State Department
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A new study from the National Academies suggests a new and different future for the State Department — one in which science and technology are infused into diplomacy and statecraft. The authors say several rival nations are ahead of the United States when it comes to merging these disciplines. Tom Pickering, former under secretary of State and one of the co-chairs of the Committee on Science and Technology Capabilities at the State Department joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on the report he co-authored.
June 09, 2015 -
It\'s been 17 years since President Bill Clinton issued the executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce. Today, gay and lesbian feds say they are still fighting for equality. Members of the Foreign Service who seek assignment in countries where homosexuality is illegal are often denied visas for their spouses. \"Transgender exclusion\" prevents some employees from receiving certain health benefits from their federal plans. Selim Ariturk is president of GLIFAA, the association for LGBT employees in Foreign Affairs Agencies. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on Pride Month — and all the work that\'s still left to do.
June 04, 2015 -
\"We can\'t just put a smiley face on everything and say it\'s good,\" said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who led two days of hearings on agencies\' attempts to fulfill Freedom of Information Act requests. He vowed to push reform legislation through Congress.
June 03, 2015 -
The State Department suffers from a lack of leadership career opportunities. The American Academy of Diplomacy says an overbalance of political appointees in the senior ranks of the agency means they're only focused on short-term goals. Ambassador Ron Neumann is president of the Academy. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he offered a proposal to reintroduce career employees into the top ranks of the Foreign and Civil Services at State.
April 02, 2015 -
President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order giving agencies the ability to recommend economic sanctions against cyber attackers and their supporters. As the President signed this latest order, Congress seems closer than ever to passing a cyber information sharing bill.
April 02, 2015 -
By NANCY BENAC Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — In the never-ending quest to preserve the government’s history, there have been plenty of weapons of mass destruction. Before delete keys on computers, there were paper shredders,…
March 30, 2015 -
By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s internal watchdog has found that many department employees are not preserving emails for the public record as required by the government. That could mean…
March 12, 2015 -
The State Department hopes to tap into veterans' overseas experiences with a new program. The Veterans Innovation Partnership launched last month. The goal is to apply service members' skills to foreign policy and international affairs. Drew O'Brien is the Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the State Department. He joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to explain more about the program.
March 03, 2015 -
Four inspectors general tell the Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee they need legislative help in order to help them effectively oversee federal agencies.
February 24, 2015 -
The Center for Plain Language issued its annual plain language report cards Tuesday, with the Homeland Security Department, Social Security Administration and Security Exchange Commission earning top scores.
January 27, 2015 -
A greater diplomatic presence in potential conflict spots will save the country from military action. That presence depends on growing the collaboration between the diplomatic community, the intelligence community and the military community. Ryan Crocker is dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and others. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said diplomats should be equal partners with their colleagues across government.
January 26, 2015 -
Federal linguists are finding themselves in a Catch-22 situation. They become experts in another culture and language by spending a lot of time living in another country. But spending a lot of time outside of the United States can make their security lives more difficult. Matthew Asada is State vice president of the American Foreign Service Association. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he explained the obstacles a federal linguist faces when trying to advance a career.
January 26, 2015 -
Long-time and well-respected cybersecurity executive Mark Orndorff is calling it a government career on Jan. 31.
January 19, 2015 -
After 50 years of stepping on its neck, now the United States is preparing to normalize relations with Cuba. President Barack Obama's wide-ranging diplomatic bet involves finance, trade, border security and travel. That means it will spark a lot of work for you, your employees and contractors. Don Kettl, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on the implications.
December 19, 2014 -
Two years after Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in a terror attack in Benghazi, Libya, training for the Diplomatic Security Service has undergone a thorough overhaul. The training course for high threat posts is now 10 weeks instead of five, and it's so realistic trainees might forget they're actually on a military base in Virginia. Paul Davies, Diplomatic Security Chief for High Threat Training at the State Department, spoke with Tom Temin on the Federal Drive.
November 24, 2014