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A Galaxy (Not) FAR Away? NASA Awards New Contracts in Space Privatization Program

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 08.17.12

On August 3, NASA announced the award of three new Space Act Agreements to provide funding for the public-private development of spacecraft to launch crew and cargo into low-earth orbit, pursuant to NASA's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative. The agreements, which are not subject to FAR, are intended to develop "reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit" and ultimately allow NASA, and other government and commercial customers, to purchase spaceflight services from a private space industry.

Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 04.14.26

DOJ’s False Claims Act Resolution Against IBM Signals Heightened Risk for Federal Contractors with DEI Programs

On Friday, April 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has agreed to pay just over $17 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to comply with federal anti-discrimination requirements incorporated into its federal contracts due to allegedly discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) employment practices. This resolution marks the first FCA settlement secured by the DOJ under its Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, created in May 2025, and announced by then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as part of the administration’s coordinated efforts to target allegedly unlawful DEI practices. Per the agreement, the settlement is neither an admission of liability by IBM nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded....