Government Matters

Facing advancing hypersonic missile threats from China

Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle (USAF, Ret.), president of the National Defense Industrial Association, explains why China’s recent test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile is so concerning

Pentagon responding to growing China-Taiwan tensions

Timothy Heath, senior international defense researcher at the RAND Corporation, discusses tensions between China and Taiwan and options the Defense Department has to deter Chinese aggression

Effects of climate change on military bases

Kiran Jivnani, consultant with the GeoTech Center at the Atlantic Council, discusses the Defense Department’s preparation for the negative impacts of climate change on military installations and its exacerbation of global instability

Preventing suicide among military service members, veterans

Alyssa Hundrup, director for health care at the Government Accountability Office, discusses what her office found when looking at efforts for suicide prevention at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs

Deadline looming for continuing resolution funding

Jessica Klement, staff vice president for policy and programs at NARFE, discusses the continuing resolution that expires Dec. 3, the NDAA and the debt limit

Effects of CMMC update on defense contractors

Eric Crusius, partner at Holland & Knight, discusses how changes to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program will impact defense contractors

Emerging technologies in intelligence operations

Dr. Stacey Dixon, principal deputy director of national intelligence, covers how the intelligence community is using innovative technology, recruiting the next generation of intelligence officers, combating climate change and working with industry and academia

Federal agency implementation challenges for infrastructure deal

Robert Shea, national managing principal for public policy at Grant Thornton, discusses difficulties agencies will likely face in implementing the new infrastructure plan and recommendations for agency heads

Improving data transparency for federal spending

Michelle Sager, managing director of strategic issues at the Government Accountability Office, goes over what her office found about the accuracy of publicly available government spending data

Streamlining hiring process for cyber jobs

Ari Schwartz, managing director of cybersecurity services at Venable, discusses efforts to fill vacancies in cybersecurity jobs in the federal government and compete with private sector positions

Cooperation among U.S. and allies for military exercises

Bradley Bowman, senior director for the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, discusses the significance of the recent joint exercises between the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain

Building up technology talent within DoD

Loren DeJonge Schulman, vice president for research and evaluation at the Partnership for Public Service, provides recommendations to address missing elements for strengthening the tech workforce at the Defense Department

Implementing “strategic recoupling” with China

Zack Cooper, senior fellow for foreign and defense policy at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses reducing the United States’ economic dependence on China

Managing government response to large-scale crises

Richard Greene, visiting fellow at the IBM Center for the Business of Government, discusses what went wrong in the government’s response to Covid-19 early on and how leaders can prepare for future crises

CISA using cyber hackers to identify vulnerabilities

Chris Cummiskey, former deputy under secretary for management at DHS, talks about a new advisory committee of ethical hackers to help CISA understand emerging cyber threats

Hiring, retaining veterans in federal government

Terry Gerton, president and chief executive officer of NAPA, explains how the government can incentivize veterans to stay in government and how it bolsters agency missions

OPM telework guidance, recruitment and cybersecurity

Kiran Ahuja, director of the Office of Personnel Management, discusses new telework guidance, efforts to recruit early-career talent, cybersecurity initiatives and the employee vaccine mandate

Programs to support disabled veterans

Joy Ilem (U.S. Army, ret.), national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, describes the services her organization provides, collaboration with the VA and the biggest issues disabled veterans are facing

Service dogs helping veterans with PTSD

Rory Diamond, chief executive officer of K9s For Warriors, discusses how service dogs help veterans and how his organization trains them and pairs them with vets who need them

Choosing a federal healthcare plan during Open Season

Walt Francis, consultant and health policy analyst, talks about the value in comparing health plan options every year and some ways federal employees can research them

Reviewing updates to the Pentagon’s CMMC program

Ron Marks, president of ZPN Cyber and National Security Strategies, discusses changes to the Defense Department’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program for strengthening the network security of defense contractors

Military force structure in FY 2022

Mark Cancian, senior adviser in the International Security Program at CSIS, discusses long-term military force structure and the gap between resources and defense strategy

Impact of latest economic sanctions in Afghanistan

Jason Bartlett, research assistant for the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at CNAS, discusses increased food insecurity in Afghanistan and challenges in U.S. sanction strategy and humanitarian aid

Impact of climate change on US defense interests

Erin Sikorsky, director of the Center for Climate and Security, discusses how China is taking advantage of climate change and how the U.S. can work with allies and partners to respond

Confronting security risks from climate change

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, senior fellow at the Belfer Center and former director of Intelligence and Counterintelligence at the Department of Energy, describes actions the intelligence community should take to confront and mitigate national security threats from climate change

Responding to the growing cyber threat landscape

Brig. Gen. Gregory Touhill, director at the CERT Division at the Software Engineering Institute, discusses changes in the cyber threat landscape and a new directive from CISA for federal agencies to address security vulnerabilities