Federal Drive

  • In today's Federal Newscast: A new bill aims to raise the pay for blue-collar federal employees. CISA is expanding its cyber services beyond federal agencies. And if you'd like to ghost write for Santa, USPS has a deal for you.

    November 21, 2023
  • To be a good leader, you've got to know your people. But what about knowing yourself? Emotional intelligence is more important than ever in connecting with a diverse and changing workforce. So should it be considered when picking the leaders of tomorrow? That's the stance of Bob Tobias, retired professor from American University's Key Executive Leadership program. He tells Federal News Network's Eric White, just how vital emotional intelligence is for succeeding as a leader.

    November 20, 2023
  • The Government Accountability Office gets all the attention. But the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), also has lists of management and financial priorities for federal agencies.

    November 20, 2023
  • The government is open on this short holiday week – and it will stay that way through at least the first couple months of the new year. That is thanks to a continuing resolution Congress passed and the president signed late last week. But the way Congress went about it is going to make things complicated – and maybe harder to pass full appropriations bills for 2024. For more on this, Federal News Network Deputy Editor talked with Mitchell Miller, WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent.

    November 20, 2023
  • In today's Federal Newscast: Postponing maintenance at federal buildings is costing the government $22 billion. The White House has temporarily filled a top cyber job. And a Senate committee has taken a big step to help end the hold on nearly 370 military nominations.

    November 20, 2023
  • DoD personnel officials have been sifting through results of a recently concluded challenge. Staff in the office of the under secretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, sought ideas from uniformed and civilian employees on how to improve what they call "talent management."

    November 17, 2023
  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wants everybody to be as prepared for natural disasters as they can be. But FEMA’s placing a new emphasis on older adults, who are more susceptible to the consequences of disasters. A new disaster preparedness guide tries to help local emergency managers and other stakeholders deal with that reality. For more, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked with Sherman Gillums, the Director of FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. 

    November 17, 2023
  • On today's Federal Newscast: The Defense Department is still the only federal department that's never earned a clean audit opinion. GOP lawmakers are trying to override a controversial cybersecurity regulation. And locality pay strikes again, as more than 33,000 federal employees will see additional raises in January.

    November 17, 2023
  • As if pandemic, threats of nuclear war, and a lack of Tesla charging stations aren't enough to worry about, there is always the possibility that an asteroid could hit the earth and wipe-out all of us. A team at NASA discovered a way to alter the path of an asteroid, should one come too close and they garnered the distinction of being finalists in this year's Service to America Medals program, also known as the Sammies. For the details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with two members of NASA's Planetary Missions Program Office: Program Manager Brian Key and Mission Manager Scott Bellamy.

    November 16, 2023
  • After rounds of FOIA requests and even litigation, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) received a copy of the A-10C and F-35A close air support fly-off test report. The test was to compare how both aircraft stack up in providing all-important close air support to ground troops. After analyzing the heavily redacted document, POGO analysts found that despite what the Air Force had been saying, it appears the F-35 may not be well-suited for providing that support.

    November 16, 2023
  • (11/16/23) - In today's Federal Newscast: The IRS' new CIO makes a move with vast experience and success modernizing legacy technology. Several key Biden administration nominees are moving forward in the Senate. And the GSA sees record spending through its contracts for IT products and services.

    November 16, 2023
  • The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), is one of the main tools the agency relies on for environmental regulations, containing information on human health effects that may result from exposure to various chemicals in the environment. A new report from the EPA's inspector general, said the agency needs to do a better job of who has access to it. For more on the report, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin's Executive Producer Eric White talked with Jeremy Sigel, the IG office's Supervisory Audit Manager in the Information Resources Management Directorate. 

    November 16, 2023
  • Another shutdown countdown is upon us. If you're thinking, "didn't we just go through one?" You're right. All this uncertainty is taking a toll on agency operations and the folks that run the places. To get an idea of how these constant battles could effect things going forward, Federal Drive Executive Producer Eric White spoke with Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.

    November 15, 2023
  • If Congress ever passes the 2024 Defense authorization bill, keep your eye on Section 804. It's now in the Senate version, and it is aimed at granting the Defense Department the rights to increasing amounts contractors' data more than it appears DoD needs for maintenance and operation of what it buys. Section 804 seems innocuous at first glance.

    November 15, 2023