Federal Drive with Tom Temin

At the Defense Department, artificial intelligence has been topic one lately. But unlike, say, China, the U.S. Federal Government including DOD have a policy of ethical and unbiased application of AI. Recently the Defense Innovation Unit issued what it calls Responsible AI Guidelines. Joining the Federal Drive with what those are all about, the unit's technical director for artificial intelligence and machine learning, Jared Dunnmon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a campaign that never seems to end. The Office of Personnel Management is on a mission to help agencies with their hiring, and understand the tools and tricks they can use to bring new employees on board faster. Many agencies already had plenty of hiring to do earlier in the year. But the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is piling more on. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive to explain what OPM is trying to do to help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new cyber incident reporting mandate seemed well on its way to being included in this year’s NDAA. But the push to have critical companies report hacks to the government fell apart at the last minute. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration is sending a clear message to agencies to cooperate with their inspectors general. The Office of Management and Budget has new guidance on this after getting feedback from the Council of Inspectors General. Now there's legislation what would bolster IGs. For an update on this work, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A disabled veteran-owned training contractor found out that you can do better protesting an award in the Court of Federal Claims rather than with the Government Accountability Office. That's because you can get more information in court filings. Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo illustrated that point with a recent case on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The nation's communications infrastructure is one of those critical elements that need protection. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has the task of helping the industry ensure resilience. But the Government Accountability Office said the agency should do a little more navel-gazing. The GAO's Acting Director Leslie Gordon had more on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Veterans Affairs has been laboring for years now to build and install the Cerner electronic health record system. The Office of Inspector General took a close look at the patient scheduling component VA installed last year at two locations. Here with highlights of what they found, Deputy Assistant Inspector General Leigh Ann Searight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pentagon and the armed services have been on an innovation tear. But they're buying most of the innovation from the private sector. That's sharpened the challenges the Defense Department has over how it manages intellectual property. Now Congress is getting interested. It's one of the top stories in this week's DoD Reporters Notebook with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione, who joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The General Services Administration recently selected 14 information technology projects in which it will invest a windfall. GSA's Technology Transformation Service received $150 million in extra funding in fiscal 2021 from the American Rescue Plan. Technology Transformation Service Director Dave Zvenyach joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for highlights of the projects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe, Congress is good at kicking things. Megan scores goals though. Congress kicks procrastination cans down the road. Now the continuing resolution for funding the government runs until February. February 18 to be exact. So you can reset the countdown clock. For what Congress will be dealing with next, the Federal Drive spoke to WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And elite task force has finished look into the competitiveness of American manufacturing. Its findings start with the U.S. work force, and it also has recommendations for the federal government. The Federal Drive got highlights now from the director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Roger Zakheim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ensuring resiliency and efficiency of the electrical grid, it's a top national security concern. Keeping the grid top notch will take more than wires. It'll take algorithms. My next guest, a scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, developed an algorithm that won the top prize in a competition, staged by the Advanced Research Project Agency - Energy. Doctor Hassan Hijazi joined the Federal Drive to tell us about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Democrats are focusing on several tidbits important to the federal workforce in the final days of 2021. They've introduced new legislation to strengthen the Office of Personnel Management. And there's a new bill that attempts an overhaul of an underperforming federal internship program. Recent debate in the House Oversight Committee, shows just how heated these arcane-sounding topics really are. More from Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trains, planes and other transportation sectors are being handed new cybersecurity requirements by the Biden administration. Agencies want to make sure the nation’s transportation infrastructure isn’t susceptible to ransomware and other attacks. The new mandates mark a shift from a mostly voluntary approach to cybersecurity in critical infrastructure. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently the Office of Special Counsel revealed that several members of the Trump administration violated the Hatch Act. It happens in every administration, if not to that extent. The law prevents political activity by appointed and career federal employees while on the job. My next quest says the Office of Special Counsel should have greater statutory authority to go after Hatch Act violators. Bob Tobias is a professor in the Key Executive Leadership program at American University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices