Federal Drive with Tom Temin

When the flood waters clear down in Texas, the cleanup and repairs will begin. But sorting out storm damage from what may have already been there isn't always cut-and-dry. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is still paying for repairs related to two not-so-recent storms. John Roth, inspector general for the Homeland Security Department tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin what they're paying for.

In what one can only call a Friday news dump last week, the White House issued its formal direction to the Pentagon on how the military is supposed to implement the president's prior tweets, announcing a ban on transgender service. Some of the final details, most especially, what's going to to happen to transgender Americans who are already serving, are still up to the Pentagon. But President Donald Trump's transgender ban may have cost and readiness impacts. Federal News Radio's Scott Maucione has been looking into the costs associated with kicking out service members the military has already trained. He shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

In his weekly feature, the Reporters Notebook, Executive Editor Jason Miller writes about the steps the Army is taking to have the right people to protect its networks and data. He shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Support for nuclear powered electricity has waxed and waned in the U.S. ever since the first reactor came online in 1957. Today about 20 percent of the nation's power comes from nuclear generation. Under the Trump administration's all-of-the-above approach to energy, nuclear is getting a fresh look. Ed McGinnis, principal deputy assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the Energy Department, shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

It might be 2 1/2 years away, but for the Census Bureau the 2020 decennial count is practically tomorrow. In fact, this month it's conducting the first segment of what it calls the End-to-End Census Test. Burton Reist, chief of decennial communications and stakeholder relations at the Census Bureau, shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Veterans Affairs Department is facing a lawsuit over a multibillion dollar contract and the president threatening to shut the government down if there's no funding for the border wall. No wonder contractors are more nervous than ever. David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, offers his take on the latest in federal contracting on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Improving the customer experience has been a top priority for the Veterans Affairs Department. It's mapping out touch points where veterans might interact with the department and collecting feedback from them about those interactions. Brian Michael, general manager of Medallia's public sector practice, tells Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko on Federal Drive with Tom Temin how VA has been using surveys and feedback loops to learn more about the veteran population.

Monitoring the nation's vast infrastructure of utilities, electrical wires, pipelines and drilling operations requires sensors that can stand up to weather, extreme temperatures and pressures, and corrosive elements. The work of Paul Ohodnicke Jr., a materials scientist at the Energy Department's National Energy Technology Lab, has led to the development of sensors made of stuff that can withstand these harsh conditions. That work has earned him a finalist slot in this year's Service to America Medals program. He joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

If you believe the futurists, pretty much every waking moment of people's lives will be coordinated and controlled through a mobile device. Maybe not just their waking moments. Vinn White, a specialist leader at Deloitte, tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin the federal government will and should have an important part in setting the mobile agenda and the ecosystem to support it.

Health care enrollment policies that are all over the map, billing errors by the millions and isky opioid prescription practices are among the issues Veterans Affairs Department auditors have been looking at lately. VA Inspector General Michael Missal shares some of the disturbing findings on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.