It is a movie staple to see an overworked air traffic controller sweating over a radar display. Depending on the movie, they might realize they’ve picked the wrong week to stop some bad habit. But how does the system really work? [J. B. Crawford] has a meticulously detailed post about the origins of the computerized air traffic control system (building on an earlier post which is also interesting).

Like many early computer systems, the FAA started out with the Air Force SAGE defense system. It makes sense. SAGE had to identify and track radar targets. The 1959 SATIN (SAGE Air Traffic Integration) program was the result. Meanwhile, different parts of the air traffic system were installing computers piecemeal.

SAGE and its successors had many parents: MIT, MITRE, RAND, and IBM. When it was time to put together a single national air traffic system the FAA went straight to IBM, who glued together a handful of System 360 computers to form the IBM 9020. The computers had a common memory bus and formed redundant sets of computer elements to process the tremendous amount of data fed to the system. The shared memory devices were practically computers in their own right. Each main computing element had a private area of memory but could also allocate in the large shared pool.

The 9200 ran the skies for quite a while until IBM replaced it with the IBM 3083. The software was mostly the same, as were the display units. But the computer hardware, unsurprisingly, received many updates.

If you’re thinking that there’s no need to read the original post now that you’ve got the highlights from us, we’d urge you to click the link anyway. The post has a tremendous amount of detail and research. We’ve only scratched the surface.

There were earlier control systems, some with groovy light pens. These days, the control tower might be in the cloud.

A new Harmonic Security report reveals a sharp rise in sensitive data shared with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, increasing the risk of security breaches, compliance violations, and data exposure across global organizations.

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Ross and Katherine Marquette were service industry veterans when the COVID-19 pandemic left them both jobless. They maintained a connection to their old lives by delivering DoorDash orders. “We found a way to survive and make enough money,” Ross said. But it was their next move that proved to have staying power. Using a refurbished smoker they already owned, the couple began a series of barbecue pop-ups at local breweries in the DFW area under the name Smoke & Bone.In 2023, they decided that, after a few years of roaming with their tent and tables, a stable address was required to grow the business. David Slaughter of Slaughter’s BBQ was moving into a stand-alone space in Sulphur Springs and told them he was selling his…

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At the recent Professional Services Council’s Vision Conference, one of the presentations on acquisition trends highlighted as many as 10 agency specific multi-award technology contracts that have been cancelled or put on indefinite hold.

These included COMET 2 from the General Services Administration, the Army’s Modern Software contract and the IRS’s digital services blanket purchase agreement.

The leaders of the vision team said agencies made the decision to cancel these and other contracts based on the requirements outlined in President Donald Trump’s executive order from March calling for the consolidation of contracts.

One of those acquisition programs that is bucking the cancellation trend is the Army’s huge multiple award contract for professional services.

The service said in a Dec. 19 posting on SAM.gov that it will proceed with the Marketplace for the Acquisition of Professional Services (MAPS) contract after all.

The Army had shelved the program back in March when the White House issued the EO.

“We are pleased to announce that after careful consideration the Government has decided to PROCEED forward with the MAPS acquisition!” the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground wrote.

MAPS would bring together two existing contracts, IT Enterprise Solutions-3 Services (ITES-3S) and Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services 3 (RS3), and would have a 10-year life with a $50 billion ceiling.

The Army planned to combine the two contracts in MAPS back in 2024. Instead of recompeting its RS3 as a vehicle called Ascend and moving to version four of ITES-3S, the Army wanted to create its own broad-based professional services contract. Baker Tilly says in a blog post that the Army awarded RS3 in multiple phases between 2017 and 2019, with 260 companies currently participating in the $37.4 billion vehicle. The advisory firm says the service awarded ITES-3S in 2018 and includes 135 companies, and it has a $12 billion ceiling.

The Army had considered moving its requirements that MAPS will address to OASIS+ since there is some overlap of professional services requirements. Under MAPS, the Army is looking for a wide variety of IT and engineering professional services, including program management, business process reengineering, cybersecurity and many others. Baker Tilly says while more details are coming, it believes “MAPS is currently proposed as a full and open competition with small business reserves. The government intends to make 100 awards in total, 20 awards per domain with an unknown number of small business reserves for each of the five domains.”

Now MAPS is back on tap and the Army will hold an industry day on Jan. 28 at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to discuss the rebooted solicitation.

The Army’s decision comes as the General Services Administration is opening an on-ramp and expanding its OASIS+ contract.

GSA to expand OASIS+

GSA said it will enter phase 2 of OASIS+ on Dec. 4. This means the updated multiple award professional services contract will add five new service domains across all six current contracts. OASIS+ eventually will have 13 total domains. The five news ones are:

• Business administration
• Financial services
• Human capital
• Marketing and public relations
• Social services

GSA says this expansion is a direct response to the market research and feedback it received from federal and industry partners.

“Through in-depth spend analysis, customer engagement and a formal request for information (RFI) that was posted on June 17, 2025, GSA identified critical service areas that represent a significant portion of unmanaged government spending,” GSA said in a release.

GSA expects to release the RFP for OASIS+ phase 2 on our about Jan. 12. Additionally, on Dec. 16 the agency posted draft scorecards outlining the evaluation criteria for all 13 domains combined under the six solicitations.

In its first year, OASIS+ saw agencies obligate more than $366 million through 102 task orders, according to GSA’s data-to-decisions dashboard.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Air Force accounted for the biggest agency customers based on total task orders, awarding 31 and 29, respectively, in fiscal 2025.

Deloitte Consulting won the most task orders with four, and Leidos won the largest task order for $219 million.

And speaking of GSA contracts, its Polaris small business governmentwide acquisition contract is moving forward. As of Dec. 3, agencies can place task orders against Polaris service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) pools.

Among the IT services included on Polaris are:

• Artificial intelligence and automation
• Cloud and edge computing
• Distributed ledger technologies
• Immersive and emerging technologies

“More awards in both pools are expected in Fiscal year 2026. Through this approach, GSA can ensure strong program oversight, manage vendor onboarding effectively and create room for additional opportunities,” wrote Larry Hale, GSA’s assistant commissioner in the Federal Acquisition Service’s Office of Information Technology Category (ITC), in a blog post. “Polaris was built from the start with flexibility in mind. The contract includes key features that help it stay current and responsive, such as on-ramps, no contract ceiling, and technology refresh capabilities.”

GSA still is reviewing bids for the small business and women-owned small business pools.

GAO dismisses AI contract protests

Another program that has garnered a lot of interest and attention received some good news last week as well.

The Government Accountability Office dismissed the protest by AskSage of GSA’s awards to artificial intelligence providers under its OneGov initiative.

GAO rejected the complaint not on its merits, but because it doesn’t have jurisdiction over contract modifications. GSA modified its schedule contracts with Carahsoft to offer access to AI providers for $1 or less.

“Under the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) and our bid protest regulations, we review protests of alleged violations of procurement statutes and regulations by federal agencies in the award or proposed award of contracts for the procurement of goods and services, and solicitations leading to such awards,” GAO wrote in its decision. “Once a contract is awarded, our office will generally not review protests of allegedly improper contract modifications because such matters are related to contract administration and therefore not subject to review pursuant to our bid protest function.”

GAO says because AskSage challenges the reasonableness of the modification of the schedule contract between GSA and Carahsoft, “AskSage’s protest raises matters of contract administration and therefore is not subject to review pursuant to our bid protest function.”

GAO also determined that AskSage isn’t an “interested party” and therefore not in a position to challenge the modifications.

“To challenge the scope of a contract modification, a protester must demonstrate its direct economic interest with respect to its status as an actual or prospective offeror,” GAO stated. “Here, AskSage is a subcontractor or supplier to Carahsoft, not an actual or prospective offeror for the FSS contract between GSA and Carahsoft that has been modified.”

Nic Chaillan, the founder of AskSage, wrote LinkedIN that there are always loopholes when it comes to federal acquisition rules.

“We are obviously right on the merits. Sad day for America. Now [F]ortune 500 can build a $1 dollar unlimited offering in a contract modification for 12 [months], get agencies locked in and charge billions [in] year 2. Uncompeted. Sad day,” Chaillan wrote in response to others’ comments. “Sad to watch the administration letting those shenanigans happen.”

AskSage filed protests with GAO in August, claiming the awards for access to Anthropic and OpenAI tools violated several laws and regulations, including the commercial item pricing requirements under FAR Part 12 and CICA.

GSA said at least 43 agencies have taken advantage of the low-cost OneGov agreements for AI tools.

The post Army bucks trend, to move forward with $50B MAPS contract first appeared on Federal News Network.

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A creamy vegan cheese log coated in crunchy pecans and fresh herbs is perfect for holiday parties served with crackers and veggies. This recipe is super easy, delicious, and versatile! (gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free options)

This is a wow-worthy, super easy vegan cheese log that you can whip up for any party, potluck, or holiday gathering. It’s delicious, cheesy, and creamy with a fantastic pecan-herb crumb which adds wonderful texture and flavor. 

The holiday cheese log pairs beautifully with all kinds of veggies, crudites, crackers, fruit, or even spicy jams and chutneys. It’s perfect on a charcuterie board served with mango chutney and paired with one of my cheese balls, like my Jalapeno popper cheese ball.

You can also use this creamy cheese as a spread for baguettes or bagels or even to make grilled cheese, quesadillas, or mac and cheese. For mac and cheese, just add some stock to a pan, heat it up with the cheese log to make a sauce, and toss in your cooked pasta of choice. 

This vegan cheese log recipe is flexible and easy to adapt to your flavor profile. Try adding paprika and jerk seasoning, Cajun spices, or extra red pepper flakes for a spicy version.

Why You’ll Love this Vegan Cheese Log

• creamy vegan cheese log coated in crunchy toasted pecans and fresh herbs
• perfect for parties, potlucks, cheese boards, and charcuterie boards
• easy to make and versatile! Try different base and seasoning options.
• easy to make gluten-free, soy-free, and/or, nut-free

Continue reading: Holiday Vegan Cheese Log

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Spice-Rubbed Braised Tofu with Vegetables in a Savory Umami Sauce. A unique delicious holiday entree that all cooks in one pan! (gluten-free and nut-free with soy-free options)

I wanted to make a vegan braised meat-style dish for the holidays, so I came up with this one-skillet meal that’s rich, hearty, and incredibly flavorful. It features an amazing, aromatic spice rub that smells so meaty you’ll be surprised it’s entirely plant-based. The spice rub coats tofu that’s been frozen, thawed, and pressed, giving it a dense, chewy texture perfect for braising.

The base for the braise starts with crisped-up potatoes and carrots. After searing the vegetables, we make a deeply flavorful sauce with caramelized onions, lots of aromatics, and fresh herbs, and flavor boosters. 

The tofu and vegetables braise together in this sauce, allowing the tofu to absorb all that flavor while developing a slightly crispy top and a tender, chicken-like interior.

We use an oven-safe pan to start the dish on the stovetop and finish it in the oven, where the vegetables become perfectly tender and the tofu gets a gorgeous golden top. 

It’s fantastic served with rice, couscous, mashed potatoes or other mashed vegetables, bean purée, some crusty bakery bread, or a side salad. 

A simple herb sauce adds a bright, fresh contrast, but you can enjoy it on its own, too. It’s full of amazing flavors with or without. The herb sauce just bumps up the flavor even more.

Why You’ll Love Braised Tofu and Vegetables

• 1-pan entree that’s perfect for the holiday table
• flavorful braised vegetables in caramelized onion sauce
• big pieces of crisp, herb-rubbed tofu
• naturally gluten-free and nut-free with easy soy-free option

Continue reading: Chicken-Style Braised Tofu and Vegetables (1 pan!)

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A cozy, hands-off, no sauté mushroom potato casserole that needs just 1 pan. Layers of rich mushroom gravy with beans and veggies, layered with crisp garlic herb potatoes that take only minutes to put together as the oven does all the work. (gluten-free with soy-free and nut-free options)

It’s fall, and it’s time for some comfort food. And what’s more comforting than this casserole, which has a stewy mushroom gravy with beans and veggies, topped with potatoes smothered in garlic butter? There are lots of fall herbs, like fresh thyme and sage, and it all comes together really quickly. 

This is a super easy one-pan casserole. No need to sauté or stand around the kitchen for long periods of time cooking the onions and mushrooms. Everything goes right into the baking dish, and the oven does all the work. 

Once the mushroom and onions are cooked, add the beans, herbs and stew ingredients and top them with some sliced potato and bake, and thats it. You get all the fall flavors and a dish that reminds of mashed potatoes and mushroom bourguignon w/o all the work.

It’s comforting, stewy, and perfect for a fall dinner with your family, served with a side salad, garlicky dinner rolls, or some crusty bakery bread. Or serve it however else you like!

Why You’ll Love Mushroom Potato Casserole

• cozy, hearty, stewy beans and veggies in a rich, mushroom gravy
• 1-pan oven recipe, no standing at the stove!
• very little active cooking time
• No cooking the aromatics and potato separately
• naturally nut-free with easy gluten-free and soy-free options

Continue reading: 1-Pan Mushroom Potato Casserole

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Pillowy tortellini and a velvety tomato-cream broth, enriched with my easy homemade sausage spice mix. Bursting with bold Italian flavors and ready in just 30 minutes, it’s your new favorite irresistible soup.

I got some almond ricotta–stuffed tortellini, so I decided to make an amazing soup with it. This is a hearty, delicious, and easy tortellini soup recipe. It uses the usual suspects of an Italian-flavored soup: aromatics, carrot, celery, Italian herbs, and vegan sausage. Those flavors pair up with the tortellini, tomato purée, and some non-dairy cream. 

It turns out absolutely delicious.

I make this spice mix which adds all the flavor of sausage to whatever plant based protein you choose. This spice mix combines smoked paprika, fennel seeds, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and pepper flakes, and it’s just so versatile and flavorful!

First make the spice mix, and then decide which protein you want to use for the sausage. You can use vegan sausage, lentils, walnuts, pecans, chickpeas, crumbled tofu, chopped up soaked soy curls, seitan, or whatever else you like. 

Cook your protein of choice with some garlic and the spice mix, then add all the aromatics. Fold in the tomato sauce, tortellini, and some stock, then add non-dairy cream at the end. The tortellini cooks up in the same pan with the rest of the soup.

The soup comes together within 30 minutes in just 1 pan, and is creamy and satisfying!

Why You’ll Love Tortellini Soup

• super easy 1-pot meal ready in 30 minutes
• creamy, tomatoey broth with sausagey flavors and tender, cheesy tortellini
• super versatile! Use whatever plant-based protein you like!
• Easily made gluten-free, soy-free, and/or nut-free.

Continue reading: Creamy Tortellini Soup (30 Minutes!)

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Bill Dumas took off his apron, then his shirt and undershirt, while walking away from the booth where he was serving sausage at the 2022 Monterrey BBQ Fest, in Mexico. Under the hot afternoon sun, he strutted toward the masked luchadores warming up outside a wrestling ring set up at the event. With animated hand motions and very little Spanish, Dumas persuaded one of them to climb in through the ropes with him and give him a proper body slam. Ever the showman, he feigned injury as he lay on the mat in his blue jeans, then rolled out onto the grass and walked back to his booth with a beaming smile.If you find Dumas at another barbecue festival, you may be treated to his…

The post The ‘Sausage Sensei’ of Texas Will Put Anything in a Casing appeared first on Texas Monthly.

At the end of last year, Hop and Sting Brewing, in Grapevine, lost its longtime barbecue partner. Trey Sanchez moved his mobile Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q operation into a new physical location, in Allen, but he had a suggestion for his replacement. The duo of Christian Martinez and Paul Pizana had grown Pasión BBQ from pop-up to food truck in two short years and needed a new spot. “They were happy to have us here, and we were blessed to be here,” Martinez says.Martinez and Pizana were childhood friends growing up in Arlington, and they bonded as adults over barbecue. Together in their backyards, they smoked ribs and briskets for their friends and family members before moving on to beef tongue and cheeks. “We would try…

The post With Big Shoes to Fill at a North Texas Brewery, a Barbecue Truck Delivers the Spice appeared first on Texas Monthly.

When Andrew Peña’s job as a refinery inspector in Corpus Christi was paused during COVID-19, he went looking for a smoker. He found one nearby via an online ad and hauled it back to his driveway. Peña had been grilling steaks and ribs since he was twelve, but smoking brisket became his new challenge. By mid-2020, he was confident enough to sell his barbecue for preorders on Facebook. Needing a name and a logo, he sketched one out for Full Send BBQ. “It means one hundred percent. Don’t take shortcuts,” he explained. “What you put into it is what you get out of it.”Peña started dating a woman named Desirae Hill, who happened to be a great cook. They’re no longer a couple, but they…

The post This Barbecue Bus Stands Out on the Corpus Christi Scene appeared first on Texas Monthly.

The parking lot of Salty Sow looks a lot busier during lunch these days. The restaurant only serves dinner, but six weeks ago, a West Texas pitmaster pulled in with a new trailer and a thousand-gallon smoker. The side of the building got a new paint job announcing the arrival of Waylon J’s Barbeque. The restaurant-within-a-restaurant is open Friday through Sunday, serving some remarkably good barbecue.Pitmaster Chad Deen spent a decade in Midland surveying well sites for oil companies. Starting in late 2020, he’d take off early on Friday afternoons to fire up his smoker to cook barbecue for lunch on Saturdays at Tall City Brewing under the name Bury Me in Smoke Barbecue. The barbecue bug had bitten him the year prior. He watched…

The post Just Six Weeks In, This New Austin BBQ Joint Is Already Impressive appeared first on Texas Monthly.

John Baines cannot tolerate a dirty pit. The owner of JB’s Barbeque & More, on the northeast side of Houston, gets calls from aspiring pitmasters in the area who are looking for advice. He tells them the first step is for him to get a look at their cooker. “When they open their pit and I see all that gooey stuff,” Baines said, referring to the buildup of soot and grease some people call seasoning, he tells them, “If you want me to mentor you, clean it up and call me back.”Baines has been cooking barbecue for 25 years, but he’s been a pastor for longer. He started with a small Christian congregation on the northeast side of Houston in 1995. His Heart of Faith…

The post A Pastor on Sundays and a Pitmaster on Fridays, John Baines Is Just Happy to Serve appeared first on Texas Monthly.

Texas barbecue has drawn many cultural collaborations from around the world over the past few years. Joints have paired their smoked meats with Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Egyptian, and Japanese cuisines. At Parish Barbecue, in Austin, owner and pitmaster Holden Fulco is looking just across the eastern border, to his home state of Louisiana, for menu inspiration at his new food truck. He’s parked outside craft brewery Batch and has been serving on a regular schedule since March.When Fulco was attending Louisiana Tech, in northern Louisiana, his parents hoped he would stick with his prelaw path. He switched majors several times, even dabbling in sportswriting, but eventually got a business degree. Instead of seeking internships after college, he went to Houston to work at Pinkerton’s Barbecue. “Sometimes…

The post Austin’s Got Another Hot New BBQ Joint. This One’s Taking Inspiration From Louisiana. appeared first on Texas Monthly.