Podcasts about Government Executive

The battle lines are drawn for Monday’s high-stakes Oval Office meeting between Trump and bipartisan congressional leaders, one day before the deadline to avert a government shutdown. Adding to the uncertainty are the Trump administration’s plans to use a shutdown to fire more federal workers. John Yang speaks with Eric Katz, who covers federal agencies for Government Executive, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The battle lines are drawn for Monday’s high-stakes Oval Office meeting between Trump and bipartisan congressional leaders, one day before the deadline to avert a government shutdown. Adding to the uncertainty are the Trump administration’s plans to use a shutdown to fire more federal workers. John Yang speaks with Eric Katz, who covers federal agencies for Government Executive, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Project 2025 is not just another policy blueprint; it is a sweeping, meticulously detailed playbook designed to overhaul how the federal government operates, reshape the civil service, and realign American governance along sharply conservative lines. Crafted by the Heritage Foundation with contributions from over 100 coalition partners and released in April 2023, the 927-page document, titled “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” outlines concrete steps a newly elected Republican president could take starting from day one in office.Proponents of Project 2025 describe it as a plan to “destroy the Administrative State,” targeting what they argue is an unaccountable bureaucracy captured by liberal interests. Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation put it bluntly: “All federal employees should answer to the president.” The vision centralizes control of the entire executive branch, grounding itself in an expansive interpretation of the unitary executive theory. According to the project's documentation, independence for agencies such as the Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission, and others would be eliminated. Leadership at these institutions would be swept clean and staffed by presidential loyalists, many of whom could be installed in “acting” roles that bypass Senate confirmation.A key mechanism enabling this transformation is Schedule F, a controversial classification devised to move large numbers of nonpartisan civil servants into at-will positions. Without traditional civil service protections, these employees could be easily removed and replaced with political appointees. Heritage Foundation writers stress that this is essential to secure rapid, loyal implementation of the president's agenda. Critics, however, warn that the move exposes federal government positions to unchecked political influence and undermines the longstanding principle of impartial public service.Listeners may recognize some of these ambitions from earlier efforts under President Trump. This time, Project 2025 comes armed with a detailed 180-day playbook and ready-to-sign executive orders designed to implement change with unprecedented speed. As reported by Government Executive, the plan's first phase has already resulted in the abrupt dissolution of agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Board and USAID, accompanied by mass firings spanning across more than two dozen agencies. Challengers, including federal employee unions like the NTEU, have launched lawsuits, arguing these actions violate long-standing legal protections for government workers.Project 2025 reaches well beyond administrative restructuring. In criminal justice, for example, the document spells out proposals directing the Department of Justice to directly intervene in cases where local prosecutors are viewed as too lenient—potentially removing them from office. The Brennan Center points out that such measures could limit prosecutorial discretion and pressure local officials to abandon reform agendas, particularly in drug or low-level offenses.In the education sphere, the blueprint calls for significant expansion of voucher programs, the empowerment of charter schools, and even the closure of public schools deemed noncompliant with conservative values. Curriculum “censorship” is highlighted as a tool to ensure ideological conformity, and efforts to diminish the role of public education are explicitly connected to broader goals of limiting federal influence at the state and local levels.Reproductive rights are a prominent battleground as well. The project supports creating a national registry to track abortions and calls for nationwide restrictions that leverage statutes like the Comstock Act and reverse FDA approvals of abortion medication.Expert commentary ranges widely on the likely impacts of these reforms. Advocates assert Project 2025 will bring accountability and restore order, claiming decades of bureaucratic drift must be corrected by strong executive leadership. Detractors warn of an “authoritarian presidency,” as noted by the Brennan Center and the ACLU, pointing to risks for democratic norms, the separation of powers, and civil liberties.As the nation watches, key milestones approach. Should a Republican administration prevail in the next election, listeners can expect swift, far-reaching executive actions, many of which are already being tested on a smaller scale in various states. The months ahead promise critical court battles, legislative showdowns, and profound debates about the future of American government.Thank you for tuning in to today's narrative exploration of Project 2025. Join us again next week for more in-depth analysis and vital updates on the changing landscape of American policy and governance.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai

Project 2025 is not just a policy blueprint—it's a movement aiming to remake American governance from the ground up. Growing out of the Heritage Foundation's nearly 1,000-page Mandate for Leadership, Project 2025 lays out detailed steps to reshape the federal government in ways that, in its authors' words, will “destroy the Administrative State.” Supporters see it as a plan to bring an unaccountable bureaucracy under control, while critics warn it risks undermining the checks and balances at the heart of American democracy.At the heart of Project 2025 is an ambitious assertion of presidential control over the federal government. The proposal rests on the controversial unitary executive theory—a vision that would give the president direct authority over agencies traditionally considered independent. According to Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts, “All federal employees should answer to the president.” That's not an abstract idea; the plan explicitly calls for replacing civil service protections with the so-called Schedule F scheme, permitting mass firings and replacing thousands of current staffers with political loyalists who can be hired—and fired—at will. The stated aim is to ensure government personnel are “aligned with the president's vision,” a move that legal experts like those at the ACLU say could erode the rule of law and the traditional separation of church and state.One of the most consequential aspects of Project 2025 is its Day One playbook—hundreds of executive orders prepared for immediate signature by a new Republican president. These directives aren't vague. The plan recommends, for example, eliminating entire agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It also outlines how to dismiss all Department of State leadership before the next inauguration, replacing them with interim officials who are “ideologically vetted,” bypassing Senate confirmation. Kiron Skinner, who contributed to the State Department chapter, told journalist Peter Bergen this summer, “Most State Department employees are too left-wing and must be replaced by those loyal to the president,” though she could not name concrete examples of alleged obstruction.The intended changes go far beyond personnel shuffles. Project 2025 includes proposals for increasing executive control over policy on education, health, and the environment—often with the goal of terminating or rolling back regulations deemed “woke” or outside a conservative agenda. For example, its environmental proposals would gut major climate initiatives and environmental protections, while social policy sections support rolling back abortion rights and LGBTQ protections. Heritage Foundation materials state that these moves are needed to “put the people back in charge,” but organizations like the Center for Progressive Reform warn that such changes could devastate protections for workers, the public's health, and marginalized communities.Concrete steps are already underway. Since January, under the new Department of Government Efficiency, agencies have announced mass layoffs and office closures, with an eye toward shrinking government to its “essential functions.” According to data cited by Government Executive, more than 280,000 federal workers and contractors are facing layoffs or job uncertainty across 27 federal agencies. Office buildings are being consolidated, and a strict return-to-office mandate is being enforced to reduce federal infrastructure, often in a haphazard fashion.Project 2025's vision is not universally accepted even within conservative circles, but its scale and urgency have jolted both supporters and opponents. Critics, from policy experts to civil liberties advocates, argue that replacing career professionals with political operatives risks turning agencies into arms of the executive, threatening not just efficiency but the stability of American institutions. Yet, for its authors, this is precisely the point—a bold, sweeping course correction.Looking forward, the coming months will see critical decision points as Congress, the courts, and public opinion respond to the push to enact Project 2025. Both sides are mobilizing, as legal battles and heated public debates loom. As American governance stands on the cusp of profound change, Project 2025 offers both a rallying cry and a warning—one that demands attention from every corner of the nation.Thank you for tuning in, and be sure to come back next week for more.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai

Project 2025 has emerged as one of the most ambitious and controversial blueprints for American governance in recent memory. Initiated by the Heritage Foundation and backed by a coalition of over 100 conservative organizations, the project's stated mission is to radically restructure the federal government and centralize executive power, promising what supporters call a return to accountability and efficiency. Critics, meanwhile, warn of its sweeping threats to democratic norms, federal checks and balances, and the livelihoods of millions.Unveiled in the form of a 900-page manifesto titled “Mandate for Leadership,” Project 2025 provides granular directions, agency by agency, for an incoming administration determined to overhaul how Washington operates. According to the Heritage Foundation, the “heart of the project” is dismantling what they label as an unaccountable bureaucracy that has “drifted too far from the people's will.” Kevin Roberts, Heritage's president, bluntly declared, “All federal employees should answer to the president.” This vision is animated by an expansive concept known as the unitary executive theory, essentially arguing that the president should have direct control over all executive branch agencies, shedding their current independence.For listeners wondering about concrete changes, consider the plan for the Department of State. Project 2025 advocates for the wholesale removal of agency leadership officials before Inauguration Day, replacing them with individuals hand-picked for strict ideological alignment. Kiron Skinner, who penned the State Department chapter, envisioned a department led exclusively by loyalists, aiming to “remove those not aligned with the president's priorities.” This move is designed not just to hasten the implementation of foreign policy goals, but to prevent bureaucratic resistance—a key grievance among the plan's authors.Just as striking is Project 2025's approach to the federal workforce. Its architects call for the resurrection and expansion of “Schedule F,” a controversial employment status for federal employees. Schedule F would classify hundreds of thousands—if not more—career civil servants as political appointees, stripping them of longstanding job protections. The stated goal is a government “purged of entrenched opposition” so that “key decisions reflect the president's will on day one.” Critics like the National Federation of Federal Employees describe this as a “scheme to purge career professionals,” warning it would turn public administration into a partisan machine vulnerable to corruption.The plan doesn't stop at restructuring government jobs. Project 2025 lays out a 180-day playbook, which includes ready-to-sign executive orders to immediately strip environmental regulations, curb civil rights protections, and overhaul social welfare programs. According to the Center for Progressive Reform, executive actions under this strategy have already targeted the rollback of climate rules, weakened worker safety standards, and eliminated agencies altogether. The swift elimination of the Consumer Financial Protection Board and US Agency for International Development, as documented by Government Executive, was meant to signal a new era of “government efficiency” but resulted in “widespread layoffs and institutional chaos.”Project 2025's policy ambitions also extend to social issues. In its blueprint, it calls for curtailing access to abortion, undoing LGBTQ protections, and limiting federal action on racial equity. The ACLU describes these proposals as “an unprecedented rollback of civil rights and liberties,” comparing their scope to a rewriting of American society's basic fabric.Proponents lay claim to a mandate from voters frustrated by government gridlock and what they see as bureaucratic overreach. Opponents counter that this is not reform but a consolidation of power. Legal experts from across the spectrum worry that such an agenda could collapse the traditional American barrier between politics and administration, risking both the appearance and the reality of authoritarian rule.Several milestones now lie ahead. With ongoing lawsuits from labor unions and scrutiny by watchdog groups, the coming months promise court battles and congressional hearings over Project 2025's legality and impact. Congressional Republicans and administration officials are preparing for rapid implementation, while a coalition of civil rights organizations and some lawmakers are vowing organized resistance.The stakes for American governance have rarely been higher. Whether Project 2025 becomes a historical footnote or a defining blueprint for the future will depend on political will, legal battles, and the choices made in the next critical year.Thanks for tuning in to this week's deep dive. Come back next week for more.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai

Project 2025 is reshaping the conversation about the role and reach of the federal government in ways that feel both sweeping and personal. Born from the Heritage Foundation's “Mandate for Leadership,” this 900-plus-page policy blueprint divides nearly every federal agency and department into zones of targeted reform, all aimed at what its architects call “destroying the administrative state.” Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts summed up the mood behind it simply, declaring that “every federal employee should answer to the president.” That principle, experts say, guides the project's plans to consolidate power at the top and move swiftly on a series of executive moves from day one.The scale of intended change is hard to overstate. Project 2025 outlines an operational playbook for the first 180 days of a new Republican administration. Its centerpiece is Schedule F—a government job classification that would allow the new president to reclassify tens of thousands of career civil servants as at-will political appointees. That means federal workers, who traditionally hold their positions regardless of party, could be replaced without cause by loyalists. Kiron Skinner, who authored the State Department chapter, suggested clearing out senior career officials before January 20 and quickly installing appointees who share the president's views, bypassing regular Senate confirmation requirements. Skinner argues such moves are necessary to ensure ideological alignment, though when pressed by CNN's Peter Bergen, she couldn't cite a specific past obstruction by career diplomats.Concrete actions have followed rhetoric. When President Trump took office on January 20, he and Elon Musk's newly minted Department of Government Efficiency hit the ground running. According to Government Executive and other outlets, entire agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and USAID were targeted for elimination through “legally questionable means,” with the stated goal of cutting $1 trillion in spending. Executive orders soon followed, including one mandating that federal agencies may only hire one worker for every four who leave, and requiring return-to-office mandates for a federal workforce that had grown accustomed to remote work during the pandemic.Faced with the threat of losing job protections, over a quarter-million federal workers and contractors were facing layoffs by spring 2025, with forty-seven years of collective bargaining law challenged as unions raced to court. NTEU President Doreen Greenwald put it bluntly, calling it “an attack on the law, and on public service.” Opposition isn't limited to labor groups. The ACLU has charged that Project 2025 is a “roadmap to replace the rule of law with right-wing ideals,” warning that the proposals could undermine legal norms, civil rights, and protections for marginalized groups. Legal scholars from both political parties have raised flags about weakening the separation of powers, endangering environmental and public health safeguards, and risking consolidated, unchecked executive authority.Proponents are equally resolute. They argue that Project 2025 is a necessary corrective to what they view as a bloated, left-leaning bureaucracy unaccountable to the people. Heritage Foundation materials frame the federal government as too large, too costly, and resistant to the priorities of conservative Americans. They cite the sheer scale—over 2.4 million civilian federal employees—and the proliferation of agencies as drivers for dramatic consolidation and workforce reductions.Specific policy proposals go beyond personnel. The project seeks to reset environmental rules, roll back climate policies, and overhaul protections related to health, education, and civil rights. Critics, including groups like the Center for Progressive Reform, warn that these policies will lead to significant negative effects for ordinary Americans—from loss of workplace and environmental protections to sharp changes in immigration enforcement and reproductive rights.As the summer of 2025 progresses, listeners should watch several key milestones. Court cases brought by federal employee unions and advocacy groups could set vital precedents for the separation of powers. Agency heads are evaluating which departments could be merged or eliminated entirely in accordance with new directives. Congress, too, will play an uncertain but pivotal role as many Project 2025 reforms require new legislation or appropriations. Meanwhile, a country already polarized by election-year tensions is bracing for the long-term consequences of this radical experiment in federal power.Thank you for tuning in to this week's deep dive into Project 2025's ambitions and realities. Be sure to come back next week for more crucial stories shaping the nation.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai

Project 2025 stands at the center of the most audacious effort to refashion the American federal government in a generation. Announced by the Heritage Foundation in April 2023, it's described by its architects as a “Mandate for Leadership,” a nearly 1,000-page policy blueprint orchestrated for the next conservative administration. Its goal is to radically re-engineer almost every corner of the federal bureaucracy, starting on day one after inauguration.The true scope of Project 2025 emerges in its detailed chapters—each targeting a federal agency, each brimming with concrete proposals and strict timelines. According to Heritage president Kevin Roberts, “We must tear apart the administrative state,” and his words echo through the policy pages. The plan's core principle is to place the executive branch firmly under direct presidential control. This means eliminating the independence of agencies like the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Federal Communications Commission. Kiron Skinner, the main author of the State Department section, put it bluntly: “Most State Department employees are too left-wing. They should be replaced by loyal conservatives appointed to acting roles with no Senate confirmation required.”Listeners should note the mechanism behind this overhaul: Schedule F. This little-known hiring classification, revived for this project, lets the president move career civil servants into politically appointed roles stripped of traditional protections. As the National Federation of Federal Employees explains, “Schedule F wipes out the guardrails against political overreach or abuse of power.” The vision is clear—on January 20, 2025, the new president would sign a prepared stack of executive orders, dismiss hundreds of agency leaders, and flood offices with handpicked loyalists.Elon Musk's stewardship of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has served as the shock troops for these changes, reports Government Executive. Entire agencies, like the Consumer Financial Protection Board and USAID, have already been eliminated. In tandem, tens of thousands of federal workers have been laid off, with over 280,000 jobs cut or slated for elimination across 27 agencies. This restructuring, according to statements from the American Federation of Government Employees, represents “an attack on the very foundation of public service.” Return-to-office mandates and the downsizing of federal office buildings, often with little coordination, have further upended daily life for civil servants.President Trump's executive order from February 2025 codified much of the Project's ethos. The Department of Government Efficiency must reduce federal hiring to only essential positions, and for every four employees departing, only one replacement is allowed—excluding national security, law enforcement, and immigration. Agencies must draw up plans for large-scale reductions in force. Trump asserts this will shrink the government “for a new era of prosperity and innovation.”But the ambition doesn't stop at workforce reshuffling. Project 2025 targets environmental regulations, civil rights enforcement, and social policies. The Center for Progressive Reform warns that rollbacks across 20 agencies will have “devastating consequences for workers, the environment, public health, and the rights of millions.” Civil rights organizations like the Leadership Conference highlight proposals to gut the enforcement of key laws, eliminate disparate impact as a metric for discrimination, shut down diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, and retool the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to prioritize “religious exemptions” and shield employers from DEIA mandates. The stated goal is to erase what the blueprint calls “managerialist left-wing race and gender ideology.”Supporters say these proposals will reclaim democratic accountability from an unelected bureaucracy and restore presidential power. “All federal employees should answer to the president,” says Kevin Roberts. Critics, however, see the project as authoritarian, calling it an unprecedented centralization of power and a threat to civil liberties, institutional independence, and separation of powers.As the country approaches key decision points in the months ahead, Project 2025 stands ready for rapid, high-impact implementation. It's not just a wishlist—it's a playbook, already in motion, with real consequences unfurling agency by agency and law by law. With court challenges underway and public debate intensifying, listeners can expect major milestones and consequences in the coming weeks.Thank you for tuning in, and be sure to join us next week for more insights and updates on America's changing governance.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai

Project 2025 has emerged as one of the most ambitious and polarizing policy blueprints in recent American history. Developed under the guidance of the Heritage Foundation, with participation from more than 100 conservative organizations, Project 2025 represents a detailed roadmap for the executive branch—the so-called “Mandate for Leadership”—aimed at fundamentally reshaping the federal government should a conservative administration return to the White House.At its heart, Project 2025 proposes to dramatically increase presidential control over the federal bureaucracy. According to The Heritage Foundation's Kevin Roberts, “every federal employee should answer to the president,” and the blueprint recommends eliminating the independence of agencies like the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Federal Communications Commission. Supporters argue this would remedy what they see as an unaccountable, left-leaning bureaucracy, but critics warn that the plan would threaten the separation of powers and basic civil liberties by putting nearly all executive branch decision-making directly under the president.Specifics from the plan highlight its scope. The project calls for the replacement of all State Department leadership before Inauguration Day with appointees handpicked for ideological alignment, bypassing Senate confirmation requirements wherever possible. Kiron Skinner, who authored the State Department chapter, said that career officials had become “too left-wing” and should be replaced with loyal conservatives, despite admitting she could not name a time when these officials had obstructed Trump policies.The workforce reductions proposed are equally sweeping. Project 2025 recommends dismissing up to a million federal workers, either by abolishing entire agencies or through mass layoffs. According to reporting from Government Executive, the Trump administration, implementing elements of the playbook through the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, has already cut hundreds of thousands of jobs and eliminated agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and USAID, moves claimed to save $1 trillion but mired in legal disputes with federal workers' unions. These layoffs coincide with aggressive return-to-office mandates and office consolidations, disrupting telework programs relied upon since the pandemic.Policy changes extend well beyond personnel. On public health, Project 2025 would fundamentally curtail the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's authority. The plan advises preventing the CDC from issuing prescriptive guidance on vaccines and masks, transferring these decisions to parents and providers, and splitting the CDC into two agencies to limit its agenda-setting power. The Food and Drug Administration's drug approval process would be reformed, and federal public health funding would be channeled directly to states, bypassing agencies like NIH.On social policy, the proposals are stark. Project 2025 outlines a strict anti-abortion agenda—cutting federal funds to states that don't require detailed abortion reporting, limiting access to medications like mifepristone, and instructing the Department of Health and Human Services to combat so-called “abortion tourism.” The blueprint also calls for a ban on transgender individuals in military service and would have the CDC stop collecting data on gender identity. Civil rights and liberty organizations like the ACLU argue these measures would “replace the rule of law with right-wing ideals,” further noting that Project 2025's reach would touch nearly every aspect of American life.While the Heritage Foundation frames its mission as restoring efficiency and democratic accountability, critics like the Center for Progressive Reform describe Project 2025 as the “authoritarian blueprint” of an administration racing to roll back worker and environmental protections, undo public health safeguards, and undermine democratic checks and balances nationwide.The next weeks and months will be crucial as lawmakers, federal employees, and advocacy groups react to the ongoing implementation of these policies and court challenges move forward. As Project 2025 continues to unfold—whether through executive action, litigation, or legislative attempts—Americans face a period of tremendous uncertainty about the future shape of their government.Thank you for tuning in, and be sure to come back next week for more.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai

Panelists: Derek M. Tournear, Ph.D., Director, Space Development Agency; Bill Vass, CTO, Booz Allen; And Frank Konkel, Editor-in-Chief, Government Executive. View more of this year's Tech Summit discussions on YouTube here. 

Mika J. Cross, Public Sector Workforce Transformation Strategist and former Government Executive joins the show to explore the evolving dynamics of the modern government workforce and together we unpack the critical issues surrounding return-to-office mandates, skills-based hiring, generational shifts in workplace expectations. We also dive into what it truly means to build a resilient, future-ready government workforce PLUS the role of data literacy, the challenges of leadership development in the public sector, and how both public and private organizations must adapt to keep pace with the rapid evolution of work.

This is part two, of many, in a continuing effort to understand the terminology of politics and how it affects all of us. In other words we cut through the BS for you and you use your new knowledge to start to change a broken system.On part one I previewed "recess appointments" (starts at 26:35 right after the break) which is another threat to go around the Constitution and do what you want from the White House.Thanks for listening to LFMO and part 2 of KNOW YOUR GOVERNMENT!NOTESI used to call it "There are no stupid questions" then - before I came to me senses and renamed it KNOW YOUR GOVERNMENT!Let me know any of your thoughts on the show and if there's a topic you would like me to cover on KNOW YOUR GOVERNMENT!And look for new episodes of LFMO every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts and at cochranshow.com.Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Email the show with any questions, comments, or plugs for your favorite charity.

First, a closer look at the goals of the new "Department of Government Efficiency" with Jon Hart – CEO of the federal budget watchdog group "Open the Books. Then, Eric Katz -- correspondent at the news site Government Executive -- discusses how a second Trump Administration could impact the size and scope of the federal workforce. Plus, Wall Street Journal reporter Lara Seligman gives us a preview of potential changes to defense and national security policy under a second Trump Administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Martha Dorris talked with the 2024 Service to the Citizen Award's Government Executive of the Year (Ken Corbin) and the Industry Executive of the Year (Lee Becker).  Ken Corbin is the Commissioner of Taxpayer Services and formerly the Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Lee Becker, is a Senior Vice President for Public Sector and Healthcare for Medallia. Ken has many decades of experience at the IRS where he began as a student at the age of 16.  Lee Becker was formerly on active duty in the Navy, followed by the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Now, Lee serves the government through his position at Medallia.This is an inspiring episode with two leaders who shared:Their journey through their careers and leadership lessons they learned along the wayHow focusing on the experience you provide to your customers improves trust in your organization and serviceThe challenges that they have faced throughout the years and recommendations on overcoming themHow to navigate changes in AdministrationsHow the public will interact with the government in 5 years from looking into their crystal ball.We will be celebrating their accomplishments at the 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards on September 13, 2024, at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC. 

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO President-Elect and State Health Officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health, tells us about an education campaign about tick-borne diseases; Sean Newhouse, Staff Reporter for Government Executive, explains a study that says government employees are burned out; and a new resource from ASTHO emphasizes the role of public-private sector partnerships in advancing health equity. The Cullman Tribune OpEd: Protect yourself from tick bites – and what to do if you're bitten Route Fifty News Article: Burnout among government workers is decreasing but still high, according to new pulse survey data Eagle Hill Consulting Webpage: Understanding government employee burnout ASTHO Webpage: Best Practices to Leverage Partnerships to Support Health Equity: An Implementation Cheat Sheet  

Truth in Accounting talks about the Defense Department's finances with Mandy Smithberger from the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) and former TIA director of research Bill Bergman; we also discuss the newly released Defense Department Audit Report Card 2021. Moderated by Courtney Bublé. _________________ In December 2020, the Defense Department (DoD) issued its latest annual Agency Financial Report. The financial statements in this report were a part of the third consecutive full-scope, department-wide audit. The COVID pandemic posed some special challenges and issues for the latest audit. The process took longer than in the previous year, but when all was said and done, the DoD received another disclaimer (failing) audit opinion on its financial statements. With this report, Truth in Accounting ranks DoD component entities based on their fiscal year (FY) 2020 audit performance. We issue this ranking to identify relative strengths and weaknesses in financial reporting, to track progress over time, and to identify agency leaders who serve as good examples for the department as a whole Read the full report at: https://www.truthinaccounting.org/news/detail/defense-department-audit-report-card-2021 _________________ Subscribe to Truth in Accounting here: https://bit.ly/2uygGER The official Truth in Accounting YouTube channel is your primary destination for informative and entertaining videos on government finances. For more about Truth in Accounting's work, visit: https://www.truthinaccounting.org Follow Truth in Accounting here: Facebook: https://facebook.com/truthinaccounting Twitter: https://twitter.com/truthinacct Instagram: https://instagram.com/truthinacct LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truth-in-accounting ------------ Mandy Smithberger is the director of the Center for Defense Information in December 2014. Previously she was a national security policy adviser to U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) There, she worked on passing key provisions of the Military Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act into law, which expands protections by increasing the level of Inspector General review for complaints, requiring timely action on findings of reprisal, and increasing the time whistleblowers have to report reprisals. Previously an investigator with POGO, she was part of a team that received the Society of Professional Journalists' Sunshine Award for contributions in the area of open government Bill Bergman serves as Truth in Accounting's Director of Research. He leads question formation, idea development and application of research initiatives. Bill delivers our daily "Morning Call" newsletter every morning to a growing and appreciative audience of influential subscribers. He leads and oversees the development of Truth in Accounting's databases. Bill also leads our federal projects. Bill has written more than 400 articles at "Bill's Blog." Bill teaches finance courses at Loyola University Chicago. He has more than 30 years of financial market experience, including thirteen years as an economist and policy analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Bill earned an M.B.A. and an M.A. in public policy from the University of Chicago in 1990. Courtney Buble is a staff correspondent who covers federal management. Before joining Government Executive, she worked for NBC News. Courtney graduated from The George Washington University in 2018.

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Government Executive columnist and founder of "Retire Federal" Tammy Flanagan joins Bob to talk about the growing number of USPS retirees who seek post-retirement employment. Tammy and Bob talk about issues that such retirees ought to consider when embarking on an "encore career."  Bob also shares news relating to the September 7 Senate confirmation hearing of PRC Commissioner Robert Taub, and regulatory updates relating to the Delivering for America plan

Adam White and Jace Lington talk with James-Christian Blockwood about his recent Government Executive article on civil service reform. They discuss current proposals to make more civil servants removable at will as well as ways to build a nonpartisan, professional federal workforce that protects the interests of the American people. Show Notes: Let’s Rethink the […]

Adam White and Jace Lington talk with James-Christian Blockwood about his recent Government Executive article on civil service reform. They discuss current proposals to make more civil servants removable at will as well as ways to build a nonpartisan, professional federal workforce that protects the interests of the American people.Show Notes: Let's Rethink the Management of our Civil Service, GovExec, April 28, 2023Partnership for Public Service, Website"You Report to Me” Gray Matters Podcast with David Bernhardt, May 10, 2023“Do Public Sector Unions Make Government Unaccountable?” Gray Matters Podcast with Philip K. Howard, January 24, 2023From Merit to Expertise and Back: The Evolution of the U.S. Civil Service System, Joseph Postell, Gray Center Working Paper, February 6, 2020Restoring Accountability to the Executive Branch, Philip K. Howard, Gray Center Working Paper, February 6, 2020Quick Actions to Improve Recruitment, Hiring, and Accountability in the Federal Workforce, Jeffrey Salmon, Gray Center Policy Brief, March 2021Civil Service: Pulling In or Pushing Away, Sally Katzen, Gray Center Policy Brief, August 2020Jimmy Carter and Civil Service Reform, Stuart E. Eizenstat, Gray Center Working Paper, May 22, 2019This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5816490/advertisement

Despite the negative talk of the swamp or the deep state, the last few years have shown the import of government in the lives of Americans. From the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines to disaster recovery to the other services that government and stakeholders bring forward, public servants play a huge part in our society.  At GovExec's Evening of Honors Gala on April 20, Government Executive and FCW will honor industry stakeholders, current and former government officials who have made historic achievements and advances across government. Tom Shoop is editor at large and the former executive vice president and editor in chief at GovExec Media. He joined the podcast to discuss the Government Hall of Fame and GovExec's Evening of Honors.

In this weekend episode, three segments from this week's C-SPAN's Washington Journal program. First – Hannah Wesolowski of the National Alliance on Mental Illness discusses gun violence, mental health, and the role of red flag laws. Then, with tax day approaching - Government Executive senior correspondent Eric Katz discusses how the IRS is planning to spend the additional $80 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Plus, Cook Political Report House editor David Wasserman discusses his research into the sharp decline in so-called "swing seats" in the House of Representatives.        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this week's Round Table, Madeline, Maya, and Skyla spoke with Kevin Rogers, a Senior Associate at Government Executive, a media company which owns and operates multiple publications including City and State NY, where he is responsible for executing programs for entities interested in procuring contracts with the Federal Government. Kevin's passion for public service and state government stems back to his student days, when among other things, he served as Chief of Staff for the SUNY Student Assembly, the overarching student government organization for SUNY's 64 campuses and 1.2 million students. His interest in electoral politics was initially sparked through an internship in college that placed people in different government agencies and helped them learn about implementation of on-the-ground state policy plus provided him with a feel for how local government collaborates with  state government. Since graduating, he's worked on a number of local and state campaigns on Long Island and New York City, including as Field Director for the historic campaign of Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright during her independent run for re-election in 2020 and then as her Legislative Director where he helped pass major pieces of legislation such as the NYS Equal Rights Amendment.  Through his work, he's learned a lot about local, state, and federal law and how it affects everyday New Yorkers, and has gotten very good at synthesizing complex ideas for easy consumption. He also learned how much of this work happens through relationships– a LOT of negotiating goes on after hours, over dinner, karaoke, bocci ball…–and that strong community and relationships are forged by colleagues with a shared mission of making people's lives better and getting things done. Ultimately, Kevin counseled us that we have to be bridge builders and relationship builders and that if we are, we'll carry those relationships for life. Thank you for listening!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nextgenpolitics/message

Links from the show:* First Among Men: George Washington and the Myth of American Masculinity* Jefferson's Body: A Corporeal Biography* Do we need political parties?* Dude food is not patriotic – vegetables and moderation are more deeply rooted in the nation's early historyAbout my guest:Maurizio Valsania is professor of American history at the University of Turin, Italy. An expert on the Early American Republic, he analyzes the founders within their social, intellectual, and material context, especially through the lens of the 18th-century body. He is the author of The Limits of Optimism: Thomas Jefferson's Dualistic Enlightenment (University of Virginia Press, 2011), Nature's Man: Thomas Jefferson's Philosophical Anthropology (University of Virginia Press, 2013), Jefferson's Body: A Corporeal Biography (University of Virginia Press, 2017), and First Among Men: George Washington and the Myth of American Masculinity (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022, a book represented by literary agent Scott Mendel of the Mendel Media Group). Valsania is the recipient of several fellowships from leading academic institutions, including the American Antiquarian Society, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Library Company, the John D. Rockefeller Library, the DAAD (Germany), the International Center for Jefferson Studies, and the George Washington's Mount Vernon. He has written for the Oxford University Press's Academic Insights for the Thinking World, for the Oxford Bibliographies Online, and has collaborated with the BBC World Service. He has also written several Op-Eds and articles that have appeared in major media outlets, such as the Chicago Tribune, the Mississippi Free Press, Salon, the Wisconsin State Journal, Government Executive, Defense One, and the Conversation. He lives in Chapel Hill, NC. Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe

Acquisition and procurement issues lead the agenda for this latest in WT 360's series of Info Session episodes that bring together reporters from across the GovExec media team with our own Nick Wakeman and Ross Wilkers.Courtney Buble of Government Executive and Chris Riotta of FCW join to share their initial reactions to President Biden's mention of "Buy American" supply chain initiatives during his State of the Union address, and new regulations and legislation regarding climate reporting and cybersecurity compliance.The panel also goes over the Defense Department's move to go its own way with respect to the use of best-in-class contracts that all federal agencies feel some pressure to lean on, plus the shared workforce problem across the entire public sector ecosystem highlighted by a key vacancy at the government's most senior level.

Episode number one for 2023 means the covers are off regarding a new name for our podcast, but with the same kinds of conversations as they have always been.What is now WT 360 remains all about the business of government contracting and all about the technologies involved in it, from the perspectives of leaders across the public sector ecosystem and others who observe the happenings.This premiere episode also introduces a new regular feature called the Info Session that brings together our reporters and others across our GovExec partner publications Defense One, FCW, Government Executive and Nextgov.WT's own Nick Wakeman and Ross Wilkers, Frank Konkel of Nextgov and Carten Cordell of FCW go over the storylines they are watching in 2023 and reflect on the Defense Department (finally) awarding its big-ticket commercial cloud contract back in December.For more on the mission of WT 360, click here to read Nick's article that introduces the new name and the kinds of conversations we look to steer through our podcast.(NOTE: When we recorded this episode, no one had received enough votes to be the next Speaker of the House. Who knows when anyone will get the votes, we sure don't.)

Few observers in the federal market have the vantage point that David Berteau has in his role as CEO of the Professional Services Council, one of the main trade associations representing government contractors. He hears about the experiences of contractors of all sizes.Berteau joins this episode of Project 38 to wrap up 2022 that was for GovCon and look ahead to what 2023 is shaping up to be for the industry.Inflation, cyber and supply chain priorities, COVID vaccine mandates, and the connection between contracting and policy goals made the conversation led by our Ross Wilkers and Courtney Bublé of WT's sibling publication, Government Executive. Bublé is a staff correspondent who covers government management, which includes procurement matters.NOTE: We just so happened to have recorded this episode on the very morning that lawmakers released the text for an omnibus bill to fund federal agencies  More homework for everyone involved in this discussion, it seems.

Health benefits for veterans Dr. Shereef Elnahal, undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for Health, discusses the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act and the VA's hiring efforts Top federal workforce stories of 2022Tanya Ballard Brown, executive editor of Government Executive, and Jason Miller, executive editor of Federal News Network, take a look at the top stories in 2022 for the federal workforce Fighting food insecurityDaniel Whitley, administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service, discusses the agency's role in fighting food insecurity See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing a comprehensive reimagining of how the federal government encourages diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility among the federal workforce. The phrase “diversity, equity, inclusion and inclusion” is often misunderstood, but the Biden order brings forward policy and establishes pathways for DEIA goals to be achieved at agencies.  As part of Government Executive's State of the Federal Workforce event recently,I spoke to Dr. Janice Underwood,  Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at the Office of Personnel Management. In this episode, you'll hear a conversation about the ways that the federal government is implementing the Biden EO on diversity, equity and inclusion.   *** Follow GovExec on Twitter! https://twitter.com/govexec

Managing people is often an exercise in constant learning. Especially during a time of upheaval across government, constant development in leadership is a key component of managing people, especially in the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management is one of the places for such development via its Center for Leadership Development, which provides development and education programs for all career levels based on the Executive Core Qualifications. As part of Government Executive's State of the Federal Workforce event recently, GovExec reporter and frequent GovExec Daily guest Eric Katz spoke to Bahar Niakan, the Deputy Associate Director at the Center for Leadership Development at OPM. In this episode, they discuss the role of workforce development and modernization in the federal workforce. *** Follow GovExec on Twitter! https://twitter.com/govexec

In this episode of AFSPA Talks, federal benefits expert, Tammy Flanagan, joins AFSPA COO Kyle Longton, to talk about the importance of retirement planning and the work she does at Retire Federal. She walks through the broad considerations for any federal employee as they consider their future after retirement before diving into the often-complicated topic of life insurance within the FEGLI program. You can see Tammy's work elsewhere at:Retire Federal: https://www.retirefederal.com/For Your Benefit (Federal News Network): https://federalnewsnetwork.com/category/radio-interviews/fyb-archives/Government Executive: https://www.govexec.com/voices/tammy-flanagan/2340/Plan Your Federal Retirement Podcast: https://plan-your-federal-retirement.com/podcasts/

We see the evidence of the climate crisis in many ways, from flooding in Pakistan to the droughts and wildfires in the American west. Congress and the Biden administration have promised to enact and administer policy to combat it, but the need for action is great. As part of Government Executive's Climate Summit event recently, GovExec Daily host Ross Gianfortune spoke to Samantha Medlock, Senior Counsel with the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. In this episode, you'll hear their conversation about recent government action on climate change, how it will be administered and the future of climate policy. *** Follow GovExec on Twitter! https://twitter.com/govexec

On today's program, a fast-growing church planting network called simply The Network, is facing criticism by a group of former staff and lay leadership.  We also have the results of an investigation done by Saddleback Church into its new pastor.  The new study finds no evidence of wrongdoing.  We begin today with news that an employee of disgraced Wall Street financier Bill Hwang is suing his former employer.  The employee says he was forced to donate to a Christian Charitable Fund. A few housekeeping items before we go. First, I wanted to mention that I would be in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, that's July 19.  If you live in Iowa and you're on our daily email list, you should have already received an invitation, but if not, please shoot me an email and we'll make sure you get one.  My email is wsmith@ministrywatch.com Secondly, MinistryWatch has been featured recently on NBC's Nightly News, in Rolling Stone Magazine, at the investigative news site Pro Publica, and in the magazine Government Executive.  All that within the past three weeks.  If you get our daily emails, you can find links to those stories there. Thirdly, next week we'll be taking some time off from the podcast.  Just one week, so don't fret, and feel free to get caught up on any episodes you haven't listened to yet.  But we'll be back on the 29th.  The producers for today's program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today's program include Anne Stych, Bob Smietana, Paul Glader, Paul Clolery, Emily Miller, Christina Darnell, and Warren Smith. Special thanks to Religion UnPlugged and The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

On today's program, a fast-growing church planting network called simply The Network, is facing criticism by a group of former staff and lay leadership.  We also have the results of an investigation done by Saddleback Church into its new pastor.  The new study finds no evidence of wrongdoing.  We begin today with news that an employee of disgraced Wall Street financier Bill Hwang is suing his former employer.  The employee says he was forced to donate to a Christian Charitable Fund. A few housekeeping items before we go. First, I wanted to mention that I would be in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, that's July 19.  If you live in Iowa and you're on our daily email list, you should have already received an invitation, but if not, please shoot me an email and we'll make sure you get one.  My email is wsmith@155.138.219.249 Secondly, MinistryWatch has been featured recently on NBC's Nightly News, in Rolling Stone Magazine, at the investigative news site Pro Publica, and in the magazine Government Executive.  All that within the past three weeks.  If you get our daily emails, you can find links to those stories there. Thirdly, next week we'll be taking some time off from the podcast.  Just one week, so don't fret, and feel free to get caught up on any episodes you haven't listened to yet.  But we'll be back on the 29th.  The producers for today's program are Rich Roszel and Jeff McIntosh.  We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today's program include Anne Stych, Bob Smietana, Paul Glader, Paul Clolery, Emily Miller, Christina Darnell, and Warren Smith. Special thanks to Religion UnPlugged and The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

This week, U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced a bill to regulate cryptocurrencies. Then, they went on TV pumping up bitcoin. We’ll explain why that’s not cool, starting with the fact that, according to her financial disclosures, Lummis is a big-time crypto investor. Consult your own financial advisers, and think twice before investing in crypto via your retirement account. Plus, tonight’s Jan. 6 committee hearings are this generation’s Watergate moment. Will you be watching? And, are UFOs real? NASA wants to find out. Here’s everything we talked about today: Sens. Lummis and Gillibrand pumping up bitcoin on Twitter “First Open Testimony Before January 6 Committee” from C-SPAN Fourth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress “Supreme Court Makes Federal Officials ‘Absolutely Immunized’ From Personal Lawsuits” from Government Executive “The Supreme Court gives lawsuit immunity to Border Patrol agents who violate the Constitution” from Vox “NASA Starts a Scientific Study to Find Out if UFOs Exist” from Bloomberg Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Announces Operational Plan for COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Under 5 | The White House We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you think about today’s show or anything else that’s on your mind. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org and (508) 827-6278 or (508) U-B-SMART.

This week, U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced a bill to regulate cryptocurrencies. Then, they went on TV pumping up bitcoin. We’ll explain why that’s not cool, starting with the fact that, according to her financial disclosures, Lummis is a big-time crypto investor. Consult your own financial advisers, and think twice before investing in crypto via your retirement account. Plus, tonight’s Jan. 6 committee hearings are this generation’s Watergate moment. Will you be watching? And, are UFOs real? NASA wants to find out. Here’s everything we talked about today: Sens. Lummis and Gillibrand pumping up bitcoin on Twitter “First Open Testimony Before January 6 Committee” from C-SPAN Fourth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress “Supreme Court Makes Federal Officials ‘Absolutely Immunized’ From Personal Lawsuits” from Government Executive “The Supreme Court gives lawsuit immunity to Border Patrol agents who violate the Constitution” from Vox “NASA Starts a Scientific Study to Find Out if UFOs Exist” from Bloomberg Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Announces Operational Plan for COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Under 5 | The White House We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you think about today’s show or anything else that’s on your mind. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org and (508) 827-6278 or (508) U-B-SMART.

Maria and Julio are joined by Tanya Ballard Brown, executive editor at Government Executive, and Vann Newkirk II, senior editor at The Atlantic and host of the podcast Floodlines. They reflect on 30 years since the police officers who brutally beat Rodney King were acquitted and the uprisings in Los Angeles that followed. They also get into the Biden administration's potential plans for student loan forgiveness, and the latest on voting rights in the lead-up to the midterms.  ITT Staff Picks: “The 1992 riots were in many ways a product of segregation. The sense of disorder they caused only accelerated white flight,” writes Héctor Tobar in The New York Times Magazine. In this thread on Twitter, journalist Michael Harriot expands on the pay, wealth and education disparities between Black and white Americans, and its connection to student loans.  For The Atlantic, Van Newkirk II interviewed Crystal Mason, a Black woman who was convicted to five years in prison for attempting to vote in 2016 and unknowingly violated a Texas voting law. Photo credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Every American has to deal with the IRS in some way. From COVID-19 stimulus payments to tax credits to the annual filing date, Americans deal with the agency on a regular basis. As the Biden administration emphasizes customer service, the tax agency has to balance these responsibilities constantly. But, in the middle of record staffing shortages and a lack of funding, the agency has been operating in survival mode. As part of Government Executive, Route Fifty and Nextgov's Customer Experience summit event recently, GovExec reporter and frequent GovExec Daily guest Courtney Bublé spoke to former IRS chief John Koskinen and National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins. In this episode for our #moneymonday series, they discuss how the IRS is serving citizens during an exceptionally difficult tax season. *** Join GovExec Daily on Clubhouse! https://www.clubhouse.com/club/govexec-daily-group?utm_medium=ch_club&utm_campaign=vlrzJwsaX-VcmRCrWGPctA-103059

Customer service is a topic that has become more important in recent years and especially in recent months with executive action, and legislative priorities. The IRS, in particular, often finds itself in the center of these conversations, especially now, during tax season. As part of Government Executive and Nextgov's Future of Work event recently, Nextgov Executive Editor Frank Konkkel spoke to Annette Jones, assistant to the chief taxpayer Experience Officer at the Internal Revenue Service. In this episode, Jones discusses the ways that the IRS customer experience is evolving.   *** Join GovExec Daily on Clubhouse! https://www.clubhouse.com/club/govexec-daily-group?utm_medium=ch_club&utm_campaign=vlrzJwsaX-VcmRCrWGPctA-103059

Corporate consolidation has been getting a lot of attention lately. But it isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been on the rise since the ’80s, and it’s led to just a handful of companies controlling entire industries and fewer companies out there to deliver goods and services. “One really good example would be health care — this is a pretty concentrated sector in the U.S. economy,” said Kate Bahn, director of labor market policy and chief economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. “[Consolidation] is when there’s hospital mergers … maybe one big management company overarching a whole sort of sector in one location.” But it means a lot more than companies just getting bigger. Corporate consolidation has a big impact on the way our economy is shaped. On today’s show: How corporate consolidation influences wages and consumer prices — and why it calls into question the success of capitalism. In the News Fix, we’ll discuss how a spike in global food prices could trigger unrest around the world and the fate of Sarah Bloom Raskin’s nomination to the Federal Reserve board. (We taped today’s episode before she withdrew her nomination.) Also, listeners celebrate Kimberly’s official spot in the host chair and a debate over who is more introverted! Here’s everything we talked about today: “America’s Monopolies Are Holding Back the Economy” from The Atlantic Kate Bahn’s testimony on corporate power “Ukraine War Could Put Food Security on Pentagon’s Plate” from Government Executive “Manchin Won’t Support Raskin for the Federal Reserve” from The New York Times “Big container ship goes aground in Chesapeake, recalling Suez ordeal” from The Washington Post Keep independent journalism going strong. Give today to support Make Me Smart. 

Corporate consolidation has been getting a lot of attention lately. But it isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been on the rise since the ’80s, and it’s led to just a handful of companies controlling entire industries and fewer companies out there to deliver goods and services. “One really good example would be health care — this is a pretty concentrated sector in the U.S. economy,” said Kate Bahn, director of labor market policy and chief economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. “[Consolidation] is when there’s hospital mergers … maybe one big management company overarching a whole sort of sector in one location.” But it means a lot more than companies just getting bigger. Corporate consolidation has a big impact on the way our economy is shaped. On today’s show: How corporate consolidation influences wages and consumer prices — and why it calls into question the success of capitalism. In the News Fix, we’ll discuss how a spike in global food prices could trigger unrest around the world and the fate of Sarah Bloom Raskin’s nomination to the Federal Reserve board. (We taped today’s episode before she withdrew her nomination.) Also, listeners celebrate Kimberly’s official spot in the host chair and a debate over who is more introverted! Here’s everything we talked about today: “America’s Monopolies Are Holding Back the Economy” from The Atlantic Kate Bahn’s testimony on corporate power “Ukraine War Could Put Food Security on Pentagon’s Plate” from Government Executive “Manchin Won’t Support Raskin for the Federal Reserve” from The New York Times “Big container ship goes aground in Chesapeake, recalling Suez ordeal” from The Washington Post Keep independent journalism going strong. Give today to support Make Me Smart. 

The two years of the pandemic's shift to telework have changed the way public servants do their jobs. As agencies transition more to a hybrid environment, feds and managers will have to learn to adjust to a new work environment and new ways to communicate with one another. As part of Government Executive and Nextgov's Future of Work event recently, GovExec Executive Editor Tanya Ballard Brown spoke to Rob Shriver, who is Associate Director for Employee Services at the Office of Personnel Management. In this episode, Tanya interviews Shriver about the ways that agencies are moving hybrid work environments at agencies.

The Super Bowl this weekend will pit the Los Angeles Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals. Championship events are targets, though, so the Homeland Security Department is deploying personnel and resources to help law enforcement in Los Angeles this week as the Super Bowl fifty six descends onto SoFI Stadium. Courtney Bublé is a reporter at Government Executive. She joined the show to discuss the Homeland Security preparations for Super Bowl 56 in Southern California.

Within the first week of his time in office last year, President Joe Biden issued an executive order implementing a set of ethics rules for his administration, following through on one of his promises around ethics while he was campaigning for office. A little more than a year later, it's worth asking how much progress has the administration made on ethics. Courtney Bublé is a Government Executive reporter. She has a story on our site right now taking a look back at the year-plus of the Biden ethics measure. She joined the show to talk about her story and ethics in the executive branch.

On this episode of the FourBlock Podcast, we are honored to be joined by former Under Secretary for Benefits in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Army Veteran Dr. Paul R. Lawrence. In conversation with FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams, Lawrence generously shares details of his background and upbringing, his military career and transition, and his post-military career in the private sector before giving us a behind the scenes look at his time as the Under Secretary for Benefits at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Lawrence talks about the priorities that he focused on as Under Secretary, including getting veterans the benefits they earned in a manner that honors their service, fiscal stewardship, and collaboration -- working more with veterans' stakeholders like VSOs, nonprofits, and others who wanted to help. A businessman, author, and passionate veteran advocate with 35 years of experience solving management problems in large, complex organizations, Lawrence also shares what he continues to do to advocate for veterans today. As a private sector executive, Lawrence was a consulting Partner at two Big-Four accounting firms and a Vice President in two Fortune 500 companies. He is a government management thought leader, having written several books on the subject. For almost three years, Lawrence served as Under Secretary of Benefits at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, unanimously confirmed by the Senate on April 26, 2018. As Under Secretary, he was in charge of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) leading a team of 25,000 people with an operating budget of $4 billion, administering $120 billion in benefits annually. He implemented proven business practices, streamlined the bureaucracy, and created a public presence rebranding VBA as an organization successfully supporting Veterans. Prior to becoming a political appointee, Lawrence was a Vice President at Kaiser Associates, a Partner at Ernst & Young, a Vice President at Accenture, a Senior Director at the MITRE Corporation, a Vice President with IBM, and a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has written extensively on management, government, and technology. He is the co-author of Succeeding as a Political Executive: 50 Insights from Experience, What Government Does: How Political Executives Manage, Paths to Making a Difference: Leading in Government and the co-editor of Transforming Organizations and Learning the Ropes: Insights for Political Appointees. He serves on the Board of Directors of Vets2Industry, a non-profit organization helping Veterans pursue a career in the private sector. He is also a Senior Advisor to Search & Acquire, a non-profit focused on helping Veterans become CEOs via Entrepreneurship through Acquisition. He was selected three times by Federal Computer Week as one of the top 100 public service leaders. In 2019 he was recognized as Government Executive of the Year by Service to the Citizen. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. Lawrence earned his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He is an Army Veteran. He completed his ROTC requirement as an Airborne-qualified Captain. Find Paul Lawrence on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpaullawrence/. Lawrence's book, “Transforming Service to Veterans: How I Pursued Performance Excellence at the Veterans Benefits Administration in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Service-Veterans-Performance-Administration/dp/B09DMQZN4N/   ABOUT US Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace. General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat. But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.  FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.  Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, founder of FourBlock, and author of two military transition books. He represents the military transition perspective. Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey represents the civilian perspective of this issue.  Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/ Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate. Follow FourBlock on Social Media  LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Twitter Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.  

In the latest episode of #IMM, Christine speaks with Troy Schneider and James Hanson of Government Executive.

As paradigms shift due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, questions remain about what agency evolution will look like. As the year comes to a close, the state of agencies in 2022 remains unwritten as uncertainty remains the only certainty. As part of Government Executive's State of the Federal Workforce event recently, GovExec reporter and frequent GovExec Daily guest Eric Katz spoke to John Dankanich, MSFC Chief Technologist, In-Space Transportation Capability Lead at NASA and Michael Peckham, HHS Program Support Center CFO. In this episode, they explore what the federal agency of the future will look like.

Tech challenges at VA Office of Information & Technology Paul Brubaker, acting principal deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Information and Technology, discusses how his office responded to the pandemic early on and is addressing infrastructure limitations to improve system effectiveness Responding to latest weapons tests from North Korea David Choi, news reporter for Stars and Stripes, discusses talks between the United States and South Korea to update operational plans after new weapons tests from North Korea Enhancing communication between agencies, IG offices Courtney Bublé, staff correspondent at Government Executive, discusses new guidance from the Biden administration for agencies to improve communication and coordination with inspectors general

You hear a lot of bad things about government jobs, but Kelly is here to tell you why they're actually amazing! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vaccine mandates have been a controversial subject in American discourse since vaccines became widely available early this year. The COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadline for federal employees is next week, presumably with discipline following for feds who do not have an approved exemption.  The Government Business Council, the research arm of Government Executive, conducted a survey of federal employees recently that found that more than of respondents  either strongly or somewhat disagreed with the Biden administration's vaccine mandate. GovExec staff correspondent Courtney Bublé joined the podcast to discuss the survey results.

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point™ Podcast, Martha Dorris spoke with Barbara Morton, the Deputy Chief Veteran Experience Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Barbara C. Morton has served as the Deputy Chief Veteran Experience Officer at the VA since July 2016 after serving in the VA Board of Veterans' Appeals. Learn how she is building a lasting customer experience capability at the VA and sharing best practices across other federal agencies.  Barbara's passion and persistence for driving customer experience as a core business discipline at VA began earlier in her career at VA while serving Veterans, their families, care givers and survivors at the Board of Veterans' Appeals. She experienced first-hand the opportunity VA public servants have to make the often-times difficult or confusing interactions with VA more positive for Veterans and their supporters. Years later, when the opportunity arose to serve the cause of improving the experience for Veterans and their supporters in the newly created VEO, she took it.The VA has become a leader in implementing customer experience (CX) in the federal government, to include focusing on both the veterans, care givers, families and survivors but also employees as well. Barbara was the Government Executive of the Year for the 2021 Service to the Citizen Awards to recognize her accomplishments in building the capacity at the VA and her support for other customer-focused efforts across the government.  

Known as the Disaster Avoidance Expert, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is on a mission to protect leaders from dangerous judgment errors known as cognitive biases, which devastate bottom lines and bring down high-flying careers. His expertise and passion is developing the most effective and profitable decision-making strategies, based on pragmatic business experience and cutting-edge behavioral economics and cognitive neuroscience, to empower leaders to avoid business disasters and maximize their bottom lines. A best-selling author, he wrote he wrote Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters (2019), The Truth Seeker's Handbook: A Science-Based Guide (2017), and The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships (2020). Dr. Tsipursky's cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 400 articles and 350 interviews in Fast Company, CBS News, Time, Scientific American, Psychology Today, The Conversation, Business Insider, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Government Executive, Inc. Magazine, and elsewhere. https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/nevergut/