Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently made a solar cell that comes close to the holy grail of 50% efficiency. They're using a technology known as multijunction. For more on the work and why it's important, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with senior scientist Myles Steiner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Navy's spending has increased every year since 2014. But that battleship could start coming around next year. The administration's request is for a one percent decrease, to $207 billion. For where the pain points might be, we turn to Bloomberg Government senior defense analyst Rob Levinson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might have noticed, the Postal Service has not received the largesse Congress has been heaping on others throughout the economy. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association has called for Congress to help out the postal service and in particular its law enforcement components. Here with more, the FLEOA president Larry Cosme. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal real estate shot up under two earlier rounds of emergency government spending, those following 9/11 and then 2008 recession. Since then, GSA’s Public Buildings Service has managed to bring the square footage back down some. But another wave of analysis, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with former Public Buildings Service Commissioner, now managing director of the real estate firm FD Stonewater, Norman Dong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The General Services Administration is used to straddling the line between crisis response and plowing ahead with dozens of initiatives. The current pandemic emergency, however, is forcing the Federal Acquisition Service to move faster. Whether it’s buying medical supplies or laptops or ventilators, contracting officers are under a different kind of pressure these days. For how FAS is adapting, Federal News Network's Jason Miller spoke with its commissioner, Julie Dunne, on Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Army got into trouble with an important cybersecurity contract when it made a classic mistake of not awarding it on the basis it said it would. For all the details on a classic error, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin touched base with procurement attorney Joe Petrillo of Petrillo and Powell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pandemic and resulting strain on the federal information technology infrastructure has brightened the spotlight on the need for IT modernization. What form that should take and how to pay for it, that's all under debate at the moment. One person who has a good grounding in both the government and industry views is Gordon Bitko, senior vice president of policy for the public sector at the Information Technology Industry Council, and former chief information officer at the FBI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Business activity might be nearly choked off, but this is a busy country. People are still thinking and creating, and that means the U.S. Copyright Office is still on the job. For what going on inside, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to the Acting Register of Copyrights, Maria Strong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a big upswing in spending across many parts of the federal government. In the case of the Navy and Marine Corps, contract dollars are up by almost one-third this month, compared to April of last year. But Navy officials say it’s not just an influx of new appropriations that’s let them get cash out the door quickly, it’s also because of a multi-year effort to streamline the procurement system. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal chief financial officers say they're starting to rethink the scope of their duties, thanks to automation, and the expansion in ranks of C-titled executives. The Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte Consulting polled dozens of senior agency officials to gage the future of the CFO. For highlights, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with former Office of Management and Budget controller, now the civilian chief strategy officer for federal at Deloitte, Dave Mader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some items in the battle against corona virus are big. Navy ships, convention centers, sports arenas. Some are small, like face shields. That's where our next guest comes in. He's not only 3D printed face shields and other small items for hospital employees he built the 3D printer to make them. welcome Government Publishing Office IT specialist David Thibodeau. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frequent hand washing has become the new zeitgeist. But cybersecurity hygiene might still be the longer term concern. The Defense Department has not one but three cyber hygiene initiatives. But they're incomplete and no one is reporting what's going on. That's according to research by the director of defense capabilities and management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Joe Kirshbaum. He joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Its people might be working from home, but NASA's work, like that of all the agencies, continues. For a review of NASA's top technology priorities, and how it's getting them done through the pandemic, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to chief technologist, Douglas Terrier. My first question maybe had an obvious answer, whether everyone who could at NASA is teleworking at the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic created unprecedented stock market volatility. But you knew that already. Your Thrift Savings Plan has taken a hit. But the agency that administers the TSP says the vast majority of you have stayed the course. The TSP says it's been able to keep up operations remotely. But it's been a major undertaking. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined The Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain the impact of the coronavirus on the TSP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After an initial downturn in quality of life for service members after the COVID-19 outbreak, troops and their families seem to be rebounding. Even with an extension to the military’s stop move order, families are starting to adapt. But they still face issues. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices