Federal Drive Show Blog – January 20, 2014

On the Federal Drive show blog, you can listen to our interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day, as well as links to other stories...

This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to our interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day, as well as links to other stories and resources we discuss.

Today’s Interviews:

Florence Haseltine
President
Assembly of Scientists

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Feds are traveling less nowadays. When they do, paperwork follows. Federal scientists say this is hurting research. The Assembly of Scientists says a new bill could do even more damage in the name of transparency. Florence Haseltine, president of the Assembly of Scientists, has more.

Michael Sussmann
Privacy and Data Security Lawyer
Perkins Coie

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President Barack Obama is placing new limits on some U.S. surveillance practices. But he delegates most of the details to national security leaders and Congress. Now it’s largely up to them to figure out the balance between preventing terrorism and protecting privacy.

Privacy and data security lawyer Michael Sussmann discusses this issue. He is a partner at Perkins Coie and a former computer-crime prosecutor for the Justice Department.

Ethel Williams
President
Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration

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Public Policy Schools are facing an identity crisis. They traditionally focus on translating ideas into solutions to solve public problems. Now, critics are questioning if the schools are doing that.

Ethel Williams is president of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. She says executives in government often misunderstand what modern policy schools actually do and what their purposes are. For one thing, the bulk of people who graduate from member schools don’t become legislators.

Jason Miller
Executive Editor
Federal News Radio

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Federal agencies spent less money on goods and services in 2013 than in the previous two years. Budget cuts and sequestration certainly contributed to the lower spending. But Joe Jordan, the recently departed White House procurement chief, says policy also helped. He tells Executive Editor Jason Miller how he thinks OFPP’s efforts are paying off.

Heard Tom and Emily talk about another story during the show, but don’t see it here? Check out our daily federal headlines for the latest news affecting the federal community.

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