Last month, the Defense Department announced in a memo that the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision kicking abortion law back to the state “does not prohibit the department from continuing to perform covered abortions, consistent with federal law.” The memo also promised “no interruption to this care.” Jacqueline Feldscher is senior national security correspondent at Defense One. She joined the podcast to discuss the Defense Department and the Dobbs decision....
Jul 08, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 91
Last month, the United States Supreme Court severely restricted the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gasses, while also potentially setting a precedent that could severely restrict federal agencies’ capacity to create new regulations. Martha Kinsella is a senior counsel in the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, where she works on government reform, government ethics, and regulatory issues. She joined the podcast to talk about the EPA decision and how it will affe...
Jul 07, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 90
The Supreme Court struck down the Roe v. Wade decision late last month, taking away the national right to an abortion. However, the United States Postal Service will not proactively assist the states enforce their laws prohibiting the use of mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate pregnancies. Senior Correspondent Eric Katz covers the Postal Service. He joined the podcast to discuss the ways that USPS and the Biden administration are affected by the Supreme Court decision. *** Join GovExec Dai...
Jul 06, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 89
Leadership, particularly in the public sector, requires a slate of skills. Decision making, communication and many other strengths are key to managing people and mission. Underlying so many of these skills is mindfulness, even if it doesn’t immediately come to mind. Andrew Feldman is the founder and principal consultant at the Center for Results-Focused Leadership, which helps public agencies use evidence, data and strategy to improve their results. He also hosts the Gov Innovator podcast.Rabbi ...
Jul 05, 2022•16 min•Season 3Ep. 88
The United States has found itself facing many challenges in the decades since the turn of the century. From terrorism to a pandemics to climate change, the federal government’s work is and has been cut out for it. Government successes, however, are often less public than its struggles. Tom Shoop writes on GovExec.com that “it’s not what government has accomplished that’s significant, but what it has prevented from happening.” Shoop is editor at large and the former executive vice president and ...
Jul 01, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 87
The Thrift Savings Plan recently transitioned to a new recordkeeper, partially with the goal of giving investors a set of new web-based services. The transition, however, has been rougher than TSP officials anticipated, with a torrent of complaints coming from investors and users of the new interface. GovExec Senior Correspondent Erich Wagner covers the federal workforce. He joined the podcast to discuss the TSP news and the transition. *** Join GovExec Daily on Clubhouse! https://www.clubhouse....
Jun 30, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 86
As part of its Management Agenda, the Biden administration has identified government customer service as a point of emphasis. The administration’s Management Agenda Vision document outlines how workforce improvements and customer service will go hand-in-hand to improving trust in government and mission delivery. William D. Eggers is the executive director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights, where he is responsible for the firm’s public sector thought leadership. He testified recently i...
Jun 29, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 85
For decades, June has marked Pride Month for LGBTQ+ communities across the U.S. Cities mark the month with parades and festivals, while other businesses often participate with various messages of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Federal agencies fly Pride flags, but studies show that discrimination against individuals because of their gender and sexual identities remain a problem in the public and private sectors. Dan Meyer is an attorney and Managing Partner of Tully Rinckey’s D.C office. ...
Jun 28, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 84
Total student loan debt in the U.S. is estimated to be worth trillions of dollars. College debt affects millions of borrowers. And according to the Federal Reserve, the average student loan debt per borrower is more than $30,000 per student. The federal government has a role in the way that student debt is administered, especially as forgiveness has come to the front of the broader political conversation. Ben Kaufman is the Director of Research & Investigations at the Student Borrower Protec...
Jun 27, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 83
The Senate is close to passing a measure to expand benefits offered to veterans who became sick due to burn pits while on active duty . The plan would also authorize sweeping new authorities to hire employees and lease new facilities to handle the resulting uptick in usage of the VA health care system. GovExec Senior Correspondent Eric Katz is covering the story. He joined the podcast to discuss the status of the bill and what it will mean for the Veterans Affairs Department. *** Join GovExec Da...
Jun 24, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 82
If you spend a lot of time online, you have probably seen social media posts from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The agency responsible for consumer product recalls has carved out a place somewhere between weird twitter and brand twitter with its memes and posts towing the line between absurdist humor and just plain surrealism. The agency’s social media team has redefined what the agency’s online presence can be on social media. Recently, GovExec correspondent and frequent GovExec Daily...
Jun 23, 2022•15 min•Season 3Ep. 81
Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a 2-1 opinion in favor of hedge fund manager George Jarkesy and investment adviser Patriot28. Their case contested the Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to charge them with wide-ranging securities fraud. The decision’s text appears to argue against or, at least, minimize the role of subject matter experts and the administrative law power of federal agencies. Conor D. Dirks is an attorney at the firm of Shaw Bransford ...
Jun 22, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 80
In October, the Biden administration revamped the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program , involving a waiver program and changes to the Education Department’s processes. The changes brought more than a hundred thousand people into the program, though they were needed for a 15-year-old program that was rife with confusion about communication, eligibility and breadth. GovExec Daily spoke to public servants employees from across the country about the program and their experiences within it. Some ...
Jun 21, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 79
Much has been written and said about the “Great Resignation” and its effects on American work culture. But, ultimately, organizations and employees need to see eye-to-eye on issues like respect, values and communication. How can organizations and employees work together to keep work culture clashes at a minimum for the best possible outcomes? Lee Frederiksen is an author, business strategist and the Managing Partner at the Hinge Research Institute . He joined the podcast to discuss the new Hinge...
Jun 16, 2022•15 min•Season 3Ep. 78
A new survey by consulting firm Gartner has found that the COVID-19 crisis has elevated people’s values, driving them to find more purpose and meaning in their work and in their lives. As Americans reevaluate their relationships with work and their jobs, organizations will have to adjust to this new reality. Dr. Jessica Grossmeier, PHD, MPH is an advisor, speaker, and the author of Reimagining Workplace Well-being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence. She joined the pod...
Jun 15, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 77
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Washington state innkeeper does not have implied causes of action against a federal agent for alleged constitutional violations arising from the enforcement of immigration laws along the U.S.-Canada border. The ruling may create a broad precedent that legal experts have said would make it nearly impossible to sue federal officials and law enforcement. GovExec Senior Correspondent Eric Katz is covering the case. He joined the podcast to talk...
Jun 14, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 76
Semi-regularly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases a report that enumerates the ways that the planet is being affected by human activity. It is, in short, bad all around. Pollution ruins our waterways, animal extinction rates are up and increasing temperatures are putting life in peril. In the financial and governance world, this brings up the question: What role do finance and fintech have in the planet’s degradation and what roles can they play in stemming the tide or rever...
Jun 13, 2022•20 min•Season 3Ep. 75
The COVID-19 crisis continues to affectAmerican life and the federal government’s response continues to evolve. Recently, AmeriCorps’ named AJ Pearlman as director of Public Health AmeriCorps, a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the future of public health programs nationwide. Recently, GovExec correspondent and frequent GovExec Daily guest Courtney Bublé interviewed Pearlman about a range of issues . In this episode, you’ll hear Courtney talks to Pearlma...
Jun 10, 2022•10 min•Season 3Ep. 74
For years, Kentucky attorney Eric C. Conn defrauded the Social Security Administration out of hundreds of millions of dollars by paying a judge to fast-track approval of SSI cases without even looking at evidence. The story is documented in the Apple TV+ series The Big Conn , which shines the spotlight on the WSJ reporter who first brought the story to the nation, the whistleblowers who flagged the story for their agency and the thousands of people whose benefits were ripped away when Conn’s sch...
Jun 09, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 73
The TSP is an integral part of many federal employees’ personal financial lives. In April three Senators placed holds on four of Joe Biden’s four nominees to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board who have advanced out of committee. Last week, the Senators announced that they had lifted their holds. The removal comes as the TSP transitions to a new recordkeeping service provider, though many account holders have reported glitches. GovExec Senior Correspondent Erich Wagner covers the fede...
Jun 08, 2022•14 min•Season 3Ep. 72
As the planet’s climate changes, catastrophic weather has become more of a part of our lives in recent decades. Forecasting weather events will be increasingly crucial to protecting infrastructure, property and, ultimately, lives from hurricanes, wildfires and other catastrophic events. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly part of the toolbox for those needing real-time and predictive information. Andy Henson is Vice President of Artificial Intelligence and Jay Meil is C...
Jun 07, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 71
The employer/employee relationship is complicated, full of power and economic imbalances. But, there are ways to arm yourself with the tools you need to safeguard themselves in various states of negotiations in your career. Jotham S. Stein is the principal of the Law Offices of Jotham S. Stein P.C. He has more than two decades of experience representing entrepreneurs and c suite executives, as well as less senior employees of all size companies. He’s also the author of Negotiate Like a CEO . As ...
Jun 06, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 70
The Biden administration has made personnel policy a part of its DEIA strategy. With a 2020 Government Accountability report showing that the intelligence community is lagging behind the rest of the federal workforce, questions remain about the clearance process and the gatekeeping of diversity. Lindy Kyzer is the editor of ClearanceJobs.com, a former Defense Department employee and a GovExec contributor. She has a post on our site right now headlined “Is the Security Clearance Process Keeping D...
Jun 03, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 69
Since coming into office, President Joe Biden has made diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility priorities for the federal government. This has manifested in funding toward equity projects and executive orders signed by Biden, including the recent EO 13985, the Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government order that includes an all-of-government approach. JP Julien is an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company. He’s also one of the co-l...
Jun 02, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 68
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit issued a 2-1 opinion in favor of hedge fund manager George Jarkesy and investment adviser Patriot28 challenging the Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to charge them with wide-ranging securities fraud. The decision’s text seemingly argues against the role of subject matter experts and administrative law power of agencies and civil servants, potentially delivering a huge blow to the administrative state’s enforcement ability....
Jun 01, 2022•16 min•Season 3Ep. 67
Building cohesion can be difficult, but it’s even more arduous under distressing circumstances like that of urban warfare. Our guest today writes in a forthcoming book about the benefits of primary group cohesion on performance and how it can be applied throughout the non-military world. Col. John Spencer is the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with the Madison Policy Forum. Spencer has served over 25 years in the Army and has held ranks from Private to Sergeant First Class and Second Lieutenant t...
May 31, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 66
All federal law enforcement officers will soon have to wear body cameras after President Joe Biden signed an executive order this week. The order will also require the creation of a database of officer misconduct to which every federal law enforcement agency will contribute and that agencies must then use as part of their screening process for vetting personnel. This all comes in the wake of a school shooting in Texas that rocked the nation and federal officers were among the first to respond. L...
May 27, 2022•15 min•Season 3Ep. 65
Three weeks after it began, the Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board to counter misinformation is in trouble after its top official announced that she is resigning. The board has been paused pending a review and assessment through the bipartisan Homeland Security Advisory Council. Frank Konkel is the Executive Editor of GovExec sibling site Nextgov. He joined the podcast to discuss the board and its future. *** Join GovExec Daily on Clubhouse! https://www.clubhouse.c...
May 26, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 64
Against an increasingly volatile economic situation, public service usually offers some stability. Federal, state and local governments offer job seekers the opportunity to make a difference in the world and to truly find meaning in their work. They do so at a cost, though, as public sector jobs often pay below-market as compared to private sector jobs and the stability of these jobs can be reframed as staid and archaic. William D. Eggers is the executive director of Deloitte’s Center for Govern...
May 25, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 63
In 1862, the ironclad ship USS Monitor fought the Confederacy's CSS Virginia to a draw in the Battle of Hampton Roads, but later sunk during a storm off the coast of North Carolina. Now, 160 years later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is leading a federal mission to explore and live stream the wreckage of the ship as it rests on the ocean floor. Helming that mission is NOAA marine archaeologist Tane Casserley. The expedition began on May 15 and will run until May 25 with dai...
May 24, 2022•20 min•Season 3Ep. 62
