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Podcast Summary: The Daily Scoop Podcast

Episode: Following new quantum EOs, Energy launches Quantum Genesis initiative
Date: June 24, 2026
Host: Billy Mitchell

Overview

This episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast spotlights the U.S. government's accelerated push into quantum computing, following new Quantum Executive Orders (EOs) signed by President Trump. The Department of Energy (DOE) reveals its ambitious Quantum Genesis Initiative, targeting quantum capability leadership by 2028, while additional coverage details the significant downsizing at the Department of Defense (DoD) via the DOGE initiative.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Launch of the DOE Quantum Genesis Initiative

[00:25–03:00]

The DOE launches the Quantum Genesis Initiative as a direct response to two new Executive Orders focused on quantum technology signed by President Trump.
Objective: Develop and deploy a resilient, fault-tolerant quantum computing system by 2028, integrating with broader national goals.
Leadership: Dario Gill, Undersecretary for Science, states the initiative is foundational to the president's directive:
- "Challenging America's quantum information science community and industry to build the world's first fault tolerant quantum computing capability that will transform scientific discovery, strengthen national security and power the next era of American innovation." — Dario Gill, quoting President Trump [01:15]
DOE's Three Main Priorities:
- Establish a competition to accelerate quantum systems development.
- Advance targeted research for high-impact quantum scientific use cases.
- Build a new supercomputing facility so engineers can access quantum capabilities.
The new facility will interface with existing High Performance Computing systems and align with the American Science and Security Platform—creating a unified ecosystem for AI and quantum research.

2. Federal Strategy & Policy Updates

[03:00–04:10]

Energy Secretary Chris Wright is tasked to:
- Work across agencies to update the National Quantum Strategy with policies prioritizing quantum information science deployment.
- Improve cross-agency access to quantum technologies and related resources.
Deadlines:
- By September: DOE must catalog technical specifications for application development in quantum computing, collaborating with other agencies.
- By year’s end: DOE and the Office of Management and Budget should have established private sector partnerships to assess cost, scope, and timelines for reaching their quantum goals.
EOs also require plans for leveraging quantum networking and eliminating barriers in quantum manufacturing.

3. DoD Downsizing Under DOGE Initiative

[04:15–08:05]

Headline: The Pentagon's workforce shrank 10.7% during peak DOGE implementation, per a new GAO report—roughly 82,940 civilian employees cut from Dec 2024 to Jan 2026.
Context: The downsizing follows a major government campaign by President Trump, launched in January 2025, to cut federal waste and reduce personnel, implemented by DOGE teams led by Elon Musk.
Key Mechanisms:
- Hiring freezes, probationary separations, reductions in force (RIFs), and voluntary incentives.
- Special Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) used to accelerate voluntary resignations and retirements.
Statistics:
- "59% of DoD personnel who separated in the second half of 2025 accepted a DRP offer, reflecting a total of 46,285 employees" — Don Locke, GAO Strategic Issues team [07:25]
- 43.6% of those separated (over 24,000) belonged to technical occupational groups.
- The government-wide DRP average for that quarter was 34%, highlighting DoD’s aggressive reduction.
Operational Impact: DoD leadership remains largely silent on the operational impact of these reductions, fueling ongoing questions around mission readiness and workforce sustainability.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Dario Gill referencing Presidential challenge [01:15]:
"Challenging America's quantum information science community and industry to build the world's first fault tolerant quantum computing capability that will transform scientific discovery, strengthen national security and power the next era of American innovation."
Don Locke on DoD reductions [07:25]:
"59% of DoD personnel who separated in the second half of 2025 accepted a DRP offer, reflecting a total of 46,285 employees."

Key Timestamps

[00:25] DOE announces Quantum Genesis Initiative following executive orders.
[02:45] Dario Gill contextualizes the initiative’s role and presidential mandate.
[03:45] Secretary Chris Wright’s interagency quantum strategy mission and deadlines.
[04:15] GAO report details DoD shrinkage under DOGE.
[06:20] Breakdown of separation mechanisms: hiring freezes, RIFs, DRP.
[07:25] Don Locke summarizes DRP uptake and workforce data.

Tone & Language

The episode maintains a factual, news-driven tone with emphasis on urgency, government innovation, and large-scale federal change. Insights are presented in plain, direct language by host Billy Mitchell, supported by quoted officials.

Summary

This episode highlights a transformative moment for U.S. technology leadership—in quantum computing through the DOE’s ambitious Quantum Genesis Initiative, and in workforce management through sharp reductions at DoD. Federal agencies are racing to meet tight deadlines for technical, strategic, and policy breakthroughs, while also navigating the significant downstream effects of executive-driven organizational change. The episode provides clear, concise reporting with expert attribution and data-driven context.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:02]
A
Today on the Daily Scoop Podcast from the Scoop News Group. Following this week's Quantum Executive Orders, the Department of Energy launches its Quantum Genesis Initiative and new details emerge on Doge's downsizing at DOD. It's Wednesday, June 24, 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 Energy is kickstarting a quantum computing effort tied to the Genesis mission following a pair of Quantum Focused Executive Orders signed by President Donald Trump on Monday. The newly launched Quantum Genesis Initiative aims to develop and deploy a more resilient quantum computing capability by 2028. Dario Gill, undersecretary for Science and Genesis mission lead, told FedScoop that the new initiative serves as a foundation for the charges Trump issued in his directives for quote, challenging America's quantum information science community and industry to build the world's first fault tolerant quantum computing capability that will transform scientific discovery, strengthen national security and power the next era of American innovation, unquote. To reach that goal, the Department of Energy has three main priorities to set up a competition to accelerate quantum system development, to conduct targeted research to advance high impact scientific quantum use cases, and to build a supercomputing facility for engineers to access the new capabilities. The facility, along with the Department of Energy's existing High Performance Computing systems and the Genesis missions in progress American Science and Security Platform form a unified high performance computing AI and quantum computing ecosystem. In addition to the Quantum Genesis Initiative, DOE has a key role to play in the provisions outlined by the Quantum Focused Executive Orders released this week. Energy Secretary Chris Wright will work with other government tech leaders to update the National Quantum Strategy with policies to promote the deployment of quantum information science and technology. Wright is also tasked with collaborating on how to provide access across federal agencies to the relevant capabilities and resources. The Energy Department has some near term deadlines and others that are further out. As part of the Presidential directives in September, DOE is required to have identified the technical specifications needed for quantum computing designed for application development and discovery science in conjunction with other agencies. By the end of the year, DOE and the Office of Management and Budget are expected to have explored partnerships with private sector companies to have a better understanding of the cost, scope and timeframe for reaching their quantum goals. The Executive orders also call for DOE to develop a plan for using quantum networking and eliminating manufacturing barriers for quantum and related technologies. Among other goals and now moving on to other news, the Pentagon's workforce shrank by roughly 10.7% during the height of the Trump administration's DOGE implementation efforts, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. That decrease represents 82,940 employees from a baseline of 778,188 civilian employees at the Defense Department in December 2024 near the end of the Biden administration, down to 695,248 in January of this year. Outlining government wide workforce contractions across 2025 that were sparked by multiple presidential directives, GAO's report offers a fresh, data driven look at Doge's downsizing impacts inside the Pentagon. It indicates that while DoD remains America's largest employer of federal civilian personnel, the department's workforce is now substantially smaller in volume than it was in years prior to. Don locke, director with GAO's strategic issues team and lead on the review, told Defensecoop. A key takeaway for DoD is the role the deferred resignation program played in the agency's efforts to reduce the size of its civilian workforce. At the start of his second administration's tenure in January 2025, President Donald Trump launched a disruptive campaign for the federal government to uncover waste, fraud and abuse and ultimately slash certain types of spending and personnel positions to enable savings for taxpayers. Spearheaded by space and tech executive Elon Musk, DOGE teams were hastily deployed at the Pentagon and across other federal agencies to carry out the president's vision. That February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a strategic reduction of 5 to 8% of civilian personnel who worked for the department. The cuts and Organizational changes inside DoD were to be driven by a mixture of hiring freezes, probationary separations, reductions in force or rifts, and voluntary incentives. But senior defense officials have been mostly unforthcoming about the full scope of doge's cuts and staffing changes or how they are affecting military operations. Even after Musk's tenure as a special government employee ended months later In May of 2025, DoD was notably one of a handful of federal agencies that also implemented its own agency Specific Deferred Resignation Program, or drp, to accelerate voluntary resignations and retirements among its civilian staff. In response to questions from Defense Scoop on Monday, Locke said that 59% of DoD personnel who separated in the second half of 2025 accepted a DRP offer, reflecting a total of 46,285 employees higher than the government wide average of 34% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, more than 24,000 were, or 43.6% of employees who separated from DoD were listed in a technical occupational group. For more news at the intersection of the federal government and technology, make sure to visit fedscoop.com. Thanks so much for tuning in to another episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, available on all podcast platforms. If you've already rated the podcast on your platform of choice, thank you. Thanks so much. High ratings and good reviews of the show help more people to find it. The Daily Scoop Podcast is a production of the Scoop News group in Washington, D.C. carlin Fisher helped put the show together, and the entire Scoop News Group team contributes. We'll be back again tomorrow with more top headlines. Until then, I'm your host, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for listening.