Federal Drive with Tom Temin
Summary: When he's not tooling around the National Capital region on his motorcycle, Tom Temin interviews federal executives and government contractors who provide analysis and insight on the many critical issues facing the Executive branch. The Federal Drive is found at FederalNewsNetwork.com and 1500 AM in the Washington D.C. region.
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Podcasts:
A new rule increasing the U.S.-made content in what the government buys is on the way. The Federal Acquisition Regulation Council published it yesterday. It increases the minimum U.S. content from 55% to 60%, and eventually to 75%. But, the rule has several exceptions. The Federal Drive got analysis from the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wildfires and forest fires have become almost a year-'round phenomenon. It can't continue. So the U.S. Forest Service has a new strategy aimed at protecting homes and towns in danger, and for the resilience of woodlands themselves. Forest Service program manager Brian Ferebee joined the Federal Drive with the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Even an organization as big and armed as the United States Navy doesn't take the ransomware threat for granted. For how it's dealing, earlier the Federal Drive spoke with the principal cyber advisor in the office of the Navy chief information officer, Chris Cleary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s still a chance the Defense Department’s multibillion dollar household goods moving contract could get derailed by another round of bid protests at the Court of Federal Claims. But as of now, it’s full steam ahead. After the Government Accountability Office denied five separate protests last week, U.S. Transportation Command immediately lifted a stop work order. That lets winning vendor HomeSafe Alliance start the implementation process for the massive transformation of the military’s moving system. Al Thompson is HomeSafe’s CEO. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about some of the next steps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inflation is at its highest rates since the 1990s. While nearly everyone is experiencing the pain of five-buck gasoline and other rising chicken prices, federal contractors with long-term deals are feeling a different kind of discomfort. In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why rising costs are forcing some companies out of the federal market, and what the General Services Administration is hoping to do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Besides the omnibus budget package, Congress is dealing with a few other issues this week, like Postal reform. But it's a short week, as we learn from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The largest federal union has filed a class action lawsuit for employees who think they were exposed to Covid-19 at work. There's even a web site where people can sign on. Here with details, from the law firm Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman and Fitch, partner Heidi Burakiewicz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In its ongoing search for innovation towards the strategic edge, the Office of Naval Research has turned to academic. ONR recently sponsored a research project called the Gordian Knot For National Security Innovation. It's housed at Stanford University. For what's been happening since the center opened last fall I spoke with the chief of Naval Research, Rear Admiral Lorin Selby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to widespread concerns about accompanying cyber attacks. Now Congress is moving forward with major cybersecurity legislation, including new requirements for agencies. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal employees looking to appeal pay cuts or dismissals won't have to wait on the Merit Systems Protection Board much longer. The Senate last week confirmed two nominees to serve on the board, enough for the first quorum in more than five years. The board has a backlog of thousands of appeals cases, but also a few tools and strategies to tackle it. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy, ARPA-E, is spending big to unearth the next generation of technologies for energy. It's launched a $175 million grant program for everything from wind to fusion. For details, ARPA-E's deputy director for technology, Jenny Gerbi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Discussion about the federal workforce rarely go three minutes, before someone laments the need to get young people into government. Yet three quarters of the federal workforce is over 40, a much higher percentage than in the private sector. So it may be no surprise that age discrimination complaints in government are more common than in the private sector. American University professor Bob Tobias has been studying the federal workforce for decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To fight and win the nation's wars, the Defense Department needs the best possible armaments. The National Armaments Consortium brings together contractors, researchers and academics in the development of new armament technologies for the military to acquire and test. Now the consortium has a new vice president of customer engagement, retired Army Brigadier General Al Abramson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A recent list in Forbes Magazine, of 500 of the best midsized employers in the United States, included a couple of federal agencies. Among them, the Government Publishing Office. For an update on what this Congressional agency has been up to, the Federal Drive turned to director Hugh Halpern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Defense Department is becoming more reliant on commercial cloud computing. That means it needs more than one option. The relatively tiny Defense Innovation Unit recently settled on Google Cloud for a production contract. The company’s security framework around the cloud mirrors that of DISA’s Cloud Access Point. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked about the contract with DIU cyber portfolio manager Richard Simon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices