Federal Newscast
News & Politics Podcasts
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...
Location:
United States
Genres:
News & Politics Podcasts
Description:
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 News Network app (and website), on any smart speaker, and on WFED 1500 AM, a 50,000-watt 'Class A' powerhouse radio station in the nation's capital. The podcast is most popular with FNN's audience of highly educated listeners, who conveniently access THE FEDERAL NEWSCAST, 24/7, on any podcast platform . Listen to it (as just mentioned) or read the stories each weekday morning at FederalNewsNetwork.com, where the news items contain hyperlinks for those who want more information on a given story.
Language:
English
Episodes
DoD expands hiring flexibilities to reduce military spouse unemployment
4/10/2026
The Defense Department is expanding hiring flexibilities in an effort to reduce the persistently high unemployment rate among military spouses, which has held steady at around 22% or about five times the national average.
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Duration:00:07:03
OPM still has 55,000 federal retirement applications pending finalization
4/9/2026
During March, OPM received close to 15,000 incoming retirement applications, but processed over 22,000.
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Duration:00:06:20
Agencies warn about Iranian-linked hackers targeting critical infrastructure
4/8/2026
Agencies say Iranian-linked hackers are targeting critical industries like the U.S. energy and water sectors.
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Duration:00:06:32
Space Force could see a major increase in the proposed budget
4/7/2026
The Space Force budget would see a major increase under President Donald Trump’s massive $1.5 trillion defense proposal. The White House is requesting $71 billion for the newest military branch. The service received approximately $40 billion for the current fiscal year, which ends on September 30. Space Force officials have long argued that the service needs to grow in order to effectively meet growing national security demands. Service officials previously said the Space Force is not only prepared to absorb a significant influx of funding, it’s also in urgent need of a large funding boost.
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Duration:00:05:40
Service member suicide rates dropped by 11% in 2024, Pentagon finds
4/6/2026
Despite the decline, 472 service members died by suicide last year, continuing a yearslong trend of increasing suicide rates among active duty service members.
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Duration:00:06:30
Social Security delays new appointment schedule systems, again
4/3/2026
The Social Security Administration's rollout of new systems for scheduling appointments and managing its caseload nationwide is on hold for now.
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Duration:00:05:58
TSP funds see losses in March
4/2/2026
The bad month for the TSP also means 12 of 16 funds are in the red for 2026.
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Duration:00:05:51
Applications are open for next class of White House Fellows
4/1/2026
The Trump administration has opened applications for the next class of White House Fellows. Those selected for the fellowship program will spend a year in Washington, D.C., aiding the work of senior administration officials. Applications are open until April 22. Once candidates are selected, the paid fellowship opportunity begins this September and ends next August.
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Duration:00:06:04
Data centers are coming to Fort Bliss in Texas and Dugway Proving Ground in Utah
3/31/2026
The Army has selected two companies to build massive data centers at Fort Bliss in Texas and at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The deal follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to allow private companies to use federally owned land and resources to quickly build AI data centers. While the deal is not final, the selection of the two companies will allow the arm to enter negotiations and finalize the terms of the agreement. The Army said the two companies will be “responsible for financing, building, operating, maintaining and decommissioning the data centers on underutilized land at no upfront cost to taxpayers.” The data center at Fort Bliss is expected to be operational in 2027, while the project at Dugway Proving Ground is expected to be completed by 2029. The Army Corps of Engineers will play a key role in this project’s development.
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Duration:00:07:23
Lawmakers look to codify limits on defense contractor executive compensation
3/30/2026
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are seeking to codify President Donald Trump’s executive order that limits stock buybacks and executive pay for certain defense contractors. A new bill, titled Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting Act, would prohibit large defense contractors from purchasing their own stock and paying out dividends. It would also prohibit linking executive pay to short-term financial metrics and cap executive compensation at $5 million. Contractors that fail to comply could face penalties, including suspending contract payments and terminating contracts. Republican Senator Josh Hawley said that defense contractors “should be focused on expanding production, not padding their bottom lines.”
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Duration:00:06:32
The EEOC seconds the Trump administration's decision to stop covering gender affirming care for federal employees
3/30/2026
In today's Federal Newscast, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has upheld the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate federal health insurance coverage of gender-affirming care.
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Duration:00:06:18
Cybersecurity training no longer an annual requirement for Army soldiers and civilian workers
3/27/2026
In today's Federal Newscast, the Army is changing the requirements for cybersecurity and privacy training.
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Duration:00:06:14
Senate Democrats want answers from AI companies about how their working with the Pentagon
3/26/2026
In today's Federal Newscast, Senate Democrats are expanding their investigation into how the Defense Department is using artificial intelligence.
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Duration:00:05:56
Human capital issues at the top of many agencies' lists of management challenges
3/25/2026
In today's Federal Newscast, the vast majority federal agencies are facing major human capital challenges.
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Duration:00:05:46
With leadership changes happening at DHS, members of Congress want to make sure the proper records are retained
3/24/2026
In today's Federal Newscast, lawmakers want to make sure the Department of Homeland Security holds onto the records from outgoing officials.
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Duration:00:06:09
Senate proposal would limit how the Defense Department can use AI technology
3/23/2026
In today's Federal Newscast, a Democratic lawmaker seeks to put guardrails around the Pentagon’s use of artificial intelligence in military operations.
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Duration:00:05:39
The Army is officially tightening rules around its education program
3/20/2026
The Army is officially tightening rules around its popular education programs. The service is eliminating Credentialing Assistance for commissioned officers, limiting that benefit primarily to enlisted troops. Army officials previously said that officers already have access to various education opportunities, while enlisted soldiers face more challenges transitioning to civilian careers. Under the new policy, all credentialing assistance requests will require command approval. Soldiers failing to complete their courses will be suspended from requesting credentialing assistance for a year.
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Duration:00:06:25
DoD attempts to make its case for Anthropic’s label as a national security risk
3/19/2026
Attorneys argue against the judge giving Anthropic a preliminary injunction that would put the federal supply chain risk determination on hold.
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Duration:00:05:44
Projected costs grow for DoD’s Golden Dome initiative
3/18/2026
The Defense Department is blowing through initial estimates of what its Golden Dome initiative would cost. General Michael Guetlein, Golden Dome's manager, said Tuesday the Pentagon is “at $185 billion for the objective architecture, which delivers way out into the 2035 timeframe.” This estimate is already $10 billion more and will take five years longer than what President Donald Trump said it would cost and when it would be ready. Guetlein also says that outside projections are “estimating a very large, complex capability.” The Defense Department instead is “changing that equation, simplifying, disaggregating it, to bring down that cost equation” that won’t exceed that $185 billion.
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Duration:00:06:55
IRS has no plan to reduce backlog of taxpayer correspondence, watchdog finds
3/17/2026
A government watchdog says the IRS doesn’t yet have a plan to reduce its backlog of taxpayer correspondence. The Government Accountability Office says the agency’s backlog at the end of last year’s filing season remained higher than pre-pandemic levels. GAO says that without a plan the IRS risks not doing all it can to bring down the backlog; and may provide less timely service to taxpayers. The IRS says it will take GAO’s recommendations into consideration.
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Duration:00:06:30