Podcast appearances and mentions of Drew Friedman

House Democrats are pressing Bureau of Prisons leaders on their plans to address long-time staffing shortages. For years, low staffing at BOP has contributed to operational issues and unsafe conditions across the federal prison system. A letter sent Friday to BOP's Director says the workforce issues have reached a “crisis point.” Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the last several weeks, lawmakers have been examining several bills that would affect federal employees in different ways. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in particular, recently advanced legislation that may bring changes to federal benefits and hiring practices. Joining me with a review of these bills is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration is telling agencies to proceed with terminating their collective bargaining agreements if they haven't already a new advisory from the Office of Personnel Management follows two executive orders last year that directed most agencies to cancel their union contracts. That's despite ongoing litigation against the president's orders here with the latest is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To kick off the launch of his recent book, "Heroes of the Comics," Gilbert and Frank were joined by their favorite illustrator, the incomparable Drew Friedman. While sitting and admiring Drew's work adorning the walls of Manhattan's Society of Illustrators, the boys managed to cover everything from Drew and Gilbert's days at "National Lampoon" to Gilbert's Lon Chaney, Jr. obsession to the time a 15-year-old Drew paid a visit to the home of the legendary Groucho Marx. ALSO: "The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant"! Jerry Lewis kvells over Drew's portrait! The triumphant return of Milton Berle's schlong! And Drew reveals why he's Howard Stern's favorite artist!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In just a few weeks, tens of thousands of career federal employees could lose their civil service protections. Positions that get converted to the new Schedule Policy/Career will no longer have the ability to appeal an adverse action or termination. But additional guidance is out, showing some other benefits employees might lose if they are reclassified. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration's newly finalized “Schedule F” policy is making big headlines. But there are also several other significant changes coming for the federal workforce. Three recent proposals look to give the Office of Personnel Management more authority, something that could bring significant changes for employees. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tens of thousands of career federal employees will soon be made easier to fire. That's after Office of Personnel Management issued a final rule on “Schedule Policy/Career.” Once fully implemented, the new employment classification will exempt many employees from long-standing job protections. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Governmentwide, agencies saw a loss of about 320,000 federal employees over the course of 2025. As he marked one year in office, President Trump called those cuts to the federal workforce “tremendous.” But good government groups are painting a much darker picture of what's to come. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is out with more details on how agencies should implement the new “rule of many.” It's a recruitment technique that changes how hiring managers rank and select job candidates. The Trump administration says the “rule of many” will streamline and improve the hiring process. But implementation also depends on agencies' resources and how willing they are to change their approach. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gets more from vice president of government affairs at the Partnership for Public Service, Jenny Mattingley.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Clearer numbers on the federal workforce are coming into view. That's with the Office of Personnel Management's major update to one of its largest data assets, FedScope. The now renamed “federal workforce data” website aims to deliver information faster, and with more frequent updates. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is out with new guidance on telework and remote work for federal employees. The updated policy now emphasizes as much in-person presence as possible across government. OPM's revisions aim to better align with the Trump administration's return-to-office orders. Here with the details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Heading into 2026 the Trump administration appears to only be getting started on its plans for overhauling the career civil service. Further changes for the federal workforce are on the horizon, and many of them are laid out in the goals of the new President's management agenda. Here with a look at what's ahead for federal employees is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal retirement delays are gaining more attention and criticism in Congress. House Democrats are pressing the Office of Personnel Management for answers on how it's addressing abnormally high retirement numbers. The application surge, largely caused by the deferred resignation program, is slowing down retirement processing for thousands of former feds. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a tumultuous year for the federal workforce, many feds are in a much different position now than they were at the start of 2025. The Trump administration's workforce reductions hit some agencies harder than others, but no matter which way you slice it, the loss of 300,000 employees has significantly reshaped government. Here with more on this is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies may soon see more robust requirements when preparing federal employees to join the Senior Executive Service. A new proposal from the Office of Personnel Management looks to reform and standardize SES candidate development programs across government. But without the right attention, planning, and resources, some say OPM's efforts could fall flat. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gets more from the Partnership for Public Service's vice president of government affairs, Jenny Mattingley.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management wants to bring a surge of technical expertise into the government's ranks. The agency is aiming to recruit 1,000 new federal employees for the inaugural class of the “U.S. Tech Force." The new hiring effort comes after hundreds of thousands of feds left government this year. Here with details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration's deferred resignation program helped lead to a massive and unexpected surge in retirement applications, now flooding the government's retirement systems. But amid that application influx, the Office of Personnel Management has also rolled out a major effort to modernize the legacy federal retirement system. Many experts see the launch of OPM's “online retirement application” as a long-awaited improvement. But with high retirement volumes, some remain wary of the timing. As part of her special report this week, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gives us the details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration's “deferred resignation program” this year led to more than 150,000 employees leaving their jobs, in exchange for months of paid leave. But for many of those who took the DRP, the offer came with an added opportunity. Thousands also qualified for early retirement. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spent the last several months conducting interviews, reviewing documents, and gathering data about federal retirement processing. She found that the DRP helped lead to a massive and unexpected surge in applications, now inundating the government's retirement systems.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration has just laid out its President's Management Agenda. The PMA details the administration's vision to drive changes in government for the next few years. But with many of President Trump's goals already underway, the PMA's priorities may look familiar. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have left their jobs this year, due to the Trump administration's efforts. Now, the Office of Personnel Management is telling agencies to start rethinking their senior executive staffing too. The request comes as OPM introduces a number of other changes for federal managers. Here with the latest, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has just advanced an array of bills, including many that would impact the federal workforce. Some legislation, such as a bill to overhaul the probationary period, passed just along party lines. But other bills, like one that would standardize training for federal executives, received unanimous committee support. Here with the latest, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Senior executives have some new training and development opportunities from the Office of Personnel Management. The optional courses cover many of the Trump administration's new priorities for the federal workforce. OPM initially launched the trainings in November, but the agency says there will be continuous updates to the content moving forward. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with OPM Director Scott Kupor. Here's part two of their conversation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Senior executives have some new training and development opportunities from the Office of Personnel Management. The optional courses cover many of the Trump administration's new priorities for the federal workforce. OPM initially launched the trainings in November, but the agency says there will be continuous updates to the content moving forward. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with OPM Director Scott Kupor. Here's part one of their conversation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Senior executives across government have some new opportunities for development. The Office of Personnel Management has just launched two new training series. They'll focus on topics like budget, policy and human capital management while also incorporating many of the Trump administration's overhauls to the federal workforce this year. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gets more from OPM Director Scott Kupor.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump's transition into the White House earlier this year was not exactly usual. The administration departed from several norms of the presidential transition process, leaving open some big questions for the future. The Partnership for Public Service has some key takeaways from the latest presidential transition along with recommendations for reforming the process. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman gets more from the Partnership's vice president of government affairs, Jenny Mattingley.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal union is suing the Bureau of Prisons over the recent cancelation of its collective bargaining agreement. The lawsuit comes after BOP ended its contract in September, arguing that the union had become an "obstacle to progress." The American Federation of Government Employees is now alleging that the agency's decision violated the law. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration scrapped this year's Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. That's the government's signature assessment of trends in the federal workforce. But in the absence of FEVS, a new opportunity has emerged for federal employees to make their voices heard. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman got more from experts at the Partnership for Public Service, which has just launched its first ever public service Viewpoint Survey. Michelle LaMonte is Senior Vice President of government programs, and Max Steyer is the partnership's president and CEO. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees are experiencing disruptions in the workplace at a rate nearly three times the national average. Close to one-third of federal employees say their workplace has been disrupted to a very large extent this year, according to new data from Gallup. For more on the latest findings, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spoke with a Gallup director and Senior Consultant, Camille Lloyd.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is hinting at some upcoming initiatives aiming to bring more tech talent into the federal workforce. At the same time, OPM says it's looking to improve early career recruitment and focus more on applicant skill sets rather than job titles. But OPMs big hiring goals also come after hundreds of thousands of feds have left their jobs this year. Here with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Though many federal employees have been through shutdowns in the past, a significant majority say things are very different this time. Around about 70% of respondents to a recent Federal News Network survey say the current shutdown feels much less certain than usual. Some survey takers also say the Trump administration's recent actions have only built on the challenges feds have faced this year. Here with more on the survey results is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With open season just around the corner, rising premiums may be top of mind for enrollees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, but there are a number of other changes that employees and annuitants will want to be aware of for Plan Year 2026 that includes several plans entering or leaving FEHB, as well as benefits changes across the government's insurance programs. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman recently sat down with the Director of Marketing and Fundraising at Consumers Checkbook, Kevin Moss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Enrollees in the government's health insurance programs are bracing for big premium hikes in 2026 it'll be the second year in a row of percentage increases that reach double digits. But not every plan option is going up in cost, and there are some other important factors to consider for the upcoming Open Season for more Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with director of marketing and fundraising at consumers checkbook, Kevin Moss,See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump's months long hiring freeze is starting to thaw at least a little bit. A new executive order maintains strict limits on federal recruitment with a handful of exceptions, but now agencies can try to get around that freeze as long as hires are approved by political appointees. Here with the latest to explain it all is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The legendary illustrator talks with LIT NYC hosts Amy Sohn and Harry Siegel about what he wants to illustrate now that he no longer needs to take assignments, how New York City shaped his work, why he thinks being called "the Vermeer of the Borscht Belt" is a misnomer, and much more.

Federal employees and retirees are headed for yet another year of large increases to their health insurance premiums. The Office of Personnel Management's announcement of the 2026 premiums this week comes just a month ahead of this year's Open Season, but under a government shutdown, some Feds may be feeling more uncertain than usual. Here with the latest is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The White House's new view on the government employee fair treatment Act puts shut down compensation for furloughed employees at risk. But many are already pushing back against what they clearly say is the law. Here with the latest is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees are now on day three of a government shutdown, but in the days leading up to the lapse in appropriations this week, some feds gathered in downtown D.C. to push back against the Trump administration. When the threat of a government shutdown was inching closer, the employees had a clear message for the White House. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman was at that gathering earlier this week, and she files this report.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies are being allowed to continue any work related to reductions in force, even during a government shutdown. That's according to guidance the Office of Personnel Management published over the weekend. OPM's update comes as the Trump administration is encouraging agencies to conduct even more RIFs. Here with more on this is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees and agencies are bracing for potential government shutdown. Lawmakers have just days to reach a spending agreement with no clear path in sight to avoid a funding lapse. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman joins me now with more on what a shutdown would mean for federal employees.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies are being told to change the way they describe positions when promoting job openings. The Office of Personnel Management wants federal job titles to be descriptive, organizational or functional in nature, or in other words, OPM says cut the government jargon. Here with the latest is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's a growing push from lawmakers to reverse President Trump's anti union orders. Senate Democrats introduced a companion bill for the Protect America's workforce act this week. The new legislation comes at the same time that the house's version of the bill is nearing the possibility of a floor vote. Here with the latest is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is trying to nix the idea that everybody gets an A in the Senior Executive Service agencies will soon have to limit how many executives can earn top marks on their performance evaluations. A new Final Rule has paved the way for using a forced distribution system to review SES members. Here with more details is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management has put an official end to the 150 year old rule of three in federal hiring. Instead, it's telling agencies to begin implementing a technique called the Rule of many it's one of several changes OPM is making to federal recruitment this year, and here to break it all down for us is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More agencies are now under orders from the White House to end agreements with their federal unions. President Trump added a half dozen more agencies to an already extensive list of agencies being required to cancel their collective bargaining agreements. The expansion comes as multiple lawsuits against the administration remain ongoing. Here with more is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is taking on some big changes this year, like trying to modernize the Federal Retirement System, improve health insurance programs for federal employees, and overhaul the hiring process. But as OPM undertakes those major efforts, the agency is on track to lose 1000 employees, a third of its total workforce by the end of the year. As part of our Workforce Reimagined event Federal News Network's Drew Friedman, got more from OPM Director Scott Kupor. Here's a segment of their conversation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Employees at the Department of Health and Human Services have lost official recognition of their right to union representation. The cancelation of collective bargaining at HHS makes it the latest agency in a growing line of union contract terminations across government. The move comes in response to an executive order from President Trump earlier this year. Here with more details on this is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The IRS, like many agencies, fired probationary employees earlier this year at the Trump administration's direction, but a new inspector general report shows that when the IRS terminated those workers, it didn't account for employee performance. The findings come as the government wide probationary firings remain tied up in legal battles. Here with more on the new report is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies are facing tons of changing expectations from the Office of Personnel Management this year. In the last few weeks alone, OPM has told agencies how to think differently about awarding employees for good work, as well as how to implement recent changes to the federal probationary period. To help make sense of it all Federal News Network's Drew Friedman caught up with the Partnership for Public Services, Vice President of Government Affairs, Jenny Mattingly.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GGACP celebrates April's National Humor Month by revisiting one of the funniest mini-episodes in the archive as pop culture historian Kliph and illustrator Drew Friedman join the boys to cover discuss the dark secrets of vaudeville, the tragic childhood of Eddie Cantor, the phenomenon of Martin & Lewis and the strange death of “Parkyakarkus.” Also, Bob Hope dons blackface, Jack Benny swipes his stage name, Don Knotts sends up Hugh Hefner and the mob releases a comedy album. PLUS: Batman & Rubin! “The Baileys of Balboa”! Rodney Dangerfield vs. the feds! Aunt Esther goes electric! And the angriest man in show business! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GGACP marks the recent L.A. screening of Drew Friedman and Kevin Dougherty's documentary "Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt" with this ENCORE of an entertaining 2017 mini-episode as Kevin attempts to stump Gilbert, Frank AND Drew with podcast guest-related trivia. Also in this episode: Gilbert bombs in New Delhi, Jerry Lewis remakes "The Jazz Singer," Anthony Newley headlines an excruciating comedy and “Harvey Korman” appears on GGACP. PLUS: Rummy Bishop! The REAL Fred Flintstone! Drew critiques “How to Murder Your Wife"! And Kevin recalls the invention of the glass top coffee table! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices