Government Matters

‘They surprised everybody,’ John Kirby says of Ukrainians

John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications for the White House National Security Council, discusses national security events of 2022 including Brittney Griner’s release from Russian custody, the Russia-Ukraine War and US relations with China.

A look back at 2022’s top tech and cyber stories.

Jill Aitoro, senior vice president of content strategy for CyberRisk Alliance, and Ross Wilkers, senior staff reporter for Washington Technology, discuss this year’s top stories in tech and cyber news. 

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Helping survivors of sexual assault in the Air Force

Gina Ortiz Jones, under secretary of the U.S. Air Force discusses the Air Force’s pilot program to address sexual assault, defense budget delays and boosting recruitment and retention rates

USDA helps promote tribal relations

Heather Dawn Thompson, director of the Office of Tribal Relations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, discusses the role of the USDA in tribal relations

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Health benefits for veterans 

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for Health, discusses the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act and the VA’s hiring efforts

Top federal workforce stories of 2022

Tanya Ballard Brown, executive editor of Government Executive, and Jason Miller, executive editor of Federal News Network, take a look at the top stories in 2022 for the federal workforce

Fighting food insecurity

Daniel Whitley, administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, discusses the agency’s role in fighting food insecurity

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A look back at top defense stories of 2022

Aaron Mehta, editor in chief of Breaking Defense, Marcus Weisgerber Global Business editor for Defense One and Leo Shane III, deputy editor for Military Times give their thoughts on the year’s top defense events.

‘Outlook for Russian oil industry is pretty bleak,’ CSIS fellow says

Ben Cahill, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses the price cap on Russian oil.

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Simplifying the vetting process of travelers to the US

Monte Hawkins, director of the National Vetting Center, discusses the current role of the center and how it looks to expand in the future. 

The future of US-Pakistan relations

Husain Haqqani, director of South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute, discusses the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan.

FCC bans Chinese telecom equipment

Jack Corrigan, research analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology discusses the Federal Communications Commission’s ban of Chinese telecom and video surveillance equipment.

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Is the US ‘overhyping’ Chinese threat?

Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research at the Brookings Institution, discusses the Pentagon’s report on Chinese military power

Mauna Loa continues to erupt

Andria Ellis, United States Geological Survey (USGS) geophysicist at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, discusses Mauna Loa and other U.S. volcanos

Protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats

Rick Driggers, critical infrastructure cyber lead at Accenture Federal Services and former assistant director for the integrated operations division at CISA, discusses how to better protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks 

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‘Russia has grossly miscalculated and mismanaged this war,’ Ambassador Kristjan Prikk says

Estonia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kristjan Prikk discuses giving aid to Ukraine and security against Russia

Creating a better customer experience in the federal government 

Loren DeJonge Schulman, vice president of research, evaluation and modernizing government at the Partnership for Public Service, discusses how to improve the customer experience for citizens.  

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Protecting the US from terror attacks

• Christine Abizaid, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, discusses combatting terrorist threats to the U.S.

Bringing new technology to the DHS

• Melissa Oh, managing director of the Silicon Valley Innovation Program at the Department of Homeland Security, discusses partnering with start-ups to bring new technology to the DHS

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Who’s vulnerable to human trafficking?  

Kari Johnstone, acting director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of State, discusses how the government is working on combatting human trafficking in the U.S. and globally. 

Protecting the environment keeps Americans safe 

Chris Frey, assistant administrator for research and development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discusses how the agency is working to protect humans and the environment. 

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‘Meeting people where they are’ is the key to increasing innovation, director of the USPTO says

Kathi Vidal, the undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), discusses increasing women entrepreneurship and the importance of protecting intellectual property. 

Vets must ‘create their own career path’ in the federal government

Lloyd Calderon, chair of the Interagency Veterans Advisory Council, discusses the status of veterans in the federal workforce

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