Government Matters

Ayman al-Zawahiri’s role in al-Qaeda

Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, explains the significance of the U.S. drone strike on the terrorist leader Ayman al-Zawahiri

Global food security crisis

Chris Barrett, professor of agriculture and economics at Cornell University, discusses the impacts of global food price increases and potential solutions

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act projects

Eugene Mulero, senior congressional reporter at Transport Topics, discusses progress made on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the process of funding and implementing projects

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Preparing for future climate disasters

Alice Hill, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses President Biden’s climate agenda and recommendations with respect to climate change

Revitalizing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund

Rupa Bhattacharyya, former special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund at the Department of Justice, discusses managing and successfully addressing issues with the fund

Air Force Gaming: Connecting Airmen and Guardians

Capt. Zach “ZB” Baumann, co-founder of Air Force Gaming, describes what sparked the creation of Air Force Gaming and how the initiative is helping connect people across the Air Force

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TSA rolling out new technology

Darby LaJoye, executive assistant administrator for security operations at the Transporation Security Administration, discusses new technology that will improve security and reduce wait times at airports, as well as an uptick in firearms, TSA agent pay and cybersecurity threats

Inside the Pentagon on January 6

David Levinthal, deputy editor at Insider, discusses newly obtained information revealing what the Defense Department knew before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and how it responded as the event unfolded

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Mission of US Digital Corps

David Zvenyach, director of GSA’s Technology Transformation Services, discusses the work of the first U.S. Digital Corps fellows and the goal of recruiting early-career talent into government

Use of drones in Russia-Ukraine war

Samuel Bendett, adviser with CNA’s Strategy, Policy, Plans and Programs Center and Russia Studies Program, analyzes Russia’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine and Putin’s trip to Iran

Regulating the tobacco industry

Mitchell Zeller, former director of the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA and finalist for a Service to America Medal, discusses progress on reducing smoking rates in the U.S. and work that still needs to be done

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National Science Foundation mission and initiatives

Sethuraman Panchanathan, National Science Foundation director, discusses investments in high-risk ideas, advancement of science and technology, progress in STEM education and a new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

Addressing Covid-19 healthcare inequity

Suma Nair, director of the Office of Quality Improvement at the Health Resources and Services Administration, describes leading an effort to get tests, vaccines and treatments to communities with limited access to them early in the Covid-19 pandemic

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NSA’s work to prevent and eradicate cyber threats

Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, discusses NSA’s collaboration with other agencies and countries to combat cybersecurity threats from individual and state actors

Monkeypox testing and vaccines

Thomas Bollyky, director of the global health program at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the differences between monkeypox and Covid-19, the threat the virus poses and the status of testing and vaccines in the United States and other countries

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Principles of ethical artificial intelligence

Jane Pinelis, chief of AI assurance at the Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, discusses the principles of responsible AI in a newly released strategy from DoD

USAID opening doors for kids with disabilities

Josh Josa, inclusive education specialist at USAID, discusses his work in helping improve education access for kids with disabilities in countries around the world

Immigration and Customs Enforcement oversight

Rebecca Gambler, director at the Government Accountability Office, discusses new recommendations regarding the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Alternatives to Detention program

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Mission of U.S. Army North

Lt. Gen. John Evans, commanding general of U.S. Army North, describes the role of his command in responding to hurricanes, wildfires and pandemics and highlights major accomplishments

Federally funded brain research

John Ngai, director of the NIH’s BRAIN Initiative, discusses how his team is working to revolutionize the scientific community’s understanding of the brain in health and disease to move further towards cures

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President’s trip to Saudi Arabia

Steven Cook, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, previews President Biden’s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia centering around oil and security

Nationwide paper shortage complicating midterm elections

Matt Weil, director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Elections Project, discusses a nationwide paper shortage and concerns about obtaining election materials in time for midterms

Government agents seize millions in cryptocurrency

Kyle Armstrong, former FBI special agent, discusses how his team shut down an Islamic State scheme to raise money through a fraudulent face mask website early in the pandemic

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Recruitment and retention in federal agencies

Kiran Ahuja, director of the Office of Personnel Management, reviews what OPM has accomplished in the past year and what it is focusing on now with hiring, employee pay and support of agencies

Assessing damage to Capitol grounds after attack

Jim Kaufmann, director of the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum and finalist for a Service to America Medal, describes what it was like to restore the grounds after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack

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