Jeff Neal, senior vice president at ICF International, and Tim McManus, vice president for education and outreach, count down the top federal news stories of the week.

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A long list of budget items the Agriculture Department could cut is headed to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The list comes from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He sent letters, with potential cuts listed, to leaders across government. He joins In Depth to discuss his list of proposed agency savings.

Your agency’s identity is critical for attracting new talent into the workforce. Sometimes its virtual identity can be just as important as the physical one. Tim McManus, vice president for education and outreach at the Partnership for Public Service, joins In Depth to discuss how agencies define their virtual identities.

The largest federal contractor for background checks is getting a check of its own. Office of Personnel Management Inspector General Patrick McFarland told Congress this week he’s been looking at USIS for over a year and a half. Nicole Smith, an associate at Tully Rinckey, joins In Depth to discuss the security-clearance process.

Contractor conducting background checks under investigation prior to NSA leak (related story)

Your complaints about the certification process for veteran-owned small businesses at the Department of Veterans Affairs can go straight to the source now. The agency wants feedback on how to improve the process. Tom Leney, executive director for Small and Veteran Business Programs at the Veterans Affairs Department, joins In Depth with more.

VA to review regulations governing small business contracting program (related story)

Stalking implies a creepy, following-people-around-in-an-uncomfortable-way dynamic. But ethical stalking may put your company on a path to more federal business. Guy Timberlake, chief visionary officer of the American Small Business Coalition, is he’s leading some training workshops about ethical stalking.