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Today on the Daily Scoop Podcast from the Scoop News Group, calling all gamers to join the FAA as air traffic controllers and the US Navy is using underwater drones to help clear Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz. It's Monday, April 13, 2026. Welcome to the Daily Scoop Podcast, where you'll hear the latest news and trends facing government leaders. I'm the host of the Daily Scoop Podcast, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining me. And now let's dive into the day's top headlines. The Department of Transportation is launching a new campaign with a focus on gamers as part of an air traffic controller hiring push, according to an announcement on Friday. The agency is targeting early career professionals for the technical role as it prepares to open its annual hiring window next week. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement that to reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt. This campaign's innovative communication style and focus on gaming taps into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller. The hiring push aims to attract candidates with demonstrated high cognitive functions, multitasking skills, spatial awareness and problem solving, according to the agency. The agency said the effort is focused on reaching talented young people pursuing alternative career paths, many of whom are active in gaming, adding that feedback from controller exit interviews reinforces this, with several controllers pointing to gaming as an influence on their ability to think quickly, stay focused and manage complexity. Across the federal government, leaders have stripped degree requirements from jobs in hopes of easing recruiting challenges. The House passed a bill in February that pulled back educational prerequisites for federal contracting jobs, including for tech workers roles that are part of the Trump administration's tech force hiring. Sprint also do not require a traditional degree. Dot's non traditional hiring campaign comes amid ATC staffing shortages and turnover challenges. The Federal Aviation administration employed about 6% fewer controllers at the end of fiscal 2025 compared to that period in 2015, while total flights increased by about 10% during the period. The FAA has pointed to a number of factors contributing to the workforce difficulties, from a smaller talent pool with the required experience to the public's limited awareness of the profession. Some progress, however, has been made, according to the faa. The DOT unit said it hit its ATC hiring goals several months early last year and has already reached the halfway point for its goal this year. The hiring window opening next week will close after The FAA receives 8,000 applications. Candidates who are selected will attend the FAA academy to learn fundamentals through classroom instruction and hands on workshops before beginning work at one of the ATC facilities located across the country. The newly appointed controllers will arrive amid massive technology changes as part of the ongoing multi billion dollar modernization initiative. The effort includes improved flight data management, communication systems, radar and infrastructure and now moving on to other news, the Navy plans to use underwater drones in the coming days as part of its new effort to clear Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command announced on Saturday. The strait is a critical maritime choke point for oil exported from the Middle east, and reopening it to more shipping traffic has been a top objective of President Donald Trump amid the shaky ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran that began a few days ago and ultimately paused Operation Epic Fury over the weekend. Last month, the New York Times reported that Iranian forces were using small boats to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. On Friday, the outlet reported that the Iranians cannot locate all the mines they placed and lack the capacity to remove them, citing U.S. officials. Centcom, which is overseeing Epic Fury and other American military efforts in the Middle east, announced in a press release Saturday that its forces had begun setting conditions for clearing the devices, stating that the guided missile destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of the broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In a statement, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said, today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce. The press release stated that additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days. The release didn't identify the unmanned underwater vehicles that will be involved. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday morning, Trump announced that he ordered the Navy to impose a blockage around the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Iranian negotiators who met with senior US Officials in Pakistan this weekend did not agree to American demands about Tehran's nuclear program. For more news at the intersection of the federal government and technology, make sure to visit fedscoop.com