Federal Drive with Tom Temin

The government-wide improper payment rate crept up last year, because of programs spawned by the pandemic. The Office of Management and Budget found that improper payments grew most under the Federal-State Unemployment Insurance program, which saw its improper payment rate reach nearly 19%. Eight points higher than pre-pandemic rates. For a closer look, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the former deputy executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, now a principal at Grant Thornton, Linda Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tucked into page 6, second paragraph down of the Defense Information Systems Agency’s new strategic plan is a hum-dinger of a sentence. DISA says it wants to "eliminate the need for third party resellers, integrators" under the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability or JWCC program. In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about this major policy change and why some in industry are unhappy. Jason joined the Federal Drive now to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As it settles in for real work after the holidays and its January 6 look-back, Congress, at least some members, are starting to wonder how the long continuing resolution is affecting the Defense department. For more on this and other matters under the dome, Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might be forgiven if you find the mask mandate confusing. It's been challenged in a dozen courts across the country. This as the latest covid variant pushes back any large scale return to the federal office. And Friday the Supreme Court heard arguments on the yes-or-no debate. D.C. federal employment attorney John Mahoney joined the Federal Drive to sort it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It might be less well-known than its military academy counterparts. But the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy produces the nation's trained and licensed maritime shipping workforce. So what it does is vital to the economy. The Academy is also in dire need of a new strategy and modernizing in general. That's the conclusion of a panel convened by the National Academy of Public Administration. Joining the Federal Drive with highlights, panel chair Judith Youngman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through federal agencies, the Biden Administration is trying to enforce several different vaccine mandates. They’ve all faced legal challenges to one degree or another. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Friday on whether the mandates issued through OSHA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should be allowed to go ahead. The ones that more directly affect federal employees and contractors haven’t reached the high court – at least not yet. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has been following the issue, and he joins the Federal Drive to bring us up to speed on where some of the cases stand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Army Emergency Relief provides grants and interest-free loans to soldiers who need a little help. The organization is now investing in the Army’s Career Skills Program. The initiative pairs companies with jobs in the civilian world with soldiers. But it has a few financial barriers. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked about it with Army Emergency Relief Financial Assistance Administrator, Scott Wilder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when an agency inspector general appears to whitewash charges of sexual misconduct by a senior manager? In the case of the Securities and Exchange Commission, complaints from inside the SEC eventually resulted in an investigation by the IG from another agency. The Project on Government Oversight got hold of that report and the lurid events it uncovered. Joining the Federal Drive with more, POGO senior journalist Adam Zagorin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal agency management, in fact the Biden administration itself … have been at odds with employee unions in the covid and vaccine debates. At the Smithsonian, employees say their concerns over contact with the public haven't been taken seriously enough, and that's had consequences. For one view, the Federal Drive turned to the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2463, Reggie Booth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans like their beef. One reason it's a popular protein option is because the industry generally produces a safe product. One reason for *that* is the work of my next guest. He's the associate administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, a nationally recognized expert on cattle health, and now the recent winner of a Presidential Rank Award. Dr. Steven Kappes joined the Federal Drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is undertaking several major technology initiatives this year. The projects include cloud computing, cybersecurity, and machine learning. All this as NGA continues to look at ways it can harness an explosion in commercial earth data. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive with the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Courtney, who became the new chief procurement officer for DHS in August, said recruiting and retaining his workforce is among his highest priorities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence is growing fast as a technology to help companies hire the people they need faster. But it also has the potential to introduce bias on a record scale. That’s according to attorney Keith Sonderling, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020. He’s made fair use of AI a top priority, and he joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Operators of pipelines, freight railroads and passenger transit systems face a parade of cybersecurity deadlines this year. They come from the Transportation Security Administration, partly in reaction to last year's Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. For details, the Federal Drive turn to a former federal prosecutor, now a partner at the law firm McDermott, Will and Emery, Scott Ferber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When training air combatants, the armed services find simulators can only take you so far. Sometimes you need practice up in the sky. Over the past few years, the Pentagon has spent $8 billion on contractors to supply planes and pilots to play enemy. Now those contracts are under review. We get more now from the director of defense capabilities and management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Cary Russell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices