Podcasts about General Services Administration

The Supreme Court temporarily stayed two lower court orders Friday that mandated the production of documents and other information from the Department of Government Efficiency. In a brief order from Chief Justice John Roberts, the high court stayed the discovery process in the public records lawsuit against DOGE pending another order by the court. The now-stayed orders from Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia had granted an expedited discovery schedule that required DOGE to turn over information about its inner workings and have its administrator, Amy Gleason, give a deposition. The decision, for now, allows the Trump administration to withhold information about the Elon Musk-associated efficiency arm while the justices review the government's appeal. On Wednesday, Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the high court for emergency relief in the case, arguing that Cooper's decision turned the Freedom of Information Act “on its head.” At the heart of the case, which was brought by the government watchdog nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, is the question of whether DOGE constitutes an “agency” for the purposes of FOIA. While the administration says that DOGE is exempt from public records laws as a presidential advisory body, the nonprofit argues that the efficiency team has wielded “substantial independent authority” and as such is subject to FOIA and the Federal Records Act, which requires preservation of records. Staff at the Department of Homeland Security are no longer allowed to use commercial generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Claude, according to a memo sent to employees this month. The move is a reversal of a previous policy — which had conditionally allowed the use of commercial systems — and a pivot toward technology developed in-house. Earlier this month, DHS's chief information officer, Antoine McCord, sent a memo directing component tech offices to begin “restricting” the use of generative AI systems and pointing employees to internal tools. Older guidance, which the CIO described as “outdated” and “too narrowly” focused on commercial generative AI, was also removed from an online list of IT management directives. The decision comes as federal agencies weigh various pathways toward integrating generative AI into their workflows, a priority of both the Biden and Trump administrations. While some government agencies initially blocked generative AI systems, CIOs have slowly started to develop usage policies. Some agencies, like DHS and the General Services Administration, have now built their own platforms based on commercial technologies, while others have opted to use products like ChatGPT Gov through government cloud systems. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

AI has the potential to transform the way citizens interact with the government and the way agencies deliver services to citizens.  In previous episodes we have heard from a number of Executive Branch leaders on the promises and potential risks of AI and how it's starting to transform government -- internal processes, service delivery, cybersecurity, and so on. The General Services Administration (GSA) will be in the forefront of this transformation as both a lighthouse account in the application of AI and also as the lead arm for government to acquire AI technologies.Today we will be joined by Larry Allen, a seasoned veteran in the world of government procurement and contracting, who was recently appointed Associate Administrator for Governmentwide Policy and Chief Acquisition Officer at the General Services Administration. 

As the United States, led by the Trump administration, charts its course as a world power in AI, the nation's adversaries, particularly China, are taking major strides as well. And the decisions made today in this race to AI will define the character of competition and conflict for years to come. Ylli Bajraktari, president and CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project, joins the podcast to characterize this global competition from a defense and national security perspective ahead of his organization's massive AI + Expo June 2-4 at the Washington Convention Center. Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios criticized diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in federally funded research, calling them “close-minded” in a speech Monday. During remarks before the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, Kratsios called for a reduction of “red tape” in scientific research and fostering what the Trump administration is labeling “gold standard science.” Under that standard, there would be a “suspicion of blind consensus,” he said, arguing that there is a “crisis of confidence in scientists” that comes from fears that political biases are impacting research. Kratsios specifically pointed to DEI as antithetical to that mission, echoing a common refrain for the Trump administration, which has sought to rid the federal government of such programs, positions, offices and research. “DEI initiatives, in particular, degrade our scientific enterprise,” Kratsios said. “DEI represents an existential threat to the real diversity of thought that forms the foundation of the scientific community.” The remarks at the National Academy of Sciences — a nongovernmental membership organization aimed at promoting good scientific principles — come as the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the federal government have impacted federally funded research. The General Services Administration has entered a governmentwide buying agreement with Salesforce, the parent company of Slack, to reduce the price of the enterprise version of the workplace productivity and collaboration tool by 90% per user for federal agencies. GSA said in a press release Monday that it renegotiated “lower, fragmented discounts from individual agency deals” for a deal based on “total government purchasing volume” for Slack Enterprise Grid, resulting in a steep discount for agencies that will expire Nov. 30. The two parties also reached an agreement that will lower the price of Slack AI for Enterprise for agencies by “almost 70% off per user.” Salesforce, which acquired Slack in 2021 for $27.7 billion, is the latest commercial software vendor to reach a governmentwide purchasing agreement with GSA this year, resulting in lower costs for agencies. Google and Adobe also entered into agreements with the Trump administration since its inauguration. GSA and Microsoft arranged a similar deal that came just days before the Trump administration entered office. Also in this episode: Salesforce Executive Vice President for Global Public Sector Paul Tatum joins SNG host Wyatt Kash in a sponsored podcast discussion on how AI agents can help government agencies improve service delivery and internal workflows. This segment was sponsored by Salesforce. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

A second group of consulting contractors is coming under the General Services Administration's microscope. A new set of 10 vendors have until this Friday to submit data analysis and options for potential savings on their existing consulting contracts to GSA and agency customers for review. For more on GSA s continued effort to reshape federal consulting contracts. Federal News Network's 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 Department of Government Efficiency has arrived at the Office of Biometric Identity Management, a quiet but powerful component of the Department of Homeland Security that handles a critical database of fingerprint, facial, and iris data used throughout the federal government. Three people, including one person within DHS and two more familiar with the matter, confirmed that DOGE now has a presence at the agency. Two of those sources added that DOGE seems to have restarted conversations about the future of the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology (HART) program, which DHS has long hoped would replace the agency's current biometrics database — the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT), one of the world's largest known systems of that kind. OBIM was created more than a decade ago to manage the biometric information used to make border security decisions. As a relatively small office, OBIM provides assistance to DHS and federal agencies, including the State Department. OBIM also sometimes exchanges biometrics with other countries. OBIM's biometric database stores hundreds of millions of biometric data points. A DHS website notes that a single query of the system “can retrieve data for an individual tied to a Department of State visa application, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection log of an entry into the United States, and an immigration status change logged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.” The Trump administration has launched an effort to overhaul the Federal Acquisition Regulation with a focus on delivering a quicker, more efficient and less burdensome procurement process for federal agencies. To provide details on the progress of the so-called “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul,” the General Services Administration — one of the federal government's lead procurement agencies and a member of the FAR Council — launched a new website Tuesday for the initiative. Federal acquisition stakeholders can expect to find a streamlined version of the FAR, buying guides — the first of which will be focused on software-as-a-service — and opportunities to share their feedback about acquisition policy on the new website, according to a release from GSA. The Trump administration's overhaul of the FAR was spurred by an executive order in April that called on the Office of Federal Procurement Policy in the Office of Management and Budget to lead the effort with FAR Council members GSA, NASA and the Defense Department. Within 180 days of that order, the group is expected to “amend the FAR to ensure that it contains only provisions that are required by statute or that are otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability, strengthen the efficacy of the procurement system, or protect economic or national security interests.” The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

The FedRAMP program at the General Services Administration has enabled agencies to safely use commercial cloud computing for more than a decade. Last month the GSA launched an update called FedRAMP 20-X. It's designed to make it easier and faster for vendors to get the authorization they need to take on federal customers. For how it looks to industry, we turn to the founder and CEO of RegScale, Travis Howerton.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 issued its first major budget document Friday, slashing non-defense discretionary spending by $163 billion — a 23% reduction from 2025 levels — and boosting defense spending by 13%. A fact sheet released by OMB references the administration's targeting of “woke” programs and “weaponized” government. One area that would see a significant boost under the budget is the Department of Veterans Affairs' electronic health record modernization program. The EHRM, whose perpetually plagued rollout has been chronicled in congressional testimony and in various watchdog reports, would be provided with a $2.17 billion funding increase in President Donald Trump's budget, per a summary document released Friday. The VA announced in March that it will have implemented the EHR in 13 facilities by 2026, with the possibility of deployment at all VA health systems as early as 2031. That followed a decision in 2023 to pause the system's implementation to renegotiate the contract with its developer Oracle Cerner and account for safety concerns. Friday's budget summary claimed the VA's EHRM rollout “had stalled under the Biden administration” but is a “top priority effort” for Secretary Doug Collins. The Technology Modernization Fund is shifting its funding model to prioritize the full repayment of new “high-impact” investments across the federal government, the General Services Administration said Friday. GSA's press release said the “strategic” change would provide a “streamlined path to modernization” for agencies by “combining upfront capital with specialized advisory services.” The agency said this “enhanced payment model” was pursued with strengthened longevity for projects in mind. Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian said in a release that “By ensuring full repayment of our investments, the TMF sends a clear message to federal agencies: focus on high-impact, high-return modernization efforts. These investments not only replace outdated systems but also streamline critical operations ultimately improving services for government employees and delivering greater value to taxpayers.” The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Child care for federal employees could soon be more expensive and harder to find. DOGE eliminated the GSA office that managed child care centers in federal buildings. Federal News Network's Terry Gerton explored the potential impact on federal workers with the Executive Director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice, Lenice Emanuel.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry GertonWhat happens for federal workers now that The General Services Administration has given up its management of child-care centers Despite the early firing of 17 IGs, the CIGIE agenda continues Congress tries to figure out how to do less with lessSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Government Accountability Office auditors are examining the “digital footprint” left by DOGE in Treasury Department, Social Security Administration and Office of Personnel Management IT systems, the watchdog's leader told Congress on Tuesday. Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Comptroller General Gene Dodaro said GAO auditors are looking into what data was accessed by the Elon Musk underlings during their forays into agency IT systems, and determining if any changes were made. “We're looking at the digital footprint within each of these major systems across government,” Dodaro said, naming OPM, SSA and Treasury specifically. “So we'll have a better idea about what impact DOGE's access has had on the data systems, and whether there's been any information input into the system or taken out of the system.” The General Services Administration unveiled a new initiative Tuesday that it says is aimed at helping agencies gain easier access to IT tools and shifting how the federal government approaches procurement. The OneGov Strategy is meant to modernize how the government buys goods and services and calls for more direct engagement with Original Equipment Manufacturers. The GSA said in a press release that OEMs “will benefit from a more direct and predictable engagement model.” Taxpayers, meanwhile, will benefit from a “smarter, more secure federal IT enterprise” under the strategy, the GSA said. While agencies have, in the past, bought software through resellers, the GSA believes this approach prioritizes direct relationships for enhanced outcomes. Stephen Ehikian, the agency's acting administrator, called the OneGov Strategy “a bold step forward” in GSA's “mission to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. It's about acting as one — aligning to our scale, standards and security to meet the needs of today's government while prepping for the future.” The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

In typical times, there is no going back after an agency tells a company their contract is being terminated for convenience of the government, which starts a settlement process cycle.But this episode featuring Jeff Shapiro, government contracting advisory and regulatory assurance partner at CohnReznick, serves as a reminder that these are not typical times in GovCon.As Shapiro explains to our Ross Wilkers, contractors have a Yes/No question of whether or not to go back to work after a termination reversal. If the answer is Yes, a new cycle begins that Shapiro talks through in detail.The General Services Administration's push to centralize much of civilian procurement under its roof features in part two of their discussion.Trump orders structural changes to rules covering $1T in federal spendingGSA to ‘quadruple' in size to centralize procurement across the governmentProactive responses to termination for convenience or stop-work ordersYour contract termination has been reversed. Now what?

The NIH procurement wing known as NITAAC, may want to borrow Mark Twain's famous saying, reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. NASA has extended its famous SEWP five contract, and the General Services Administration pauses a procurement oversight tool. These are the latest goings on in the federal procurement area. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller is following all of these and 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.

Harvard University sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday in an effort to halt the government's pause of more than 2 billion dollars in funding for the US educational institution.哈佛大学周一起诉唐纳德·特朗普总统的政府，试图阻止政府暂停向该美国教育机构提供超过20亿美元的资金。"Over the course of the past week, the federal government has taken several actions following Harvard's refusal to comply with its illegal demands," Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement.哈佛大学校长艾伦·加伯在一份声明中表示：“过去一周，联邦政府已就哈佛大学拒绝遵守其非法要求采取了多项行动。”"Moments ago, we filed a lawsuit to halt the funding freeze because it is unlawful and beyond the government's authority," Garber said.加伯表示：“刚才，我们提起诉讼，要求阻止资金冻结，因为这是非法的，且超出了政府的权限。”Among the US government agencies mentioned in Harvard's lawsuit were the Education Department, the Health Department, the Justice Department, the Energy Department and the General Services Administration.哈佛大学诉讼中提到的美国政府机构包括教育部、卫生部、司法部、能源部和总务管理局。The Trump administration had no immediate comment.特朗普政府尚未置评。sue/suː/v.起诉，控告federal government联邦政府comply/kəmˈplaɪ/v.遵从，服从authority/əˈθɔːrəti/n.权力，职权；官方机构

What's it like to spend literally decades trying to understand, decode and interpret a federal agency and then joining it at the executive level. We're about to find out. Larry Allen spent years as a federal sales and marketing consultant after a stint as president of the Coalition for Government Procurement. He was also a regular guest here on the Federal Drive. Last month he joined the General Services Administration as associate administrator for the Office of Governmentwide Policy. Larry Allen joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's it like to spend literally decades trying to understand, decode and interpret a federal agency and then joining it at the executive level. We're about to find out. Larry Allen spent years as a federal sales and marketing consultant after a stint as president of the Coalition for Government Procurement. He was also a regular guest here on the Federal Drive. Last month he joined the General Services Administration as associate administrator for the Office of Governmentwide Policy. Larry Allen joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The General Services Administration is reviewing a second round of submissions from some of the top vendors, the ones who provide consulting services to the government. GSA is looking to them to find ways to trim contracts and save money. 10 vendors, which include some of the big names like Accenture, Deloitte and SAIC, had until Friday to submit fresh suggestions. GSA called the first data call unimpressive and, to quote, insufficient to the point of beinginsulting. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller joins me with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The General Services Administration is reviewing a second round of submissions from some of the top vendors, the ones who provide consulting services to the government. GSA is looking to them to find ways to trim contracts and save money. 10 vendors, which include some of the big names like Accenture, Deloitte and SAIC, had until Friday to submit fresh suggestions. GSA called the first data call unimpressive and, to quote, insufficient to the point of being insulting. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller joins me with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Google set off quite the reaction when the tech giant's offer to discount its cloud-based productivity suite at 71% for all federal agencies was accepted by the General Services Administration, on behalf of those agencies.Frank Konkel, editor-in-chief for all GovExec publications including WT, went under the hood of that agreement and joins our Ross Wilkers for this episode to take listeners there as well.As Frank explains: this pact unique because it essentially treats the federal government as a single whole customer. The agreement also foreshadows more like it to make certain commercial technologies more accessible for federal agencies.Naturally, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency also feature in the conversation between Frank and Ross.

Looking for a new job? In our latest episode of Making Cents of Money, Kwabena Sarfo Adjei - one of Andrea's colleagues at the University of Illinois Student Money Management Center – discusses how scammers target people searching for a job and how you can avoid becoming a victim. Show Notes • Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). Job scams explained. Consumer.gov. Overview of how job scams work, common tactics scammers use, and ways to protect yourself when job hunting. https://consumer.gov/scams-identity-theft/job-scams-explained • Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). Job scams. Consumer.ftc.gov. Detailed examples of job scams and what to do if you encounter one, including red flags and reporting resources. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams#examples • Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). If you were scammed. Consumer.gov. Step-by-step instructions on what to do if you've been scammed, how to report it, and how to start recovering. https://consumer.gov/scams • Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Common frauds and scams. FBI.gov. A broad overview of scams reported to the FBI, including employment scams, with advice on prevention and reporting. https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams • Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. (n.d.). License lookup. IDFPR. A tool for verifying whether a job recruiter, employment agency, or financial services professional is properly licensed in the state of Illinois — helpful for confirming the legitimacy of job offers or financial opportunities. https://idfpr.illinois.gov/checklicense.html • Palmquist, K. (2025, January 28). 17 common job scams and how to protect yourself. Indeed Career Guide. A practical guide listing 17 types of job scams with tips on how to identify them and avoid falling victim. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/job-scams • U.S. General Services Administration. (n.d.). Learn where to report a scam. USA.gov. Official government guide on where and how to report various types of scams, including job scams, at the federal and local levels. https://www.usa.gov/where-report-scams

The Trump administration, as you know, has made a return to the office a top priority for federal employees. Well now, in a parallel effort to cut federal real estate by 50% the General Services Administration is setting a higher minimum office occupancy standard underutilized buildings would get the ax, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trump administration, as you know, has made a return to the office a top priority for federal employees. Well now, in a parallel effort to cut federal real estate by 50% the General Services Administration is setting a higher minimum office occupancy standard underutilized buildings would get the ax, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The General Services Administration is not happy with the top-10 consulting firms it asked back in February to self-identify contracts that could be terminated to save the federal government money, going as far as to call their efforts under the initiative “insulting.” Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, wrote in a letter to those 10 firms, viewed by FedScoop, that GSA and its contracting partners are “unanimously unimpressed” with the cost savings those contractors identified in the so-called “scorecards” they submitted after the agency called for the termination of government contracts with those top consultants. As a result, the agency is calling on those firms to submit a second “waste review” by 5 p.m. ET on Friday with their proposals demonstrating how they can “lean into developing taxpayer friendly pricing” with “dramatic price reductions.” “In good faith, and with high expectation, we offered firms the opportunity to join us in reducing wasteful spending and do their part in addressing the twin issues of the federal debt and deficit,” Gruenbaum wrote. “The efforts to propose meaningful cost savings were wholly insufficient, to the point of being insulting.” The Labor Department's new chief information officer is looking to reduce staff in the Office of the CIO by about 30%, according to a source within the agency. Hundreds of people currently work in Labor's CIO office, but leadership is hoping many workers will voluntarily leave the team. Thomas Shedd, who was appointed to Labor's CIO role last month, is optimistic that the goal will be achieved through the federal government's deferred resignation programs and reduction-in-force efforts, the source said. Going forward, Labor's Office of the CIO plans to focus on systems used to disburse benefits, as well as programs required by law that need business systems and software to work, according to documents viewed by FedScoop. There will also be an emphasis on efficiency and consolidating systems while providing value, the documents said. The department told employees that they're not “tracking” staff, despite media reports, and that the agency is only interested in measuring results. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

On Monday, the Trump administration announced that it will freeze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University after the school refused to comply with a list of requirements it said were unlawful. In a joint letter dated April 11, the General Services Administration, Department of Education (ED) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) demanded that Harvard adopt its suggested reforms in order to maintain its funding. Among the required changes, the administration ordered Harvard to discontinue DEI programs, regulate specific academic departments, screen international students, and submit to government audits. Harvard rejected the government's terms, calling its demands an invasion of “university freedoms.” Hours later, the Trump administration announced its decision to freeze Harvard's federal funding.Ad-free podcasts are here!Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today's “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: What do you think of Harvard's decision? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Hunter Casperson, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CODY bot, a tool used to streamline procurement processes at the General Services Administration, is now ready for use across the federal landscape after three years of buildout. CODY aggregates prerequisite data into a checklist, according to GSA officials familiar with the tool, enabling staffers to see if a vendor has met all representation requirements — ensuring there is no active federal debt against a vendor, and no exclusionary or responsibility cautions to trigger notifications. The agency primarily tracks how many hours the bot saves in a year rather than the costs saved, according to one of the officials. GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian posted on X that the bot's completion resulted in the cancellation of a $423,000 contract. “President Trump's GSA is at the forefront of leveraging technology for government to produce tools that boost productivity and our employee's potential,” Ehikian said in a statement to FedScoop. A pair of House Democrats are sounding the alarm about the U.S. Secret Service's use of counter-drone technology, which recently triggered air traffic control system alerts at the Washington National Airport. Democratic Reps. Rick Larsen of Washington and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi are demanding more information about the use of the technology and raising concerns about whether the Department of Homeland Security component is following proper procedures. In a Monday letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the lawmakers pointed to alerts produced by the Traffic Collision Avoidance System last month. These alerts made erroneous recommendations to several commercial and Coast Guard aircraft, Larsen and Thompson say. And according to analysis conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration, the alerts were produced by Secret Service anti-drone technology at a nearby Defense Department location. The confusion comes after the deadly crash between a commercial airline and an Army helicopter at DCA airport earlier this year, which resulted in dozens of deaths. While DHS has launched an investigation, the Democratic congressmen say the counter-drone technology deployed by the DOD was operating outside existing notifications — and that the Secret Service did not share required notifications with the FAA. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

This Day in Legal History: First American Anti-Slavery Society OrganizedOn April 14, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the first American society dedicated to the abolition of slavery was organized. Known as the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, it marked a critical early step in the formal anti-slavery movement in the United States. Among its key founders were Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Benjamin Rush, both prominent figures of the American Enlightenment and signers of the Declaration of Independence. The society was composed primarily of Quakers, whose religious convictions aligned with the idea that slavery was morally wrong and incompatible with Christian values.While its initial activities were limited, the group laid the groundwork for more organized and effective abolitionist efforts in the decades to come. In 1787, after the American Revolution, the society was reconstituted as the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, with Franklin serving as its president. This reorganization gave the movement greater political clout and visibility. The society pushed for gradual emancipation, legal reforms, and the education and employment of freed Black individuals.Franklin's involvement lent substantial legitimacy to the cause, especially when he submitted a petition to the First Congress in 1790 calling for the federal government to take action against slavery. Although the petition was ultimately rejected, it sparked the first significant congressional debate over slavery in U.S. history. The 1775 founding of the original society represents a rare pre-Revolutionary acknowledgment of slavery's moral contradictions within the new American experiment. It also helped forge an early link between legal reform and moral advocacy, a tradition that would define much of the abolitionist movement in the 19th century.Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is set to face trial in Washington over allegations that it created an illegal monopoly by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) argues that these billion-dollar acquisitions were designed to eliminate emerging competition and solidify Facebook's dominance in the social media space. Filed in 2020, the case seeks to force Meta to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp, a move that would significantly impact the company's business, especially since Instagram alone is estimated to account for over half of its U.S. ad revenue.Meta's legal team has pushed back, calling the case weak and politically motivated. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, facing scrutiny over past emails where he framed the Instagram acquisition as a defensive move against competition. Meta argues that the market has since changed, with strong competition from TikTok, YouTube, and Apple's messaging services.The FTC claims Meta still dominates platforms for sharing content among friends and family, while alternatives like Snapchat and MeWe lack sufficient market presence. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has allowed the case to proceed but acknowledged the FTC faces a tough road. The trial will run through July and, if the FTC prevails, a second trial will determine remedies like a forced breakup. The case is one of several targeting alleged monopolistic practices by major tech firms, including Google, Amazon, and Apple.Facebook owner Meta faces existential threat at trial over Instagram, WhatsApp | ReutersThe Trump administration has repeatedly accused immigrants of serious criminal ties—such as gang leadership or terrorism—without backing those claims with evidence in court. Presumably because they aren't interested in immediately perjuring themselves. One high-profile example involved the FBI's arrest of a Salvadoran man in Virginia, publicly labeled a top MS-13 leader and terrorist. Yet the Justice Department dropped the sole charge—illegal gun possession—and instead moved to deport him without pursuing gang-related allegations in court. A similar case involved Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported and later labeled a human trafficker, though no such charge appeared in legal filings. Officials also deported 238 Venezuelans alleged to be part of the Tren de Aragua gang, despite some having no criminal records. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended their imprisonment, citing national security, while declining to present supporting evidence. Legal experts caution that making unsupported public accusations risks undermining prosecutions and due process, as it can taint juries and violate Justice Department policy.Some judges have pushed back. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis emphasized that serious accusations should be vetted through the legal system, not just made in press conferences. Meanwhile, other alleged MS-13 members were charged through traditional indictments, showing the DOJ still uses evidence-backed prosecutions in some cases. Critics say the administration's approach mixes law enforcement with political messaging, leveraging public fear to justify aggressive immigration actions.Trump officials push immigrant gang message, but sometimes don't back it up in court | ReutersA group of Harvard University professors has filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from reviewing nearly $9 billion in federal grants and contracts awarded to the university. The lawsuit, brought by the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors and its national organization, argues that the administration is unlawfully targeting the school to suppress free speech and academic freedom. The review was announced amid ongoing scrutiny of elite universities over pro-Palestinian protests, diversity programs, and transgender policies.Federal agencies including the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, along with the General Services Administration, began investigating $255.6 million in contracts and $8.7 billion in multi-year grants. They demanded Harvard meet conditions to continue receiving funds, such as banning protester mask-wearing, eliminating DEI programs, cooperating with law enforcement, and revising departments allegedly involved in antisemitic harassment.The administration has cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination at federally funded institutions, as its legal basis. However, the plaintiffs argue that the government has not followed the proper legal process and is instead using funding threats to impose political viewpoints. Harvard law professor Andrew Crespo said the government cannot silence speech it disagrees with through funding leverage.Harvard professors sue over Trump's review of $9 billion in funding | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memo Thursday ordering the termination of several IT services contracts and directing the Pentagon's chief information officer to draw up plans for in-sourcing, among other measures. The aim is to “cut wasteful spending” and “support the continued rationalization” of the Defense Department's IT enterprise, Hegseth wrote. The move comes amid a broader push by the Trump administration to implement Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives across federal agencies. Hegseth's new memo to senior Pentagon leadership ordered the termination of contracts affecting a variety of DOD components, including a Defense Health Agency contract for consulting services; an Air Force contract to re-sell third party enterprise cloud IT services; a Navy contract for business process consulting services; and a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract for IT helpdesk services. In a video released on social media touting these DOGE-related efforts, Hegseth estimated that those contract terminations would save the Pentagon approximately $1.8 billion, $1.4 billion, $500 million and $500 million, respectively. Another round of General Services Administration workforce cuts is hitting Technology Transformation Services, specifically within its Integrated Award Environment (IAE), Solutions, and Office of Regulatory and Oversight Systems (OROS) programs, sources confirmed to FedScoop. Under TTS, the Solutions platforms and services, front office, public experience and accelerators teams were all affected by the reductions, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. However, programs that are safe from the current — and widespread — reductions in force include FedRAMP, Login.gov and Cloud.gov, sources said. Additionally, TTS consulting, fellowships and front office are untouched as well. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is taking its final steps toward shuttering, sending a memo last Thursday to bureau heads focused on recruiting workers on administrative leave to assist with final steps required to decommission the agency. The memo states that the “default position” is that all staff are reporting to work — except those who have been requested and approved to go on administrative leave — and that USAID employees may be asked to work beyond their typical subject areas and to help with other projects. Those based in a bureau or independent office are supposed to have a space allotment, though managers are instructed to minimize the need for people to be shifted in and out of work. Teams that do not have an onsite presence will need to return to the office for “closeout procedures,” the email adds. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to White House officials Monday expressing serious concerns about the recent installation of Starlink internet service in the executive branch complex. The letter, which was signed by Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio and shared exclusively with FedScoop, comes amid reports that Starlink — provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX — is now integrated into the White House property's IT systems. The members of Congress are also flagging the use of the internet service at the General Services Administration. A physical Starlink terminal connects to the low-Earth orbit satellite constellation that provides the internet service. But the White House has gone further than simply purchasing that equipment — the service has now been connected and routed into an administration data center. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Despite reducing its workforce by thousands of employees, the General Services Administration is ready to hire new employees once again. The Federal Acquisition Service put out job postings for contract specialists and supervisory contract specialists. The contract specialists would be at the GS-12 and 13 pay scales, while the supervisory positions would be at the GS 14-15 levels. All positions are available in several locations, including Washington, DC, San Francisco and 10 other locations around the country. GSA didn't say how many people it was looking to hire. Some estimate it could be up to a thousand new employees as the Trump administration aims to centralize contracting for common goods and services at GSA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Despite reducing its workforce by thousands of employees, the General Services Administration is ready to hire new employees once again. The Federal Acquisition Service put out job postings for contract specialists and supervisory contract specialists. The contract specialists would be at the GS-12 and 13 pay scales, while the supervisory positions would be at the GS 14-15 levels. All positions are available in several locations, including Washington, DC, San Francisco and 10 other locations around the country. GSA didn't say how many people it was looking to hire. Some estimate it could be up to a thousand new employees as the Trump administration aims to centralize contracting for common goods and services at GSA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump's order to Eliminate Waste and Save Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement brings some old procurement practices back into fashion. Over the next 60-90 days, agencies, OMB, and the GSA administrator have a lot of work to do centralize procurement of common items back in GSA. To understand what this means for the procurement system, Federal News Network's Terry Gerton spoke with former GSA Administrator and current Senior Fellow at the George Mason University Baroni Center for Government Contracting, Emily Murphy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump's order to Eliminate Waste and Save Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement brings some old procurement practices back into fashion. Over the next 60-90 days, agencies, OMB, and the GSA administrator have a lot of work to do centralize procurement of common items back in GSA. To understand what this means for the procurement system, Federal News Network's Terry Gerton spoke with former GSA Administrator and current Senior Fellow at the George Mason University Baroni Center for Government Contracting, Emily Murphy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street's down week on investor concerns about inflation and declining consumer confidence putting the Standard and Poor's 500 on track for its worst quarter since 2022; budget officials warn the US government will run out of money in August unless Congress raises the debt limit; a week after President Trump taps Boeing as the winner of the manned combat aircraft portion of the US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program, House appropriators propose cutting funding for the new program, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and the B-21 Raider bomber; the Washington Post reports the Trump administration is preparing to cut the federal agencies by between 8 and 50 percent as the General Services Administration targets top consulting and IT contractors; Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on imported cars; European governments continue to step up efforts to bolster defense capabilities even as Italy emerges as a possible spoiler; an inflection point for BAE Systems; RocketLab's Neutron launch vehicle wins a Space Force contract valued at up to $5.6 billion; air travel continues to decline; and the US Navy's prepares to announce whether Boeing or Northrop Grumman will win its FA-XX next generation fighter contest.

Paris Marx is joined by Kate Green and Milo to discuss how Elon Musk's DOGE is dismantling the US Digital Service and the consequences that has on really improving service delivery in government.Kate Green and Milo are former US Digital Service engineers.Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham.Also mentioned in this episode:Find out more about We The Builders and read perspectives of federal workers.USDS workers have resigned en masse from DOGE, and Musk's agency has fired many of those who haven't left.The General Services Administration has also cut the 18F technology team, and has been doing mass layoffs at the Technology Transformation Service. Support the show

This week's episode features a deep dive on the President's Executive Order, Eliminating Waste and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement, which directs the consolidation of certain types of “domestic federal procurement” under the General Services Administration in an effort to “eliminate waste and duplication.” This episode is hosted by Peter Eyre and Yuan Zhou. Crowell & Moring's "Fastest 5 Minutes" is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be without.   Eliminating Waste and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/eliminating-waste-and-saving-taxpayer-dollars-by-consolidating-procurement/  

Now more than ever, the long running cloud security program known as FedRAMP needs industry's help. That was the message Monday from Pete Waterman, the Director of the Federal Risk Authorization management program FedRAMP at the General Services Administration. Here with what's going on, Federal News Network's executive editor, Jason Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now more than ever, the long running cloud security program known as FedRAMP needsindustry's help. That was the message Monday from Pete Waterman, the Director of the Federal Risk Authorization management program FedRAMP at the General Services Administration. Here with what's going on, Federal News Network's executive editor, Jason Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After serving for nearly 18 months as the Department of Defense's first-ever customer experience officer in the Office of the CIO, Savan Kong earlier this month parted ways with the Pentagon. Previously a member of the Defense Digital Service during his first tour of duty with the DOD, Kong helped build the department's CXO office from scratch, fostering a culture that prioritizes the needs of service members, civilians, and mission partners and striving to streamline governance processes, improve transparency, and ensure that IT solutions meet operational needs. Kong joins the Daily Scoop for a conversation to share the progress his office ushered in to improve customer experience for DOD's personnel, where things are headed under this administration and how AI will impact the CX space. FedRAMP is getting another overhaul, one that will involve far more automation and a greater role for the private sector, the program's chief announced Monday. Through FedRAMP 20x, the General Services Administration-based team focused on the program aims to simplify the authorization process and reduce the amount of time needed to approve a service from months to weeks, Director Pete Waterman said during an Alliance for Digital Innovation event. The private sector will also have increased responsibility over monitoring of their systems, he noted. In a critical change, agency sponsorship will — eventually — no longer be necessary to win authorization. As a first step, FedRAMP has launched four community working groups, which give the public a chance to share feedback, and focus on creating “innovative solutions” to formalize the program's standards. But in the meantime, Waterman said existing baselines will remain in place and there are no immediate changes to the program. The Office of Personnel Management and the departments of Treasury and Education are now barred from sharing individuals' personally identifiable information with DOGE representatives, a federal judge ruled Monday. Judge Deborah L. Boardman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland said in her decision that in granting associates with Elon Musk's so-called government efficiency initiative access to systems containing plaintiffs' PII, the agencies “likely violated” the Privacy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawsuit was filed by the American Federation of Teachers, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the National Federation of Federal Employees, and six military veterans. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

This week, the GovNavigators welcome Allison Brigati, former Deputy Administrator of the General Services Administration, and Daniel Heckman, CEO of MSI Consulting, to share lessons learned from the first Trump administration's push for government efficiency. They discuss overcoming resistance to change, and harnessing automation and AI to modernize government functions. Additionally, they reflect on how these strategies could shape current reform efforts as we enter Trump's second term.Show NotesPresident's Management Agenda: Trump Administration(2018), Cap Goal 6 Pg. 32Events on the GovNavigators' RadarMarch 24: FedRAMP 2025 Discussion with Pete Waterman March 26-28: Coleridge Initiative's Annual ConveningMarch 28: NAPA's Standing Panel on Executive Organization and Management

The White House is bringing centralized procurement back to government. President Donald Trump signed an executive order late last week that puts the General Services Administration in charge of buying all products and services in 10 categories. Federal News Network's Jason Miller broke the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The White House is bringing centralized procurement back to government. President Donald Trump signed an executive order late last week that puts the General Services Administration in charge of buying all products and services in 10 categories. Federal News Network's Jason Miller broke the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to consolidate the contracting of common goods and services, including information technology, under the General Services Administration. Within 30 days of the order's issuance, GSA will take over as the executive agent of all governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs) for IT, as designated by the Office of Management and Budget. “Consolidating domestic Federal procurement in the General Services Administration — the agency designed to conduct procurement — will eliminate waste and duplication, while enabling agencies to focus on their core mission of delivering the best possible services for the American people,” the order says. As part of GSA's new role, the administrator will be able to “defer or decline” being the executive agent of IT governmentwide contracts “when necessary to ensure continuity of service or as otherwise appropriate.” Other major GWACs for technology across the federal government include the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center's vehicles like its CIO-SP3 and embattled CIO-SP4, as well as NASA's Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) contracts. The General Services Administration on Thursday revealed a new generative AI tool designed to boost efficiency and help automate repetitive tasks. The platform, now available to GSA staff, comes amid anxiety that the Department of Government Efficiency might use artificial intelligence to surveil or replace federal workers, who are being laid off in large swaths across the government. The GSA chatbot can access a series of large language models, including technology from Anthropic and Meta. The system resembles other AI chatbots, and it's designed to respond to user prompts and help staff with basic tasks, like writing. Earlier this month, Wired first reported that the DOGE had deployed a chatbot called GSAi for 1,500 workers. According to Wired, the tool had been in development for several months, but DOGE accelerated the rollout of the platform and eventually wants to use it for data analysis of contracts and procurements. GSA said in a Thursday statement it is encouraging all of its staff to test the tool.

The Trump administration quietly removed a decades-old rule requiring federal contractors to ban segregated workspaces, such as separate bathrooms, cafeterias, and other facilities based on race, gender, or national origin. Companies that want government contracts no longer have to prove they do not separate employees in ways that would have been illegal under the old rule. If you wanted taxpayer dollars, you had to commit to equal treatment in the workplace. A memo from the General Services Administration, which oversees federal contracts, ordered agencies like the Department of Defense to strip this clause from new and existing contracts. Some might argue that businesses still have to follow federal anti-discrimination laws. So what is the big deal? The problem is that removing this contract rule makes enforcement harder. Before, federal agencies had leverage—if a company violated anti-segregation rules, it could lose its government contract. Now, the government has given up that power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lawyer who's said to have played a central role in the Department of Government Efficiency's attempted takeover of at least one federal organization is now defending in court the DOGE email system used to send email blasts to the entire U.S. government workforce. During a Feb. 6 hearing, Jacob Altik joined the defense in the ongoing lawsuit where pseudonymous federal workers have accused the Office of Personnel Management of standing up its new governmentwide email system with inadequate privacy and security protections in place. While the defense introduced him at the time as being “from OPM,” counsel for the plaintiffs filed a new notice early Monday essentially connecting the dots that Altik, through other lawsuits and public reports, has played a hands-on role in supporting the DOGE. Altik was first identified as a DOGE lawyer with an official DOGE email address hosted by the Executive Office of the President in a ProPublica article from early February, the Monday legal notice notes. Then, Altik was identified in a separate ongoing lawsuit as working hand-in-hand with DOGE associates in the organization's attempt to dismantle the U.S. African Development Foundation. The DOGE is also in the spotlight in another case where state attorneys general have sued President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent challenging DOGE access to Treasury records. In the latest development in that litigation, DOGE staffer Marko Elez, who resigned in February after racist social media posts surfaced, is said to have shared personally identifiable information in a spreadsheet with two General Services Administration officials, according to the filing from a witness in the case. The testiomony explains that Elez shared names in the spreadsheet that are considered low risk PII because the names are not accompanied by more specific identifiers, such as social security numbers or birth dates. Still, the distribution of this spreadsheet was contrary to BFS policies, in that it was not sent encrypted, and he did not obtain prior approval of the transmission as required. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

3.12.2025 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Drastic HUD cuts, DOE closings/firings, NOAA mass firings, Trump's economic policies spark chaos The housing crisis will get grimmer with federal cuts to fair housing programs, and to preserve affordable housing. We'll talk to the president of Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America about how the consequences could be devastating. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rejects Hurricane Helene repair efforts in Asheville, North Carolina, because the city's proposed recovery plan features a DEI program. The Department of Education is the latest federal agency facing massive layoffs. The National Parents Union president will explain what will happen with the imminent dismantling of the department. Economic expert Steve Liesman calls the twice-impeached criminally convicted felon-in-chief Donald "The Con" Trump's economic policy "insane." The Alabama Freedom Riders Museum is no longer listed for sale by the U.S. General Services Administration. A Federal jury awards two black Chicago men $120 million for spending decades in prison for a murder they did not commit. ✨Get your "Don't Blame Me ... I Voted for the Black Woman" tee and #FAFO 2025 tee TODAY #RMU Merch

The Trump administration is being forced to backpedal on its mass purge of federal employees as two separate court rulings ordered the reinstatement of more than 30,000 workers fired during their probationary periods. These workers won't be back at their desks just yet. Instead, they'll be placed on paid administrative leave, effectively putting them back on the payroll while the legal battle unfolds. The first ruling immediately reinstates employees at key agencies like Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Defense. The second expands reinstatement to 18 more agencies. Federal officials have already begun scrambling to comply. The General Services Administration has sent out notices informing employees that their terminations are rescinded with at least some workers guaranteed reinstatement until March 27. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3.7.2025 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Historic Montgomery Bus Station for sale, Rep. Al Green speaks on House floor, Failing Trump economy The historic Montgomery Bus Station has recently been listed for sale by the U.S. General Services Administration. Alabama Congressman Shomari Figures is here to discuss his plan to stop the sale. Texas Representative Al Green took to the House floor a day after being censured. We'll show you what he said. February's job report is in, and it doesn't look good. We'll talk to economist Morgan Harper about why the numbers look so grim. We'll tell The Bail Project about a new survey that comprehensively examines pretrial reforms across the country and how the findings suggest a very different story than the narrative. An arrest was made in the Louisiana fraternity death case of Caleb Wilson. And a major music loss. Tony! Toni! Toné! guitarist D'Wayne Wiggins, has died after his battle with cancer. ✨Get your "Don't Blame Me ... I Voted for the Black Woman" tee and #FAFO 2025 tee TODAY #RMU Merch

On today's show we are talking about how to buy surplus real estate from the US government. But first, if you believe that high quality real estate with strong operators and developers is still a good long term investment, irrespective of any executive order in the past 24 hours, then check out our projects at Y Street Capital. Register for our investor portal where you will get to see the numerous projects we have underway across multiple states in the US and in two provinces in Canada. We promise we won't be spamming you with tons of email. Goto YStreet⁠capital.com⁠ and the link to register for our investor portal is here. --------------On today's show we are talking about how to buy surplus real estate from the US government. The US General Services Administration is the US Government's landlord. They own, operate and sell the real estate assets of the US Federal Government.After what seems like a false start, the GSA had listed a number of properties for sale in recent days. Then the number of properties was cut back and then removed almost entirely. General Services Administration removed from its website about 440 federal buildings representing nearly 80 million square feet of space that only hours earlier it had listed for sale.There is no question that the US government is going to be getting rid of a lot of property in the coming weeks and months. We got a preview of some of those properties, but can't really speculate which ones will be re-offered for sale. Properties listed for sale on the GSA website are generally managed as an online auction. As of now the GSA website is listing only a handful of properties. I'm going to summarize the information on one building that I'm actually somewhat familiar with.---------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

In this episode of AI, Government, and the Future, we are joined by Nathan Manzotti, Director of Data Analytics and AI Centers of Excellence at the General Services Administration (GSA), to discuss the current state and future potential of AI in the federal government. They explore GSA's role in enabling AI adoption across agencies, key initiatives like AI training and communities of practice, and the challenges of attracting AI talent in government. Nathan also shares his insights on the need for collaboration between government, industry, academia, and nonprofits to drive responsible AI innovation.

Employees at the General Services Administration are facing massive staff cuts and threats of near-constant monitoring, three top Trump administration officials are in Europe this week talking with European leaders about transatlantic issues, and proponents of going to Mars see an opportunity in Elon Musk's close relationship with President Trump. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Brett Neely, Ryland Barton, Gisele Grayson, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from David Greenberg. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Welcome to the real world. Politico is reporting today that US government employees in the General Services Administration are experiencing "anxiety" when Trump Administration officials from the Department of Government Efficiency request an interview to assess the employee's skills and work performance. Also today: Trump fires USAID official critical of changes at that agency. Finally...SecDef Hegseth drops a bomb: "No NATO for Ukraine."