Podcasts about federal news network

The Army is overhauling its direct commissioning program as it tries to bring more civilian tech experts into uniform. Service officials say the program will “completely upskill” Army organizations over time. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis is here with an update. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three years after a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, residents are still worried about the health risks from the controlled burns that sent toxins into the air. Now, the National Institutes of Health has set up a new research office on the ground to monitor those impacts. Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with the person running that effort, Dr. Ashlinn Quinn, to find out how it's going.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal cybersecurity leaders say they're looking to artificial intelligence to help thwart cyber adversaries who are increasingly using AI themselves. Gharun Lacy is the deputy assistant secretary of state for cyber and technology within the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. And Joseph Aguayo is the deputy chief information security officer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They talked with Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday. Lacy speaks first.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Civilian Board of Contract Appeals has issued new procedural rules to implement the Administrative False Claims Act, a revamped law that gives federal agencies greater ability to pursue smaller fraud cases involving government contracts. The changes could expand enforcement tools and raise new compliance considerations for contractors doing business with the federal government. To help unpack what the new rules mean and how companies should prepare, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Dan Ramish, Counsel at Haynes Boone.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 make their layoff decisions based on performance, rather than tenure. A new proposal from the Trump administration seeks to reverse agencies' current order of operations when deciding who to remove, or retain, in a reduction-in-force. 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 last 12 months have been tough for small business government contractors, to say the least.There is increased scrutiny on not just the 8(a) program, but on all small business set-aside contracts. The Small Business Innovation Research Program has been on pause since October. And then there was the longest-ever government shutdown that delayed work and contract awards. But it's all not bad news as there is now some light at the end of the SBIR tunnel. For more on how small businesses can navigate this tough time, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller caught up with Kim Reidy, the director of the Office of Small Business Programs for the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command and Shadi Azoum. the program manager of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs also at NAVWAR, at the West conference in San Diego.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau less active and running with fewer resources, many states no longer get the data they need to finish their own consumer protection cases. A new multistate lawsuit aims to restore the bureau's full funding. We wanted to understand what that means for states like Maryland, so Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Bill Meeks, Director of the Lending and Finance Unit in the Consumer Protection Division for Maryland's Attorney General.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of the Navy is conducting a departmentwide organizational review that could lead to significant restructuring of its civilian workforce and reductions in civilian personnel. The review is part of a broader Defense Department effort to reshape its civilian workforce and align personnel and resources with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's priorities under the National Defense Strategy. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Top Department of Homeland Security officials could be deposed in a lawsuit challenging staff cuts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The case centers on whether DHS is allowed to enact major workforce reductions at FEMA. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me.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 drive to create one human capital management system for all of government is running into the unfortunate realities of government contracting. Two new protests are putting the Office of Management and Budget's aggressive timeline to fully transition every major agency to this consolidated modernized system by July 4, 2027 at risk. For an update on the administration's HR IT modernization program, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The president has proposed a historic $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027. But with the possibility of divided government after the midterms and the risk of another yearlong continuing resolution, that funding boost could stall before it ever reaches the Pentagon. There may be another route for the White House to go though, the budget reconciliation process. To find out how that could work, Federal News Network' Eric White spoke with John Ferrari, non-resident scholar with the American Enterprise Institute.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A remnant of DOGE is about to get a new life under the Trump administration. OPM plans to issue its first TechForce job offers this week, as the agency wraps up reviews for software engineers and data scientists who would serve two‑ to four‑year tours on modernization projects. To find out how this effort will work — and how it differs from past attempts to bring more technologists into government —Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Lauren Chambers, a Ph.D candidate at the UC Berkeley School of Information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal agencies are releasing their new use case inventories for artificial intelligence. Across the government, there now are more than 2,500 AI use cases, an increase of more than 800 since last year. And with the rise of agentic AI, agencies are positioning themselves to drive toward more automation and efficiencies. Kelly Fletcher is the chief information officer for the State Department. And Kris Saling is the chief technology advisor for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. They talked about the state of their AI rollouts with Federal News Network's Jason Miller. Fletcher leads off this excerpt from the discussion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hundreds of former USAID employees and their supporters gathered in downtown Washington, D.C., last week. Their rally marked exactly one year since the agency shuttered, and thousands of staff members were escorted out of their offices. At the rally, former employees called out impacts of the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID, while also considering their path forward. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman was there.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for the past 10 months is out. Madhu Gottu-mukkala was transferred to another position at the Department of Homeland Security last week. His departure comes amid deep uncertainty at the cyber defense agency. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natural disasters at military installations have caused billions of dollars in damage over the past decade, but the Defense Department began tracking those costs just recently. That data, however, remains incomplete and at times inaccurate. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Kristy Williams, director of defense capabilities and management at the Government Accountability Office, about the Pentagon's efforts to improve natural disaster cost tracking.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Agriculture Department is selling one of its headquarters buildings, as part of an ongoing agency reorganization. USDA is putting its South Building near the National Mall over to the General Services Administration, which plans to put it on the market. Senior officials say the building is underutilized and faces a billion-dollar maintenance backlog. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Marine Corps has a readiness problem. Only about 45% to 50% of its amphibious groups have the ability to be forward deployed. For more on how the Marines are working with the Navy to achieve a readiness rate of 80%, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller sat down with Lieutenant General Jay Bargeron, the deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations for the Marine Corps, at the recent WEST conference in San Diego, California.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An overhaul of the government's performance management system is coming down the pipeline. New proposed regulations from the Office of Personnel Management would change the annual review process for virtually the entire federal workforce. That includes a plan to limit how many federal employees can be ranked as so called “high performers.” 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.

An expunged record at the state level may not be enough to qualify for military service. A federal appeals court says the service branches can enforce stricter enlistment standards than those set by the Defense Department, and don't have to honor state expungements when evaluating potential recruits. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke to Ira Rushing, associate with Tully Rinckey PLLC, about how the court's decision could impact current service members or potential recruits.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Department's much-delayed background investigation system is years behind schedule and billions over budget. DoD officials say they have a plan to finally deliver the system in the coming years. But lawmakers are concerned about more schedule slips and a lack of permanent leadership to oversee the program. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Education Department is handing off more work to other federal agencies, as part of plans to dismantle its operations. It's sharing some of its duties with the departments of State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services. Education transferred some of its employees to the Labor Department last year. But so far, no employees have been detailed to State or HHS. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two decades ago, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said the space agency has become too dependent on outside contractors, hollowing out some of the skills the agency needs in-house to oversee and evaluate programs. Similar concerns rose to the top when NASA kicked off its Vision 2040 project in 2018. Now it's NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's turn to pave over this well-known ground. In this week's federal report, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller writes about why this latest attempt to refocus and reinvigorate NASA's workforce may be different. Jason joins me now to discuss.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

The National Institutes of Health continued to lean into the use of artificial intelligence last year. The NIH has now initiated more than 100 AI pilots over the last few years. Those efforts ramped up as the health agency also navigated staffing cuts and other turmoil in 20-25. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The last year has been marked by record numbers of federal employees retiring from service. Making the decision to retire is never simple, and the considerations for federal employees are unique from any other group. Luckily, there are uniquely qualified advisors available, including our guest for this episode: Tammy Flanagan. She joins us to talk about changes to the retirement process and how she and her colleagues at Retire Federal can help assess retirement readiness.  Learn more about Tammy Flanagan's work: Retirement Planning column for Government Executive: https://www.govexec.com/topic/retirement-planning/Work on Federal News Network: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/tag/tammy-flanagan/Retire Federal: https://www.retirefederal.com/Join us for AFSPA's Annual Meeting: https://events.zoom.us/ev/ApdnelInxPpOrUWwrwRtWQHK6tRGvr-131W5CrN1-ZmfJrNFNBRT~AoT4rcYlVLw2IItcnh0s9MRHkhw0RCH8bwljb9hCwAKV7cePVcMYvKyCRgSubmit questions for AFSPA Live: https://forms.office.com/r/ePv8DKMtvdSee more upcoming AFSPA events: www.afspa.org/events 

The Transportation Department is pushing back against the old adage, “if it ain't broke, why fix it?” Instead, DOT is looking at all of its technology systems and infrastructure and asking how they can drive better outcomes, particularly through modernization. For more on how Transportation is modernizing many of its legacy systems, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller caught up with Pavan Pidugu, the chief digital and information officer at the Department of Transportation, to learn more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the key highlights of the Defense Department's recent memo on multi-factor authentication for unclassified and secret networks is the clarification that DoD Public Key Infrastructure — not the common access card itself — is the department's primary authenticator. Previous policies would often go back and forth between describing the CAC or PKI as DoD's primary credential, creating confusion. Plus, the memo finally introduces passwordless authentication methods designed to give service members faster, more flexible access to systems. For more, Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Alex Antrim and Adam Oliver, senior solutions engineers at Yubico..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 Postal Service typically sees its best financial results in the first quarter of each fiscal year. That's because of the year-end holiday season and sometimes a surge in political mail. But USPS is starting this fiscal year with a $1.3 billion net loss. It posted a rare net profit for the same period last year. The American Postal Workers Union says USPS should focus on affordable services and improved service to win back customers. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman spoke with APWU President Jonathan Smith. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Homeland Security is in shutdown mode, but most DHS employees are continuing to work through the lapse in appropriations. Many DHS personnel will also have to work without pay until the White House and lawmakers negotiate a funding deal. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins meSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Department has locked itself into another decadeslong lease this time for privatized military barracks, expanding a housing model that has posed significant challenges for military family housing for decades. A Senate lawmaker now warns that the 50 year agreement will limit the Pentagon's ability to change contract terms and hold private companies accountable for inadequate living conditions. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Data from the Department of Veterans Affairs shows it cut health care hiring times by more half. The Trump administration directed agencies to speed up time-to-hire governmentwide. But a closer look at the VA's data shows that it's using different metrics than it's used in the past. For a closer look at the numbers … Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. 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.

The full impact of continuing resolutions is hard to pin down for the Defense Department, but a government watchdog says the funding lapses consistently lead to delays, higher costs, added administrative work and operational disruptions — including a facilities sustainment contract at Joint Base San Antonio that more than doubled after CR‑related delays. They also disrupted training and exercises and forced financial staff to rework budgets to navigate CR limits instead of supporting the mission. For more, Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Rashmi Agarwal, a director on the Government Accountability Office's defense capabilities and management team.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command stood up a new cyber directorate last August to take a more comprehensive approach to cybersecurity across the enterprise. The office is zeroing in on three priorities: speeding up zero‑trust adoption, strengthening secure software practices and bringing cutting‑edge defensive technologies into the fight. For more on why Navwar created the directorate and where it's headed, Federal News Network's Jason Miller spoke with Rachel Bondi, the deputy director for the cyber innovation unit and CTO for mission systems afloat, at the West Conference in San Diego.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Central Intelligence Agency is lifting the veil on some acquisition reform priorities. Earlier this week, the CIA announced a new acquisition framework that focuses on speed and innovation. The agency says it wants to better harness cutting edge commercial technologies. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The IRS is notifying back-office employees that they will temporarily cover frontline filing season work through this summer. Training for these detailed employees will begin nearly a month after the start of this year's tax filing season. The agency's taxpayer service division lost a significant number of employees last year. The IRS also fell short of its hiring goals this season. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

Next week, the Army plans to debut what's meant to be a “generational” change in the way it provides food to soldiers. At Fort Hood, Texas, the service plans to launch its new “campus style” dining concept, a model that could eventually replace legacy dining facilities around the world. But to do it at just one installation, the Army had to overcome some significant bureaucratic and acquisition hurdles. If it's successful, the service will need to figure out how to remove those hurdles entirely. Details from Federal News Network's Jared Serbu.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 preparing to roll out several major cybersecurity policy updates in the coming weeks and months. At the top of the list is a new national cybersecurity strategy. But there are several other cyber developments worth watching. For more on that, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to get the rollout of a new multi-billion-dollar Electronic Health Record back on track, after pausing the project for three years. The VA is planning for its new EHR from Oracle-Cerner to go live at 13 sites in 2026. It'll start with four sites in Michigan in April. Unlike previous deployments, the upcoming go-lives to take place in waves. Since 2023 the project has been on pause while the VA addressed outages and productivity declines at sites that adopted the new EHR. For a closer look at this project, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman spoke with VA's Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A fiscal watchdog group says the Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense initiative could cost as much as $3.6 trillion over the next 20 years, far exceeding the White House's projected $175 billion. The group also argues the effort faces “insurmountable” technical hurdles and that it is likely that Golden Dome will simply not work. For more, Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Gabe Murphy, policy analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense.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.

As the nation prepares to mark America's 250th birthday, the National Archives is taking some of its most treasured records on the road. It's also unveiled a newly renovated flagship exhibition, giving visitors an immersive, high-tech look at 250 years of U.S. history. To learn about these endeavors and other activities slated for the occasion, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Grace McCaffrey, Acting Executive of External Affairs and Communications at NARA.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Army has launched a service-wide survey of all existing contracts to determine where limited access to technical data is hindering soldiers' ability to maintain and repair their own equipment. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The long-journey of getting agencies to adopt shared services for back office functions like financial management or human resources has quietly made real progress over the last decade. But a new report by the Government Accountability Office shows agencies have yet to solve some of the long-standing challenges to adopting shared services. For more on what GAO found and where shared services is heading next, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A short-term partial government shutdown is over after House lawmakers have reached a deal to fund much of the federal government. A majority of agencies now have funding through the end of the fiscal year. That's except for the Department of Homeland Security. It's under a two-week stopgap spending bill, buying lawmakers more time to negotiate additional guardrails on federal immigration operations. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. 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 withdrawn the United States from the Open Government Partnership, an international initiative the U.S. helped create nearly 15 years ago. Administration officials say the OGP was ineffective and waste of money. But critics of the move say it's another example of the Trump administration backsliding on transparency and accountability. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.