Shows / Federal Newscast
Federal Newscast
THE FEDERAL NEWSCAST, (length about seven minutes), is a daily Monday through Friday, high-information compilation of nine 40-second news stories and news packages, generated by the non-partisan, non-political, private-sector team of reporters at Federal News Network. Federal News Radio Producer/Newscasters Eric White and Michele Sandiford assemble and read the stories on the THE FEDERAL DRIVE with TERRY GERTON, the weekday morning-drive program, heard from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. (ET) on the Federal…
Episodes
- Federal Newscast
A new bill would supercharge customer service at the IRS
A new bill to supercharge customer service at the IRS made it through the Senate. The bipartisan Taxpayer Assistance and Service (TAS) Act would require the…
- Federal Newscast
Coast Guard surpasses its recruiting goal for third consecutive year
The Coast Guard has surpassed its recruiting goals for the third consecutive year, bringing in the largest number of enlisted recruits in nearly four decades…
- Federal Newscast
OPM launches AI chatbot to answer questions about workforce trends
There’s a new way to look at data about the federal workforce. The Office of Personnel Management has launched an AI chatbot to answer the public’s questions…
- Federal Newscast
Federal retirement application processing times trend downward
Processing times for federal retirement applications are speeding up. In September, it took the Office of Personnel Management an average of 56 days to…
- Federal Newscast
DoD wasted millions helping DHS increase immigration detection capacity
The Defense Department wasted millions of dollars helping the Department of Homeland Security increase immigration detention capacity at Naval Station…
- Federal Newscast
Democrats look to make the retirement process easier for feds
Democrats want to make the retirement process easier on federal employees. A new bill in the House would require the Office of Personnel Management to provide…
- Federal Newscast
Thrift Savings Plan fund had a bad month in September
September was not a good month for the Thrift Savings Plan. All but one of the funds saw month-over-month drops. Only the G fund increased in September by .4%…
- Federal Newscast
Pentagon wants states to complete for new U.S. military base
The Pentagon wants to build a new military base inside the U.S. and is asking states to compete for it. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the base could host…
- Federal Newscast
OMB violated Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act with $1 billion rescission
The Government Accountability Office found OMB’s rescission of nearly $1 billion of approved spending on September 26, violated the Congressional Budget and…
- Federal Newscast
Top House Democrat puts defense contractors on notice
A top House Democrat is putting defense contractors on notice about potential investigations into unusual dealings with the Trump administration. House…
- Federal Newscast
Secret Service faces questions about agency funding used for White House renovations
The Secret Service is facing questions about funding that was reportedly taken from the agency’s budget to fund White House renovations. In a letter to Secret…
- Federal Newscast
Department of Navy rolls out new features for MyNavy portal
The Department of the Navy is rolling out new features to make it easier for sailors to navigate MyNavy Portal and access personnel services. The eLeave…
- Federal Newscast
Federal immigration judges at DOJ face doxxing threats
Federal immigration judges at the Justice Department are facing doxxing threats. In a new report, the DOJ inspector general found several judges in the…
- Federal Newscast
Marine Corps increases imminent danger and hostile fire pay
The Marine Corps said it will pay troops $450 a month while they are engaged in or exposed to enemy fire. That's the legal cap and double what Marines…
- Federal Newscast
OPM gives agencies authority to give bonuses up to $25,000
Agencies will now be able to more easily offer bonuses of up to $25,000 to federal employees for exceptional work. The Office of Personnel Management is…
- Federal Newscast
House lawmakers want to give the AbilityOne program a makeover
Two House lawmakers want to give the AbilityOne program a makeover. Congressmen Steny Hoyer (D-Md) and Pete Sessions's (R-Texas) American Procurement…
- Federal Newscast
USPS fails to meet lowered service standards
The Postal Service has largely failed to meet service standards, even after reducing those standards. A new report from the Government Accountability Office…
- Federal Newscast
A new study finds public trust in the federal government overall is decreasing
In today's Federal Newscast, the public’s trust in government is declining, new research from the Partnership for Public Service shows.See Privacy Policy at…
- Federal Newscast
The head of the Space Development Agency doesn't seemed to worried about the agency possibly being dissolved
In today's Federal Newscast, as Congress pushes to eliminate the Space Development Agency as an independent organization, the organization’s director said he…
- Federal Newscast
Another government contractor settles with the Justice Department over its DEI practices
For the second time in a matter of weeks, the Justice Department won a big settlement from a federal contractor to settle claims it violated the False Claims…
- Federal Newscast
House Republicans call for fair compensation for more federal law enforcement
House Republicans are calling for fair compensation and benefits for more federal law enforcement personnel. A letter addressed to the Office of Personnel…
- Federal Newscast
National Park Service designates 9/11 Memorial as an affiliated area
The National Park Service has designated the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial as an affiliated area. The National Park Service, the Department of Defense and the…
- Federal Newscast
Democratic lawmakers press VA Sec. Collins on rejecting reasonable accommodations
All 11 Democrats on the House Veterans Affairs Committee are pressing Doug Collins, the VA secretary, for answers about why the agency is rejecting requests…
- Federal Newscast
Federal wildland firefighters to continue earning overtime pay after reaching limits
Federal wildland firefighters will continue to earn overtime pay, even after they hit a legal cap on overtime hours. The continuing resolution that Congress…
- Federal Newscast
Lawmakers want Elon Musk to explain the lack of DOGE-claimed savings at DHS
Two Democrat lawmakers are demanding Elon Musk, the former head of the U.S. DOGE Service, explain why 99% of the claimed savings from at the Homeland Security…
- Federal Newscast
Army names an acting Secretary following Driscoll’s resignation
Adam Telle, the Army's assistant secretary for civil works, will serve as acting Army secretary. President Donald Trump announced the pick on social media…
- Federal Newscast
U.S. Postal Service finalizes election ballot mail portal
The Postal Service is finalizing a new portal to provide election officials with a simple, secure and efficient way to share lists of individuals receiving…
- Federal Newscast
August was a month of rebounds for the TSP
August was a month of rebounds for the Thrift Savings Plan. All TSP funds ended in the black, the highest increase being the I Fund at 3.3%, followed by the C…
- Federal Newscast
Defense Dept opens use of three major AI tools for employees
Defense Department employees can now use three major AI products at work. The department on Monday launched military versions of OpenAI's ChatGPT and Elon…
- Federal Newscast
GSA orders Trade Agreement Act changes for AbilityOne and National Prison Industries
The General Services Administration has removed the AbilityOne Commission and National Prison Industries' exception from the Trade Agreements Act for all of…
- Federal Newscast
400 federal positions will now earn salaries of up to $400,000
Up to 400 federal positions can now earn salaries of $400,000. A new final rule from the Office of Personnel Management allows the higher pay rates for…
- Federal Newscast
Federal wildland firefighters can now earn higher pay rates
Federal wildland firefighters can now earn higher pay rates for more types of work. A recent final rule from the Office of Personnel Management authorizes a…
- Federal Newscast
Thousands of feds who took the DRP have essentially been replaced
Thousands of federal employees who left the government via the deferred resignation program have essentially been replaced. That's according to new data…
- Federal Newscast
NSA isn’t complying with federal laws on whistleblower protections, IG finds
The National Security Agency doesn’t appear to be complying with federal laws that require the agency to outline whistleblower protections in its nondisclosure…
- Federal Newscast
Lawmakers call for investigation into CISA workforce cuts as threats increase
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is coming under scrutiny for workforce cuts as cyber and physical threats to critical infrastructure rise…
- Federal Newscast
Agencies are getting some help with logging cybersecurity data
Add the employees at the Agriculture Department's Rural Development Agency to the growing list of successful feds who have won grievances before an arbitrator…
- Federal Newscast
Space Force opens its own recruiting squadron
The Space Force has opened its own recruiting squadron nearing seven years after the newest service was created. The 320th Recruiting Squadron at Joint Base…
- Federal Newscast
Military's newest branch sees significant funding increase
The Space Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request would significantly increase funding for missile warning, missile tracking and command and control programs. That…
- Federal Newscast
Air Force updates rules for civilian job applicants
The Department of the Air Force is updating its rules for determining whether civilian applicants are a good fit for federal jobs. New interim guidance says…
- Federal Newscast
FAA hires 2000 gamers as new air traffic controllers
The Federal Aviation Administration has hired over 2,000 new air traffic controllers, all with a shared passion: videogames. Transportation Secretary Sean…
- Federal Newscast
Lawmakers want insight into staffing and funding at statistical agencies
A top House democrat is demanding a hearing to examine the effects of the Trump administration’s actions at federal statistical agencies. Bobby Scott (D-Va.)…
- Federal Newscast
MSPB officially transitions away from its authority over adverse action appeals
The Merit Systems Protection Board is officially transitioning away some of its authority over adverse action appeal decisions. A new final rule from MSPB…
- Federal Newscast
Army loses 18% of civilian workforce at two major depots
The Army has lost 18% of its civilian workforce at two of its major depots. The Government Accountability Office found that the Anniston and Red River Army…
- Federal Newscast
Federal retirement claims backlog at lowest point in 2026
The backlog of federal retirement claims is at the lowest point in 2026 with just over 24,000 in OPM's inventory. New data shows OPM processed more than 17,000…
- Federal Newscast
Federal union warns Forest Service reorganization could worsen federal wildfire response
A federal union is urging the Forest Service to reverse course on its upcoming reorganization plans. The National Federation of Federal Employees warns that…
- Federal Newscast
96% of DOGE’s claimed savings on federal grants cannot be verified
The Department of Government Efficiency touted that it saved $110 billion across federal contracts, grants and leases. But many of DOGE’s claims don’t have…
- Federal Newscast
Thrift Savings Plan funds see losses in July
June was not a good month for your money in the Thrift Savings Plan. Fifteen of 16 funds saw month-over-month declines, including the S Fund which dropped more…
- Federal Newscast
Army overhauls its discrimination and harassment reporting policies
The Army is overhauling how it treats discrimination and harassment complaints. Beginning later this year, the service will no longer allow soldiers to…
- Federal Newscast
AFGE denounces Education Dept employee transfers to other agencies
The Education Department transferred another 64 employees from K-12, special education, higher education and career, technical and adult education programs to…
- Federal Newscast
Senate CR would delay OMB's grants rewrite
The Senate's version of the continuing resolution released last week not only keeps the government open through December 11 but would prohibit OMB from…
- Federal Newscast
Army offering six-figure bonuses to retain certain helicopter pilots
The Army is offering certain helicopter pilots six-figure bonuses to stay in uniform, hoping to retain active-duty warrant officers who are mid-career or…
- Federal Newscast
Former OPM directors make judicial appeal for federal job protections
Two former Office of Personnel Management directors are urging the reversal of a decision that could broadly impact federal job protections. Their brief to a…
- Federal Newscast
Navy turns to industry for temporary housing during barracks renovations
The Navy is turning to industry for ideas to help address temporary housing shortages impacting thousands of sailors nationwide. The service has issued a…
- Federal Newscast
A group of Senators want a full accounting of U.S. troops killed or injured in the Iran war
A dozen Senate Democrats are pressing the Pentagon for a full accounting of U.S. troops who have been killed or injured in connection with the Iran War. In a…
- Federal Newscast
National Guardsman in Washington, DC are moving to long-term housing
The National Guard is moving thousands of Guardsmen mobilized to Washington, D.C., from hotels into apartments. The National Guard Bureau has awarded a $292…
- Federal Newscast
House clears bill to correct pension payments for 8,000 federal retirees
The House has cleared a bill to correct pension payments for close 8,000 federal retirees. The “Pensions for Retired Uniformed Servicemembers Act” comes after…
- Federal Newscast
House committee considers options for avoiding future government shutdowns
The House Appropriations Committee convened Wednesday to discuss legislative options to keep the federal government open when Congress fails to put annual…
- Federal Newscast
Iran War operational costs climb over $37 billion
The Iran War's operational costs have climbed to an estimated $37.5 billion as the conflict finishes its fifth month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told…
- Federal Newscast
House passes bill expanding whistleblower protections
Federal contractors will gain broader whistleblower protections under legislation passed by the House on Monday. The bill blocks retaliation against…
- Federal Newscast
FEMA chief financial officer was unlawfully fired, judge rules
A federal judge on Friday ruled the Trump administration unlawfully fired the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s chief financial officer last year. District…