Federal Drive with Tom Temin

One trip in or around Tyson's Corner or Leesburg or Fairview Park at rush hour and you'll get an idea not just of what gridlocked traffic is all about, but also about the economic vitality of Northern Virginia. Technology corporate growth there matches anything in Silicon Valley. For more than 20 years, the Northern Virginia Technology Council has been lead by a woman committed to encouraging and organizing that growth into a considerable advocacy and educational force. Now Bobbie Kilberg has announced her retirement, she joined the show.

This systems engineer has served the federal government as employee, contractor and consultant for 50 years and still going strong. Last week Norm Augustine joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss just-completed work with the National Academy of Sciences, examining the future of the interstate highway system. But this former assistant Army secretary returned Tuesday to answer questions about a few other federal issues, starting with how the military is looking at Silicon Valley, new procurement techniques and other measures to modernize.

Let’s face it, no one likes cybersecurity training. Those fake email attacks known as phishing have made everyone paranoid. The online courses are boring and, even though cybersecurity is critical, the time it takes to complete the training courses take away from mission. But what if cybersecurity training was interactive, collaborative and, maybe even fun? In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller wrote about how one agency is trying to change its approach to cyber training. He joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss more.

The National Reconnaissance Office has been acquiring a series of commercial imagery study contracts, with the latest a contract for hyperspectral imaging. The studies could lead to new approaches to imagery and image analysis. The director of the Commercial Systems Program Office, Peter Muend, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for details of what's going on.

Congress is about to stretch the continuing resolution for a little while longer. Then what? With a Capitol Hill seemingly paralyzed by impeachment zeal, what about the needs of, well, federal agencies who want to do work for the public? To offer worst-case scenarios preparation advice, the executive vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council, Alan Chvotkin, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Agencies have about a month to deliver plans to Congress for how they plan to modernize their web sites. It's one of several major due dates for the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience, or IDEA, Act enacted late last year. To make sure chief information officers make the new law a priority, one of the leading voices on the House Oversight Committee has proposed giving agencies a letter grade on their progress. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman had more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Defense Department is about to head to court to defend its multi-billion dollar JEDI Cloud contract — again. Amazon Web Services announced last week it plans to file a bid protest lawsuit, challenging DoD’s surprise decision to award the JEDI contract to Microsoft. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has been following the latest turns in the JEDI saga, and he joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk about what we know and what we still don’t.

The Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory has established a new innovation center to focus on a new generation of commercial reactor technologies. Heading up that office are Ashley Finan and Nicholas Smith, laboratory director and deputy director, respectively, who joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk more about their work.

The federal government does a lot of science. But Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono (D) thinks federal scientists across the government are taken for granted or, worse, unappreciated and even disrespected. She's published a letter to that effect at Federal News Network, but I thought you might want to hear from her directly. Hirono joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more discussion.

Congress has agreed on a continuing resolution that pushes doomsday, a federal government shutdown, that is, until just before Christmas. But it doesn’t resolve the long-term question of a full year funding bill signed by the president. For a look at the dreary week ahead, Fulcrum editor in chief David Hawkings joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The latest continuing resolution pushes doomsday, a federal government shutdown, that is, until just before Christmas. But it doesn't resolve the long-term question of a full year funding bill signed by the president. For a look at the dreary week ahead, Fulcrum editor in chief David Hawkings joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

How many times have you heard somebody say, "Federal managers to be efficient and effective?" At the Department of Homeland Security, that adage is flipped. Randolph “Tex” Alles is acting undersecretary for management at DHS. He told Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller why he expects DHS managers to be effective first and efficient a close second. Hear more details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

It doesn't take a long drive to realize how badly the interstate highway system has aged. Norman Augustine spearheaded a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine look at how the federal government can deal with old and in some cases obsolete roads. The former Lockheed Martin chairman and CEO joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for highlights of the findings.

In the pursuit of the next generation of cybersecurity talent, agencies are thinking beyond regular old recruitment strategies. They're putting prospective hires to the test at cyber competitions and then offering jobs to top performers. For instance, the Energy Department said it expects to recruit some new talent this weekend when it hosts teams from more than 100 universities at its fifth annual CyberForce competition. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman had more information on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Federal CIOs have gotten a series of policy updates from the Office of Management and Budget over the last couple of years, all aimed at modernizing not just the government's infrastructure but government itself. Margie Graves has been a big part of the team reworking policy. She is the federal deputy chief information officer and a new fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. She joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more discussion.