All of the military branches have until to 2017 to have their financial statements in audit-ready condition. The Marine Corps is currently ahead of the pack.

Steve Herrera explains how the Air Force plans to meet the deadline. He’s the Air Force’s associate deputy assistant secretary for financial Operations. He says they’re making significant progress.

The Veterans Affairs Department has a reason to celebrate. Its National Cemetery Administration has earned the highest marks for excellent customer service in both the private and public sector. That’s according to a survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Steve Muro, undersecretary for Memorial Affairs at the VA, has more.

When programs go off the rail, sometimes agencies feel the need to switch contractors. A case in point is HealthCare.gov. Health and Human Services jettisoned its main contractor and hired Accenture to work on the troubled site.

Jim Williams offers some perspective on the pros and cons of switching contractors. He’s a former acquisition executive at the IRS. He also ran the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration.

A proposed rule change at the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety Inspection Service would let more chickens undergo inspection faster. Plants wouldn’t be required to test for pathogens like salmonella.

It’s been almost two years since we heard from Stan Painter, chairman of the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals . He tells Federal News Radio’s Lauren Larson why inspectors still think this change is bad for our health.