these sites. The estimated costs for these efforts are known as environmental liabilities. In FY 2025, the Coast Guard reported about $448 million in environmental liabilities. But the Coast Guard hasn’t reported other potential costs—such as discovering more contamination during cleanup—to Congress. It also hasn’t developed a long-term strategy for managing its cleanup efforts. Our recommendations address these and other issues. Read More
GSA’s draft AI procurement rule has improved but needs further reforms, contractors say
(NextGov/FCW) The General Services Administration’s proposed large language model-specific acquisition regulations unveiled last month are an improvement over rules introduced in March, contractors and experts told federal regulators during a Tuesday listening session. But those stakeholders also told GSA officials that the draft rule requires further modifications that clarify technical definitions and align with commercial best practices. “Stakeholders asked for clarity, practicality and alignment with commercial norms, and this updated draft shows meaningful movement in all of those directions,” Amy Benson, government affairs vice president for Science Applications International Corporation, said at the listening session. Read More
Saturn has a six-sided storm system wider than Earth, and scientists still cannot fully explain why its perfect shape refuses to disappear
(Space Daily) At Saturn’s north pole, clouds race around a shape that looks as if it was drawn with a ruler. Six broad sides meet at six corners, enclosing a region roughly 30,000 kilometres across. Earth could fit inside it with room to spare. The hexagon is real, but it is not a rigid object and not quite a single storm. It is a powerful eastward jet stream that meanders into a six-lobed wave around the north pole. A separate hurricane-like cyclone spins at the centre. Together they produce one of the most recognisable weather systems in the solar system. NASA describes the hexagon as a wavy jet stream about 30,000 kilometres wide, with winds near 322 kilometres per hour. Its sides are gently curved rather than mathematically perfect, and smaller clouds constantly move within and around it. Read More
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