In Depth Show Blog – July 22, 2013

Katherine Archuleta faced the Senate last week in her confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Office of Personnel Management. Federal News Radio’s executive editor, Jason Miller, joins In Depth to recap some highlights from the hearing.

Click here for more on Archuleta’s confirmation hearing

The 10-year anniversary of the Homeland Security Department is an occasion for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee to look at several aspects of DHS’ operation. One of them is research and development spending. David Maurer, director of homeland security and justice issues at the Government Accountability Office, was a witness at the committee’s hearing on R&D spending. He joins In Depth to discuss the progress DHS has made in its research-and-development efforts.

Winning a major award at your agency doesn’t have to require brain surgery. But sometimes it does require a little heart procedure. Dr. Paul Jablonski, a metallurgist with the Energy Department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory in Albany, Ore. His work there has made him a finalist in the Service to America awards in the Science and Environment category.

PHOTOS: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists

Fiscal 2014 is already shaping up to be potentially worse for the Defense Department because of sequestration. Each branch is feeling the budget pressures in a different way. In a recent press briefing, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said the impact of sequestration is revolving around the Navy’s central mandate.