When ChatGPT first emerged on the federal scene, Venice Goodwine was not a fan. The Air Force chief information officer, in fact, issued a 'Thou shalt not use' policy. But Goodwine quickly shifted her perspective and launched an Air Force only version called NIPRGPT. Federal News Network's Jason Miller got the story from Goodwine.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The past year in National Cyber Security trends was defined by major intrusions into U.S. critical infrastructure from the China linked Salt Typhoon campaigns to continue ransomware attacks on the health care sector. Agencies had to scramble just to keep up. For more on another busy year in cyber security, and as we continue with our series of look backs, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Federal retirees are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars a year into an annuity offering at the Thrift Savings Plan. What is it, and why is it so popular? We turn to certified financial planner Art Stein of Arthur Stein Financial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The DoD's big cybersecurity program advanced earlier this month. A big rule to carry if out became effective. For what the rule means and what comes next in the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program, we turn to the Deltek cybersecurity researcher Michael Greenman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After spending two decades in Afghanistan, the government has accumulated a lot of lessons learned. In fact, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, has published 13 chapters of lessons learned. The latest one concerns personnel practices in Afghanistan activities. Basically, everyone who ever worked there said personnel practices were terrible. We get more now from SIGAR's deputy director for lessons learned, David Young. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin One big reason almost nothing went right for the U.S. in Afghanistan The second shoe is about to drop on a big DoD cybersecurity program. A financial option that's gaining favor with federal retirees Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin This agency hopes to achieve the miraculous enabling the blind to see HHS wants to reduce medical accidents. There's a dashboard for that Contractors breathe a sigh of relief at budget deal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Placing federal employees on paid indefinite administrative leave, that practice is about to end. The Office of Personnel Management published a final rule to cap federal employees to 10 days of administrative leave during personnel investigations. The final rule comes eight years after the Administrative Leave Act was passed. That was 2016 and just this year, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility or PEER filed a lawsuit to prod OPM to cough up that rule. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman got more from PEER Senior Counsel Peter Jenkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After years of falling short of recruitment goals, the armed services did manage to eke out a win in 2024 and meet them. The story of how the services turned things around largely boils down to having a path for previously disqualified recruits to join the military. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis joins me for the year in review here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A unit of Health and Human Services recently made grants to four academic and industry teams to do miracles. Enabling the blind to see. The awardees will work on technologies to enable transplantation of the human eye. For details, from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, program manager Calvin Roberts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices