The Daily Scoop Podcast

USAID wiping and disposing devices; Navy Secretary terminates IT contracts, grants amid DOGE drive


Listen Later

A memo sent to U.S. Agency for International Development employees Thursday announced that the now-hobbled agency will no longer try to salvage government devices for staff based domestically. The move is notable, given that USAID had previously initiated some work to transfer technical assets to the State Department. It is not uncommon for the agency to remotely wipe devices abroad, but doing so domestically — and then trashing the equipment — is unusual. Federal agencies often auction office equipment, including computers, they no longer need. In the letter, which was viewed by FedScoop, employees were told that U.S.-based direct hires, personal service contractors, and institutional support contractors must complete “various exit tasks,” including the return of government equipment. To “simplify the process and reduce burden,” the agency says it isn’t requiring employees to return iPhones, iPads, and laptops. The memo stated: “The IT equipment will be remotely wiped and marked as disposed from USAID IT asset inventories on or around the employee Reduction in Force (RIF) date, and the employee can then dispose of the assets. Further details and updates regarding the remote wiping/sanitization process for the devices and what to anticipate will be communicated closer to the RIF dates.”
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan on Thursday ordered the termination of hundreds of millions of dollars in IT contracts and unrelated grants as part of a broader push at the Defense Department to slash spending that the Trump administration deems wasteful. The moves — outlined in a pair of memos issued to the chief of naval operations, Marine Corps commandant, Navy assistant secretaries and general counsel — are pursuant to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “commitment to strategically rebuild our military, restore accountability to the Department of Defense, cut wasteful spending, and implement the President’s orders,” Phelan wrote. The IT contracts axed by the SECNAV include those for the Naval Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (NMRO) program. Phelan also directed the Navy’s chief information officer to prepare a new acquisition strategy by July 31, along with management review of the program.
The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon.
If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Daily Scoop PodcastBy The Daily Scoop Podcast

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

15 ratings


More shows like The Daily Scoop Podcast

View all
WSJ What’s News by The Wall Street Journal

WSJ What’s News

4,325 Listeners

WSJ Your Money Briefing by The Wall Street Journal

WSJ Your Money Briefing

1,754 Listeners

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast by Aviation Week Network

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

364 Listeners

Playbook Deep Dive by POLITICO

Playbook Deep Dive

1,523 Listeners

POLITICO Playbook Daily Briefing by POLITICO

POLITICO Playbook Daily Briefing

637 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,479 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,111 Listeners

The DSR Network by The DSR Network

The DSR Network

1,722 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,060 Listeners

CNN 5 Things by CNN

CNN 5 Things

1,311 Listeners

The Journal. by The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet

The Journal.

5,912 Listeners

POLITICO Tech by POLITICO

POLITICO Tech

392 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

5,964 Listeners

The Big Take by Bloomberg

The Big Take

154 Listeners

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

10,246 Listeners