Oversight

A Pandemic-Fueled Drop in FDA Inspections of Foreign Drug Plants

A series of recent deaths linked to eyedrops produced overseas shows just how seriously behind the FDA is.

Oversight

The Campaign Finance Agency’s Press Shop Can’t Confirm or Deny the Existence of Complaints Anymore

Critics say the change, approved by the FEC last week in a vote that was not entirely along party lines, raises concerns about transparency.

Oversight

The Low-Tech Side of Biden’s Push to Improve the ‘Life Experiences’ with Government

Agencies are approaching the White House’s mandate with an eye for getting important information and access to as many people as possible.

Oversight

80 Is Different in 2023 Than in 1776 – but Even Back Then, a Grizzled Franklin Led Alongside a Young Hamilton

Americans have long nurtured mixed feelings about age and aged leaders. Yet during the country’s founding, a young America admired venerable old sages.

Oversight

Health and Human Services Watchdog: We Need More Funding for Oversight 

The office touts its return on investment, but tells lawmakers that current funding levels don’t keep pace with investigative needs.

Oversight

COVID Aid Appears Safe from a Republican Clawback

The House GOP debt limit proposal would dramatically reduce spending and increase SNAP work requirements, but it would not take back the pandemic relief funds already in governments’ hands.

Oversight

The CDC Lacks a Rural Focus. Researchers Hope a Newly Funded Office Will Help.

Advocates for improving rural health pushed for the CDC to extend its rural health focus by creating an Office of Rural Health. They hope the agency will commit to rural health research and provide analyses that lead to good public health policies for rural communities.

Oversight

Login.gov Has a Long Road Ahead of It

FCW's Natalie Alms joins the podcast to discuss the government's SSO option.

Oversight

EPA Sued Over Failure To Set, Update Pollution Limits

The lawsuit, filed last week, centers on the Clean Water Act.

Oversight

A Bill Would Repeal an Expensive Tax Rule For Public Servants

Rep. Abigail Spanberger joins the podcast to discuss her plan to put money in feds' and retirees' pockets.

Oversight

This Agency’s Declassification Work Could Be a Model for Others

A new paper, based on consultations with government officials and others, looks at what the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has done in recent years.

Oversight

Federal Agencies Lag in Registering Voters Despite Biden Executive Order, Advocates Say

15 Republican secretaries of state sent a letter to the White House, asking president to reverse order, which they said will produce duplicate registrations, confuse citizens

Oversight

Environmental Groups Sue EPA Over Water Pollution Standards

A coalition of environmental groups claims the EPA has failed for decades to update limits on the discharge of some dangerous chemicals into waterways. Most of the worst polluters are in Texas.

Oversight

The EPA Faces Questions About Its Approval of a Plastic-Based Fuel With an Astronomical Cancer Risk

A senator questioned the EPA chief and a group sued the agency after ProPublica and the Guardian revealed that the EPA gave a Chevron refinery approval to make a fuel that could leave people nearby with a 1-in-4 lifetime risk of cancer.

Oversight

The Army Increasingly Allows Soldiers Charged With Violent Crimes to Leave the Military Rather Than Face Trial

A federal watchdog called for ending the practice nearly 50 years ago, but the military pushed back. Now, soldiers leave the Army with a negative discharge, avoiding possible federal conviction and with little record of the allegations against them.

Oversight

DHS Watchdog Alleges Harassment, Chilling Effect and Constitutional Violations

A lawsuit filed this week alleges the Homeland Security inspector general and his office have been harassed by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s investigations, among other things.

Oversight

Following Concerns, Watchdog Advises DOJ on Ending Private Detention Contracts

The department’s inspector general says its recommendations on information sharing and documentation will ensure the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars and that the department carries out the intent of President Biden’s executive order for the Marshals Service.

Oversight

Trump’s Indictment Stretches U.S. Legal System in New Ways – a Former Prosecutor Explains 4 Key Points to Understand

The Manhattan District Attorney will need to prove several different points in its prosecution of Trump. But securing an unbiased jury will also challenge the execution of this unprecedented case.

Oversight

Another Bipartisan Push for More Financial Transparency and Accountability

“Congress must have a clear understanding of what regulatory and supervisory failures occurred to allow the collapse of both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank,” said one Republican senator.

Oversight

Social Security Trustees Predict Benefit Cuts in 2033 without Congressional Action

The projections say that, without action, Social Security would have enough money to pay about 77% of the total scheduled benefits.