Build data analytics agents faster with BigQuery’s fully managed, remote MCP server
Google is pushing a practical pattern for agentic analytics by standardizing how AI applications connect to BigQuery through a managed remote MCP server. The value for enterprises is faster build cycles plus clearer governance controls, because the model-to-data connection becomes a managed interface instead of bespoke glue code. For IT leaders, the decision point is whether to treat MCP connectivity as a platform standard with consistent identity, logging, and guardrails. If you’re already building agents, this is a good moment to formalize an internal reference architecture before experimentation becomes production sprawl.
Sources: https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/using-the-fully-managed-remote-bigquery-mcp-server-to-build-data-ai-agents/ https://docs.cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/use-bigquery-mcp
FedRAMP 20x Phase 2 Pilot milestones and Cohort 2 application window
FedRAMP 20x Phase 2 is still a pilot, but the milestones are real and the dates are explicit. That matters to agencies and cloud providers because it turns modernization and authorization planning into a calendar exercise with competitive constraints. The Cohort 2 window is narrow, so organizations that want to participate or align internal requirements need to be ready before the window closes. The practical takeaway is to treat FedRAMP 20x as a pipeline event and to tighten internal documentation, evidence collection, and partner coordination.
Sources: https://www.fedramp.gov/20x/phase-two/
OpenAI API deprecation: Realtime API Beta removal date
If you have anything in production tied to OpenAI’s realtime beta capabilities, the critical point is the removal date. Deprecations are rarely just a developer inconvenience, because they touch contracts, SLAs, incident response plans, and customer commitments when an interface changes. The practical move is to inventory dependencies now and schedule a managed migration rather than a late-stage scramble. This is also a reminder to make deprecation review a routine part of AI platform governance.
Sources: https://platform.openai.com/docs/deprecations
NIST SP 800-57 Part 1 Revision 6 initial public draft open for comment
Key management guidance is foundational, and NIST’s draft update is a signal that crypto agility requirements are continuing to evolve. For CISOs and compliance leaders, this is an opportunity to review what the updated guidance implies for PKI, certificate lifecycles, and policy language. For engineering teams, it’s a prompt to map where key material lives and where modernization will be expensive. The comment window is also a practical moment to raise real-world constraints back to NIST.
Sources: https://csrc.nist.gov/News/2025/comment-on-sp-800-57pt1r6-initial-public-draft https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/57/pt1/r6/ipd
GitHub Actions hosted runner price reductions
GitHub Actions pricing changes are a rare chance to revisit CI strategy with real budget impact. If you have teams running fragmented pipelines, a lower hosted runner price point can support consolidation and standardization. The risk is that lower unit costs can mask growing consumption, so visibility and guardrails still matter. This is a good time to re-benchmark expensive workflows and update chargeback or budgeting assumptions.
Sources: https://github.blog/changelog/2026-01-01-github-actions-hosted-runner-price-reductions/
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog adds PowerPoint and HPE OneView issues
CISA’s KEV catalog is designed to keep patch priorities grounded in real exploitation, and new additions should move quickly to the top of the queue. The dataset shows fresh entries that span both end-user software and infrastructure management, reinforcing that exploitation targets whatever provides leverage. For IT operations, the key is rapid confirmation of exposure, fast remediation where possible, and clear leadership reporting when patching is constrained. KEV is also a reminder that asset inventory is the prerequisite for speed.
Sources: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/kev-data/develop/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.csv
Topics We’re Tracking (But Didn’t Make the Cut)
Dropped Topic: Additional NIST draft publications beyond SP 800-57
Why It Didn’t Make the Cut: Useful, but we prioritized one high-impact crypto governance draft to avoid overloading the show with standards updates.
Why It Caught Our Eye: Several comment windows are open and can influence long-term compliance and architecture decisions.
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This newscast was developed using only public sources of information.
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