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Why CMS matters: Giving government the tools to manage its own voice

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3 months ago

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As government agencies work to modernize digital services, there’s growing pressure to make websites more efficient and easier to maintain. Technologists often advocate for the use of popular, new tools like Gatsby, GoHugo, Grav or Greenwood that might be more developer-friendly. However, many of these tools are generally created for technical authors. As such, it would take considerable training to have a non-technical person maintain the content on platforms like these.

For government websites, this is often a problem. Accurate, up-to-date content is key to serving the public. Commonly used content management systems (CMS) are designed for authors. This ensures that the people closest to the content — not just developers — can shape, publish and maintain it. These systems support collaboration across teams, reduce bottlenecks and help agencies meet their mission.

Putting content control in the right hands

Using a CMS allows content to be updated and maintained by teams who understand the programs they support. These include policy advisers, program managers, communications officers and public engagement staff. A CMS gives these professionals a simple, secure way to manage content directly, without relying on technical staff. Instead of routing every content change through a developer, teams can make updates through a user-friendly interface.

By far, the most popular CMS in government is Drupal. In our survey of more than 1,300 federal government domains, more Drupal sites were identified than the combined total of all others. Other identified CMSs included WordPress, Joomla and DNN. These are open-source commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software projects that provide support to authors and have commercial support for agencies.

In January, the Drupal community launched Drupal CMS. This extends the power of authors to have a low-code/no-code experience, using commercially supported open-source tools. It also provides support for artificial intelligence-assisted tools so that teams can spend more time focused on the message and not the mechanics.

Publishing quickly and responsively

Public information needs to move fast, especially when there is time-sensitive content. With a CMS, authorized users can publish immediately or schedule content updates in advance. This flexibility supports timely communications while preserving oversight.

Agencies that serve multilingual communities benefit as well. Mature CMSs support structured workflows for managing translations. This makes it easier to deliver consistent, accurate content across languages without duplicating effort.

Supporting accuracy and reducing errors

Not everyone working in government communications is a technical specialist. Frankly, they shouldn’t have to be. The structure of a CMS helps reduce confusion and prevent errors for less technical editors. Fields are clearly labeled, instructions are embedded in the interface and changes can be reviewed before going live.

Mature CMSs also support their authors by including built-in tools that help authors catch errors. This contributes to overall clarity, and saves both time and money. These small improvements make a big difference for busy teams juggling multiple priorities.

Supporting government mission and oversight

Government content carries legal and policy weight. It must reflect current rules and guidance. Often, content goes through extensive internal reviews before being published. A CMS supports this need for oversight by clearly separating content from code. That means content creators can do their job without worrying about technical disruptions, and developers can improve systems without blocking updates.

By giving subject-matter experts the ability to directly manage content, agencies ensure that what’s published aligns with their mission and meets legal requirements. It also helps build trust with the public.

CMSs are needed for many complex government sites

For government teams that maintain complex websites and public communications, content management systems are not a nice-to-have — they’re essential. Picking an open source COTS CMS can provide structured workflows, accountability and accessibility while reducing the need for constant developer involvement.

It is important that the right people can do the work they were hired to do, communicate with the public effectively, accurately and efficiently. A CMS gives government agencies the flexibility and structure to do just that.

Mike Gifford is the open standards and practices lead for CivicActions, a digital services firm that pairs expertise in free and open source (FOSS), Drupal and accessibility to help the government deliver high-impact public services. He is also an invited expert with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).  

The post Why CMS matters: Giving government the tools to manage its own voice first appeared on Federal News Network.

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Politics

Black Lives Matter Activist in Boston Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges – Scammed Donors to Fund Her Lifestyle

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20 hours ago

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September 24, 2025

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Screencap of YouTube video.

A Black Lives Matter activist in Boston named Monica Cannon-Grant pleaded guilty to federal charges this week, admitting that she scammed donors and used their money to fund her own lavish lifestyle.

Cannon-Grant was previously held up as an admired figure. The city of Boston named her the Bostonian of the year at one point for her ‘social justice activism’ and she was even recognized by the Boston Celtics basketball team for her efforts.

She is now facing a minimum of two years in prison.

The New York Post reports:

BLM-linked activist admits conning donors to fund her lavish lifestyle

A once-celebrated Boston social activist has pleaded guilty to defrauding donors — including Black Lives Matter — out of thousands of dollars that she used as a personal piggy bank.

Monica Cannon-Grant, 44, pleaded guilty Monday to 18 counts of fraud-related crimes that she committed with her late husband while operating their Violence in Boston (VIB) activists group, according to the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

The activist scammed money — including $3,000 from a BLM group — while claiming it was to help feed children and run protests like one in 2020 over the murder of George Floyd and police violence.

Cannon-Grant also conned her way into getting $100,000 in federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits — which she used to pay off her personal auto loan and car insurance policy.

But she has now confessed to transferring funds to personal bank accounts to pay for rent, shopping sprees, delivery meals, visits to a nail salon — and even a summer vacation to Maryland.

Just amazing.

Here’s a local video report:

She should pay back every penny.

The post Black Lives Matter Activist in Boston Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges – Scammed Donors to Fund Her Lifestyle appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Keith Olbermann Backpedals Furiously With Apology for Threatening CNN’s Scott Jennings – Jennings Responds (VIDEO)

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20 hours ago

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September 24, 2025

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As the Gateway Pundit reported yesterday, former MSNBC host and generally unhinged leftist Keith Olbermann, appeared to threaten CNN’s conservative pundit Scott Jennings on Twitter saying, ‘You’re next motherf**ker.’

Well, Olbermann may have gotten a phone call or a visit from the FBI because today he walked back those comments with a full-throated apology.

RedState has an update:

To quickly recap, Scott Jennings, a Salem Media Network radio host and conservative CNN political commentator, reacted to breaking news on Monday that Kimmel had been reinstated by tweeting, “So basically his employer suspended him for being an insensitive pr**k, and we don’t live in an authoritarian regime? Got it.”

This enraged Olbermann, who proceeded to tweet what many, including Jennings, perceived to be a threat. “You’re next, motherf**ker. But keep mugging to the camera.” Jennings tagged Patel and included a screengrab of the tweets in response.

Though the FBI hasn’t commented as to whether an investigation was launched, Olbermann ostensibly appears to have thought twice about what he tweeted and deleted, apologizing profusely in tweets posted on Tuesday and claiming what he wrote was “misinterpreted”:

See Olbermann’s tweet below:

Scott Jennings, always a class act, offered this hilarious response:

Keith Olbermann really needs help. The guy is just so out of control.

The post Keith Olbermann Backpedals Furiously With Apology for Threatening CNN’s Scott Jennings – Jennings Responds (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Where is Lance Twiggs? Kirk Assassin’s Transgender Lover Has Vanished

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21 hours ago

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September 24, 2025

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Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson and roommate Lance Twiggs

Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson lived with his transgender partner – a male-to-female trans named Lance “Luna” Twiggs.

The FBI used Robinson’s texts with his transgender partner to solidify that Robinson was the assassin. Lance Twiggs has not been charged with any crime; however, federal authorities are still investigating.

Last week, Utah authorities released the text exchange between Tyler Robinson and his transgender lover, Lance Twiggs, sent shortly after Kirk’s assassination.

Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray announced seven charges against Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson. They will also be seeking the death penalty.

Robinson was charged with:

– Count 1: Aggravated murder (capital offense)
– Count 2: Felony reckless discharge of a firearm causing bodily injury
– Count 3: Felony obstruction of justice for hiding the firearm
– Count 4: Felony obstruction of justice for discarding the clothing he wore during the shooting
– Count 5: Witness tampering for asking roommate to delete incriminating messages
– Count 6: Witness temperating for demanding trans roommate stay silent, and not speak to police
– Count 7: Commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child

Jeff Gray released the chilling texts between Tyler Robinson and his “love” Lance Twiggs.

Read the text exchange here:

Tyler Robinson texts with transgender lover Lance Twiggs / 1
Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson texts with transgender lover Lance Twiggs / 2

Lance Twiggs was reportedly cooperating with the FBI, however, according to the Daily Mail he has seemingly vanished.

“If [Lance Twiggs] ever comes back, it will be in a body bag,” a neighbor said to the Daily Mail. “That’s not a threat – I’m just saying that there are so many people who want a piece of him he’d be mad to show his face in public again. This was a generational event.”

The Daily Mail reported:

The Trans boyfriend of Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin has fled their former lovenest – and locals tell the Daily Mail they never want to see him again.

Lance Twiggs, 22, was led away for questioning when police swooped on the smart three-bed condo he shared with accused gunman Tyler Robinson, 22.

Shaken neighbors say the part time plumber has not been back to the $320,000 property in St. George, Utah – one declaring: ‘Good riddance. I never want to see either of them again.’

His beaten-up Infinity compact is still parked in his space with his work gear tossed across the back seat and a sandwich wrapper and a drink on the front passenger seat.

Upstairs lights have been left on for more than a week and notes and Amazon packages are piling up outside the home owned by Twiggs’s devout Mormon family.

The post Where is Lance Twiggs? Kirk Assassin’s Transgender Lover Has Vanished appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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