Government Matters

Interview with Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan

Admiral Linda Fagan, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, discusses workforce transformation, recruitment, mental health, modernization, climate change, the upcoming four-year strategy and diversity

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense

Ambika Bumb, deputy executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, discusses the current landscape of biological threats, government pandemic preparedness efforts and her organization’s recommendations

Mission of Veterans Experience Office

Barbara Morton, deputy chief veterans experience officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, discusses how her office has transformed customer experience for veterans since it was established in 2015

Improving federal customer experience and service

Martha Dorris, former deputy associate administrator for GSA’s Office of Citizen Services, discusses government agencies’ progress on implementing the president’s customer experience executive order and the most important factors for success

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mission and history of ARPA-E

Jennifer Gerbi, acting director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for the Department of Energy (ARPA-E), discusses the process of evaluating and funding high-risk, high-reward energy projects and getting the technologies to market

DoD’s civilian harm reduction plan

Todd Huntley, director of the National Security Law Program at Georgetown University Law Center and former Judge Advocate General, discusses the Defense Department’s new Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan and implementation challenges

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Peace Corps volunteers return to service

Carol Spahn, chief executive officer of the Peace Corps, provides an update as her organization invites volunteers back to serve communities after a pause due to the pandemic

Permitting Council’s $350 million budget increase

Christine Harada, executive director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, discusses how the council will use new funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for infrastructure projects

War in Ukraine surpasses the six-month mark

Keith Darden, associate professor in the School of International Service at American University, provides updates about the Russia-Ukraine war, assistance from the United States and nuclear concerns

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cost of climate change for national parks

Ray Sauvajot, associate director for natural resource stewardship and science at the National Park Service, discusses efforts to understand and respond to the effects of climate change on national parks

Challenges of the Arctic Commitment Act

Ryan Burke, professor of military and strategic studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy, explains how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can help the military establish a stronger presence in the Arctic

New strategy towards sub-Saharan Africa

Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses Secretary of State Blinken’s recent trip to Africa and the new U.S. strategy for engaging with sub-Saharan Africa

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Defense Department focus on emerging technology

Barbara McQuiston, deputy chief technology officer for science and technology at the Defense Department, describes her team’s role in developing defense technology and advancing emerging opportunities in biotechnology, quantum science, advanced materials and future G

Young federal employees leaving at higher rates

Oma Seddiq, politics reporter for Insider, analyzes new research on attrition rates in the federal government and explains why younger employees are leaving at higher rates than older workers

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reducing sexual assault and suicide in the Army

Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston discusses data on sexual harassment and assault and suicide among soldiers and initiatives the Army has put in place to get those numbers to zero

Addressing the threat posed by quantum computers

Edward Parker, physical scientist at the RAND Corporation, explains the major security threat posed by future quantum computers and steps the government is taking to prepare

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Simulating US-China conflict over Taiwan

Mark Cancian (Colonel, USMCR, ret.), senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses wargames hosted by CSIS to simulate what would happen if the U.S. responded to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan

Naval investment in robotic ships

Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director at the Hudson Institute, discusses how unmanned ships and aircraft can benefit the Navy and where the service is falling short in this area

CHIPS and Science Act funding

Mitch Ambrose, science policy writer for the American Institute of Physics, details the kinds of programs the CHIPS and Science Act money will go towards and concerns within the research community about congressional appropriation

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

NICHD led multiple Covid-19 studies

Dr. Diana Bianchi, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health, discusses research her organization conducted about the effects of Covid-19 and the vaccine on various populations

Impact of hydrofluorocarbons on the environment

Cindy Newberg, Stratospheric Protection Division director at the Environmental Protection Agency, describes efforts underway to reduce HFC production as well as progress the U.S. has made with phasing out other harmful chemicals since the 1990s

Mission of Voice of America

Yolanda López, acting director of Voice of America, discusses practicing public-service journalism, getting news to an international audience and addressing employee concerns within the organization

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

China’s reaction to Pelosi’s Taiwan trip

Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, discusses the implications of China’s live-fire missile drills around Taiwan and recommendations for U.S. response

Future of Russia’s space program

Kaitlyn Johnson, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, analyzes Russia’s threats to exit the International Space Station and the potential impacts on the United States and other partners

Improving semiconductor supply chain

Candice Wright, director at the Government Accountability Office, discusses potential consequences of a semiconductor shortage and a recent report about the CHIPS Act, aimed at increasing production

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.