Federal Drive

  • Tis the season to be jolly. But military service members and veterans often experience a spike in depression or post traumatic stress disorder -- even suicide -- this time of year. For some of the warning signs and how you can help, we turn to the Director of Admissions at Warriors Heart, Michael O'Dell.

    December 12, 2023
  • In today's Federal Newscast: The Small Business Administration is redefining small. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is rolling out a new cybersecurity tool for agencies. And DARPA makes plans to build a booming economy on the moon.

    December 12, 2023
  • As the artificial intelligence phenomenon rolls on, the question emerges: What are the cybersecurity-attack implications of AI? Now Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute has formed a team called the Artificial Intelligence Security Incident Response Team. It's working with sponsors in the Defense and Homeland Security Departments. For more, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with the Director of the CERT division of the Software Engineering Institute, Greg Touhill.

    December 11, 2023
  • It's down to the wire for the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, over which the House and Senate are still working out differences. This as Congress prepares to depart for the holidays.

    December 11, 2023
  • In today's Federal Newscast: GAO looks to improve agency adoption of agile and iterative software development. The U.S. Space Force has officially activated its component for Europe and Africa. And GAO is projecting money for DoD's Armed Forces Retirement Homes is running out.

    December 11, 2023
  • In 38 years at NASA, today's Federal Drive guest has done lots of things. As an astronaut, he flew three space missions, commanding two of them. He oversaw retirement of the Space Shuttle. He rose to associate administration, the number three ranking person at NASA.

    December 08, 2023
  • In today's Federal Newscast: The National Park Service offers the best customer experience in the government, according to research firm Forrester. The chief management officer is not coming back to the Defense Department. And blindsided by pay problems, certain VA medical employees might be allowed union help.

    December 08, 2023
  • It's hard to go wrong in picking a FEHBP plan, but with a little homework you can make a good thing better

    December 07, 2023
  • 'Tis the season to be jolly. But don't get too distracted from important priorities, like end-of-year financial planning. For some orientation, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Thiago Glieger, a wealth adviser with RMG Advisers of Rockville, Maryland, a firm that specializes in federal employees.

    December 07, 2023
  • Earlier this summer, disposal experts with the Defense Department destroyed the last remaining M55 rocket filled with deadly sarin nerve agent at a storage facility in Kentucky. It was a major milestone, marking the safe elimination of all declared chemical agents amassed between World War I and the late 1960s. To find out what and who were involved in this extensive initiative, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction and Arms Control, Kingston Reif.

    December 07, 2023
  • In today's Federal Newscast: DoD's Electronic Health Record problems are still a big factor in military recruiting challenges. GAO says the Department of Veterans Affairs is failing to detect drug felons during the hiring process. And the Senate has confirmed the new director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

    December 07, 2023
  • Everywhere you look, you see more land covered by solar panels. In fact, the Energy Department estimates some 4,000 large solar projects are underway in the U.S. Now, thanks to Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the U.S. Geological Survey, solar watchers can access a database of them. It shows their size, location and other details.

    December 06, 2023
  • For smaller suppliers, selling to DoD still isn't a walk in the park – but things are getting a little simpler. Last month, the department enacted a long-awaited rule change that prohibits prime contractors from flowing unnecessary contract clauses down to their subcontractors. It is all a part of more changes that are meant to simplify commercial buying in DoD that are still in the rulemaking pipeline. Dan Ramish is counsel at the law firm Haynes & Boone. He talked with Federal News Network’s Deputy Editor Jared Serbu about what the changes mean.

    December 06, 2023
  • The most talked about Government Accountability Office report confirmed what a lot of people suspected: Federal offices are largely unoccupied. It is a continuation of the situation during the pandemic. For more on the report, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu spoke with GAO's Acting Director of Physical Infrastructure, David Marroni.

    December 06, 2023