Podcast
Federal Newscast
Hosted by Federal News Network | Hubbard Radio · EN
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.
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House Appropriations Committee looks to reduce 2027 budget for EPA, other agencies
5d ago00:07:10Tap to summarizeThe House Appropriations Committee wants to reduce EPA's budget for fiscal 2027 by $1.8 billion or 20%. At the same time as part of the Interior, Environment and related agencies spending bill, lawmakers are increasing funding for the Interior Department by almost $700 million. The funding bill also supports President Trump’s effort to unify Interior firefighting entities and cuts funding for climate programs. Additionally, the bill would reduce funding for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art and the National Endowment for the Humanities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →The Office of Special Counsel may be getting a new leader
6d ago00:07:00Tap to summarizeThe Office of Special Counsel may be getting a new leader. President Donald Trump has nominated Charles Baldis as special counsel for the OSC. If the Senate confirms him, Baldis will be the first permanent leader at the agency in more than a year. Trump fired Hampton Dellinger, the OSC’s previous special counsel and a Biden appointee, in 2025.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Senate Committee passes reconciliation bill to fund ICE and CBP
1w ago00:06:50Tap to summarizeThe Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs passed a reconciliation bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection for fiscal year 2026. The bill includes $9.5 billion for CBP recruitment and nearly $7.5 billion for ICE recruitment for fiscal 2026. It also includes about $3.5 billion for other CBP operations funding through fiscal 2029, including procurement and implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning for mission support. The bill passed with a vote of 8 to 5. The reconciliation bill comes after Congress shut down the Department of Homeland Security for a record-breaking 76 days earlier this year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →U.S. Postal Service could offer more government services, IG says
1w ago00:08:21Tap to summarizeThe Postal Service could offer more government services by partnering with state, local and tribal governments, but the service hasn’t established a formal strategy to take advantage of this. The USPS inspector general says in a new white paper that USPS hasn’t explored these opportunities even though the Postal Reform Act of 2022 gave it the authority to partner with non-federal governments to expand service offerings. The OIG suggests expanding service offerings using the USPS’s already substantial infrastructure, including implementing identity verification for aid programs, DMV and IRS kiosks for assistance and fingerprinting for professional licenses. Post offices could even use their roofs to install internet equipment in disconnected communities and use data sensors on delivery trucks to collect data on road and air quality. The OIG says USPS can look to other countries, like Australia and France, that have successfully developed similar initiatives.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Tax delinquency rates for federal employees and retirees are climbing
1w ago00:06:18Tap to summarizeTax delinquency rates among federal employees and retirees have been increasing since 2021. That’s according to a new report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration that finds about 50,000 federal employees failed to file a tax return for multiple years, including 122 employees who have not submitted one for eight or more years. TIGTA says the suspension of some collection programs during the COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame for this increased delinquency. The program that collects this information, the Federal Employment/Retirement Delinquency Initiative, saw a staff reduction of 50% last year. TIGTA didn’t include recommendations in its report, but says it has referred cases to IRS Criminal Investigations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Senators approve resolution to withhold their paychecks during future government shutdowns
2w ago00:06:29Tap to summarizeSenators have unanimously agreed to a resolution that would withhold their paychecks during future government shutdowns. The bipartisan resolution comes amid increasingly longer and more frequent shutdowns. Historically, lawmakers continue getting paid during a funding lapse, while many federal employees have to endure the financial strain of missed paychecks. The Senate resolution will take effect after the general election on November 3rd. It does not apply to the House. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →House lawmakers push to bolster the TSA budget
2w ago00:05:58Tap to summarizeHouse lawmakers are pushing to bolster the Transportation Security Administration’s budget by ending the diversion of airline ticket fees. Lawmakers on the Homeland Security Committee this week introduced a bill that would require the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee to be solely dedicated toward aviation and airport security. Since 2014, roughly $15 billion in fees have been diverted to the Treasury for deficit reduction. TSA officials have said allowing the agency to use all of the fee revenue would speed up airport security technology upgrades. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →DoD launches a department-wide review of the military legal system
2w ago00:06:21Tap to summarizeDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a department-wide review of “all aspects of the military legal system.” Hegseth directed the Pentagon’s general counsel to evaluate legal programs across the services, compare them with one another and benchmark them against the Justice Department and criminal justice systems. Hegseth said the review “will result in recommendations to cut bureaucracy and make legal professionals more effective.” The announcement comes after Hegseth launched what he described as a “ruthless” review of how the military’s legal offices are organized as part of his campaign to move from what he calls “tepid legality” to “maximum lethality.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Veterans Affairs approves nearly $600 million in infrastructure improvements
2w ago00:06:55Tap to summarizeThe Department of Veterans Affairs approved nearly $600 million in infrastructure improvements during the second quarter of this fiscal year. That’s just part of the nearly $5 billion the VA is spending on non-recurring maintenance this year. The spending is going toward updating infrastructure systems in medical facilities and building upgrades for elevators, electrical systems and boiler plants. The funding is also going toward preparing VA medical facilities for the rollout of a new Electronic Health Record system.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Federal government employment continues to decline
2w ago00:06:27Tap to summarizeDespite some hiring occurring across agencies, overall employment in the federal government is continuing to decline. That's according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS reports that in April, federal employment numbers decreased by another 9,000 jobs. Since peaking in October 2024, the federal sector's numbers are now down by 11.5% or 348,000 jobs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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