Podcasts by the Project On Government Oversight http://www.pogo.org 2010 - Project On Government Oversight http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:44:25 -0400 brahija@pogo.org Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:35:04 -0400 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com Exposing corruption, exploring solutions. The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is an independent nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption and other misconduct in order to achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government. Founded in 1981, POGO (which was then known as Project on Military Procurement) originally worked to expose outrageously overpriced military spending on items such as a $7,600 coffee maker and a $436 hammer. In 1990, after many successes reforming military spending, including a Pentagon spending freeze at the height of the Cold War, POGO decided to expand its mandate and investigate waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government. Throughout its history, POGO's work has been applauded by Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, federal workers and whistleblowers, other nonprofits, and the media. Project On Government Oversight Bryan Rahija brahija@pogo.org nuclear weapons complex, defense spending, open government, government transparency, national security, revolving door, government watchdogs, whistleblowers, lobbying, government oversight, congressional oversight no no http://pogoarchives.org/audio/podcasts/logo144.jpg http://www.pogo.org Podcasts by the Project On Government Oversight 144 144 On this week's podcast, Adam Miles, from the Office of Special Council, gives an overview of how the OSC works with federal whistleblowers. Miles was a speaker at the July meeting of POGO's <a href="http://www.pogo.org/cots/">Congressional Oversight Training Series</a>. The series is put on by POGO to train congressional staffers on the art of congressional oversight. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 742FA624-12BB-49B1-B8B9-D2ACF4EB86D9 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:35:04 -0400 Recorded at a recent seminar as part of POGO's Congressional Oversight Training Series. On this week's podcast, Adam Miles, from the Office of Special Council, gives an overview of how OSC works with federal whistleblowers. Miles was a speaker at the July meeting of POGO's Congressional Oversight Training Series. The series is put on by POGO to train congressional staffers about the art of congressional oversight. 00:06:43 Project On Government Oversight whistleblowers, office of special counsel, congress, oversight, corruption no no In May 2010, leaders at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed a rule that would require NIH-funded researchers to publicly disclose their financial arrangements with drug and medical device companies. <br /> <br /> This proposal would bring a much needed dose of transparency to federally funded medical research. Now, one thing stands in its way: the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). POGO is concerned that OMB will weaken or block this proposal, and in July, we sent a letter urging OMB to leave the rule intact. <br /> <br /> For this podcast, POGO Staff Scientist Ned Feder and POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian discuss why this proposal is so important. After we recorded this podcast, Nature News&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110801/full/476017a.html" target="_blank" >reported</a> that the proposal has been dropped. Things aren't completely final just yet--but if the NIH's disclosure proposal does wind up on the cutting room floor, it would be a significant blow to transparency and taxpayer interests. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html D6F194F3-DF2D-4476-94FA-FEB21E855C5D Tue, 2 Aug 2011 11:10:41 -0400 Why a newly proposed transparency rule is so important In May 2010, leaders at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed a rule that would require NIH-funded researchers to publicly disclose their financial arrangements with drug and medical device companies. This proposal would bring a much needed dose of transparency to federally funded medical research. Now, one thing stands in its way: the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). POGO is concerned that OMB will weaken or block this proposal, and in July, we sent a letter urging OMB to leave the rule intact. For this podcast, POGO Staff Scientist Ned Feder and POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian discuss why this proposal is so important. After we recorded this podcast, Nature News reported that the proposal has been dropped. Things aren't completely final just yet--but if the NIH's disclosure proposal does wind up on the cutting room floor, it would be a significant blow to transparency and taxpayer interests. 16:52 Project On Government Oversight NIH, conflicts of interest, transparency, research, pharma, medicine no no Despite containing some of the highest concentrations of radioactivity on the planet, the structures housing the majority of U.S. spent nuclear fuel--our nuclear graveyards so to speak--are designed to withstand little more than a bad thunderstorm. In this podcast, POGO staffers talk with Bob Alvarez, a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), about why this is a problem, and whether or not a disaster like the one at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi plant could happen in the U.S. Alvarez is the author of a new <a href="http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/alerts/nuclear-security-safety/nss-np-20110524.html">report</a> on storage of spent nuclear fuel that was released by IPS with support from POGO. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html B8B4C9C9-E164-45DA-A88F-4C7FA40A74D8 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:39:15 -0400 Our nuclear graveyards are filling up fast Despite containing some of the highest concentrations of radioactivity on the planet, the structures housing the majority of U.S. spent nuclear fuel--our nuclear graveyards so to speak--are designed to withstand little more than a bad thunderstorm. In this podcast, POGO staffers talk with Bob Alvarez, a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), about why this is a problem, and whether or not a disaster like the one at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi plant could happen in the U.S. Alvarez is the author of a new report on storage of spent nuclear fuel that was released by IPS with support from POGO. 34:16 Project On Government Oversight nuclear power, nukes, fukushima, spent nuclear fuel, yucca mountain, energy policy no no A conversation with Professor Dru Stevenson and Nicholas Wagoner, of the South Texas College of Law, about their recent article exploring enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html EC6D90A3-05B1-439B-97A6-4823518080A4 Wed, 6 Jul 2011 17:53:30 -0400 Enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which criminalizes bribery of foreign officials, isn't exactly what you would call aggressive. A recent law review article poses a question that POGO and others have been asking: Have the top federal contractors become "too big to debar"? The article, written by South Texas College of Law professor Drury Stevenson and third-year student Nicholas Wagoner, looks at the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and how it is being enforced against federal contractors caught bribing foreign government officials. For this podcast, POGO staffers Bryan Rahija and Neil Gordon speak with Wagoner and Professor Stevenson to find out how this lack of strong enforcement hurts taxpayers' interests. 33:24 Project On Government Oversight bribery, corruption, contractors, justice department, pentagon, dod, no no POGO staffers discuss a recent POGO letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, which called for an investigation into potentially unlawful foreign funding of Members of Congress. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 3C99BE71-8842-4B7C-BDE2-4FE274C318CC Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:43:20 -0400 A family feud, a mysterious caucus, and a disputed document Allegations that the government of Kazakhstan may have set up a slush fund to influence members of Congress are serious enough to warrant a federal investigation POGO earlier this month in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The influence-peddling claim originated in a lawsuit filed in federal court by a relative of Rahkat Aliyev, the ex-son-in-law of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Attorneys for the relative entered a letter into the court file purportedly written to Nazarbayev by the Kazakh ambassador to the U.S., in which the ambassador describes efforts to influence members of a congressional caucus created by the Embassy by financing them through a special foreign currency account. The defendants in the case have strongly contested the letter as a forgery, including filing statements by Kazakh government officials and an analysis by a forensic document examiner. However, there is circumstantial evidence that gives considerable credence to some of the letter’s underlying claims. POGO’s investigation has found campaign contributions from employees of firms hired by the Kazakhstan Embassy. Additionally, documents filed under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) and news reports show that the government of Kazakhstan has used lobbying firms to establish two separate congressional caucuses--The Friends of Kazakhstan and the Central Asia Caucus--dedicated to supporting its interests. 24:10 Project On Government Oversight Kazakhstan, lobbying, foreign lobbying, slush fund, corruption, Congress no no POGO staffers discuss POGO's latest report and accompanying database examining the issue of the revolving door and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 06AF4105-BC58-4D63-9C6D-CD69E5BBF959 Mon, 23 May 2011 16:58:51 -0400 Revolving Financial Regulators POGO staffers discuss the issue of the revolving door and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Our new report identifies over 200 former SEC employees who left the Commission to go work for the industry they once oversaw, raising questions about the integrity of the agency's ability to be an effective watchdog. 26:48 Project On Government Oversight SEC, financial sector, oversight, financial crisis, good government, revolving door, government oversight no no On April 1, a five-foot piece of the fuselage of a Southwest Airlines 737 Classic airplane ripped off in mid-flight, forcing the plane to an emergency landing in Arizona. Despite the date of the incident, this was no joke. <br /> <br /> In late April, the nation’s crash detectives, the National Transportation Safety Board, said they found evidence of manufacturing defects. Experts told the New York Times that the board’s findings suggest the 737’s "aluminum skin had not been properly bound together, leading to premature damage from fatigue." <br /> <br /> This week's podcast is a phone conversation between POGO staffers and a former Boeing employee and her attorney, who claim that Boeing bent the rules and allowed very similar manufacturing defects on a newer version of the 737, the 737 Next Generation. In 2005, they filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that Boeing defrauded the military by supplying defective planes. They claim that Boeing has also put the flying public at risk. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 7ECF98E9-D9AC-458D-9E06-F83CA364818B Mon, 9 May 2011 18:38:41 -0400 Is Boeing Putting the Flying Public At Risk? On April 1, a five-foot piece of the fuselage of a Southwest Airlines 737 Classic airplane ripped off in mid-flight, forcing the plane to an emergency landing in Arizona. Despite the date of the incident, this was no joke. In late April, the nation’s crash detectives, the National Transportation Safety Board, said they found evidence of manufacturing defects. Experts told the New York Times that the board’s findings suggest the 737’s "aluminum skin had not been properly bound together, leading to premature damage from fatigue." This week's podcast is a phone conversation between POGO staffers and a former Boeing employee and her attorney, who claim that Boeing bent the rules and allowed very similar manufacturing defects on a newer version of the 737, the 737 Next Generation. In 2005, they filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that Boeing defrauded the military by supplying defective planes. They claim that Boeing has also put the flying public at risk. 28:10 Project On Government Oversight FAA, Boeing, aviation, whistleblower, Federal Aviation Administration, Gigi Prewitt, no no In March 2011, AllGov reported that DARPA, the Pentagon's premier research arm, had awarded a contract to a company founded by the agency's director. Wired's Spencer Ackerman joined POGO staffers to discuss the particulars. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org F2D40274-561A-4688-B182-F2787F8CAC37 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:50:17 -0400 With Wired's Spencer Ackerman. In March 2011, AllGov reported that DARPA, the Pentagon's premier research arm, had awarded a contract to a company founded by the agency's director. Wired's Spencer Ackerman joined POGO staffers to discuss how it all went down. 17:44 Project On Government Oversight DARPA, ackerman, contractor, conflict of interest, ethics, Pentagon, RedXDefense, DoD, defense, national security no no POGO first learned about Lieutenant Colonel Michael Holmes in an explosive <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/another-runaway-general-army-deploys-psy-ops-on-u-s-senators-20110223" target="_blank" >article</a> written by journalist Michael Hastings for Rolling Stone magazine. Lt. Colonel Holmes is the leader of an "information operations" team in the military. When Holmes was ordered to use his skills on Members of Congress--he checked with a JAG attorney on whether that order was legal. The JAG attorney said the order was illegal, and Holmes pushed back against the order--and that order was rescinded. Afterwards he was subjected to what he calls a retaliatory investigation, and when he took his case to the Department of Defense Inspector General, his voice seemed to fall on deaf ears. In this podcast, POGO's Nick Schwellenbach and Bryan Rahija interview Holmes about his story. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 9977F689-6662-4FF9-BC47-FC3E57776DF4 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:07:19 -0400 The "Psy-Ops" Whistleblower Speaks Out POGO first learned about Lieutenant Colonel Michael Holmes in an explosive article written by journalist Michael Hastings for Rolling Stone magazine. Lt. Colonel Holmes is the leader of an "information operations" team in the military. When Holmes was ordered to use his skills on Members of Congress, he checked with a JAG attorney on whether that order was legal. The JAG attorney said the order was illegal, and Holmes pushed back against the order and that order was rescinded. Afterwards he was subjected to what he calls a retaliatory investigation, and when he took his case to the Department of Defense Inspector General, his voice seemed to fall on deaf ears. In this podcast, POGO's Nick Schwellenbach and Bryan Rahija interview Holmes about his story. 27:24 Project On Government Oversight Psy-ops, whistleblower, military, inspector general, psy-ops no no POGO's Scott Amey dishes out a post-mortem on a recent Commission on Wartime Contracting hearing--at which he testified--on contractor accountability. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 970BD8D0-FB9E-45EE-B22E-4F755AA59BF4 Mon, 7 Mar 2011 17:22:04 -0500 POGO's Scott Amey explains how we can increase accountability for those responsible for billions of dollars lost to fraud, waste, and abuse. POGO's Scott Amey testified before the Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) on Monday, February 28, 2011. Find his testimony here: http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/alerts/contract-oversight/co-fcmd-20110228.html Since his testimony, Scott and other investigators at POGO have written about the hearing on POGO's blog. See: http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2011/03/contractor-past-poor-formance-information.html http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2011/03/does-the-federal-government-have-performance-anxiety.html http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2011/03/im-beginning-to-get-the-picture-that-bad-performance-can-be-good-business.html 24:11 Project On Government Oversight government contracting, govcon, commission on wartime contracting, contractor, accountability no no POGO staffers Keith Rutter, Scott Amey, and Bryan Rahija sit down to discuss a Supreme Court case that could expand the definition of corporate "personhood." POGO and good government allies submitted an amicus brief for the case, which can be read <a href="http://pogoarchives.org/m/gs/foia/fcc-v-att-pogo-amicus-brief.pdf">here</a>. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 8E91B02B-D13B-4C40-8FC9-46D4943BA24A Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:36:27 -0500 Does a Corporate Entity Enjoy "Personal Privacy" When It Comes to FOIA? Does a corporation enjoy the benefits of "personal privacy" when it comes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)? That's the key question that was argued today before the Supreme Court in the case of AT&T v. FCC. Back in November, POGO and allies in the good government community challenged a Court of Appeals decision and argued in an amicus brief that the "personal privacy" exemption to FOIA did not apply to corporate entities. In this podcast POGO staffers go over the arguments and implications of the case. You can read the amicus brief submitted by POGO and good government allies here: http://pogoarchives.org/m/gs/foia/fcc-v-att-pogo-amicus-brief.pdf 19:52 Project On Government Oversight FOIA, FCC, corporations, personal privacy, contractor, federal contractor, govcon no no POGO staffers recently sat down to discuss something that relates to so many aspects of our work--the latest WikiLeaks disclosures. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 44BAF68E-D245-495B-8F75-E65F45339877 Thu, 9 Dec 2010 18:43:35 -0500 Avoiding the hyperbole This week, Nick Schwellenbach, Keith Rutter, Danielle Brian and Bryan Rahija discuss the latest WikiLeaks disclosures. 36:09 Project On Government Oversight WikiLeaks, whistleblowers no no POGO recently called for the removal of two war zone watchdogs--the Department of State's Inspector General and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). In part 2 of 2, POGO staffers discuss a recent hearing in which Members of Congress questioned the effectiveness of the SIGAR. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org DCDD6B55-75BD-45FE-8255-87D0B9A7290D Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:29:06 -0500 Does the U.S. have the right watchdog in place for its Afghanistan reconstruction efforts? POGO recently reiterated its call for the removal of Arnold Fields as the head of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Fields recently defended his work before critics in Congress, and here POGO staffers discuss how the hearing went. 20:17 Project On Government Oversight SIGAR, afhganistan reconstruction, inspector general, watchdog no no POGO recently called for the removal of two war zone watchdogs--the Department of State's Inspector General (IG) and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. In part 1 of 2, POGO staffers discuss our recent letter to the President raising questions about the independence of the State Department's IG. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 7359C2A2-6F73-4EF6-AE0B-EAEFC639FEB9 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:16:04 -0500 Is the State Department's IG independent enough to be effective? POGO staffers discuss our recent letter to the President raising questions about whether the State Department's Inspector General is independent enough to be effective. (Letter: http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/letters/government-oversight/go-ig-20101118.html) 21:16 Project On Government Oversight Inspector General, Watchdog, investigation, government corruption, State Department, no no POGO staffers discuss a recent report issued by the State Department Office of the Inspector General, which evaluated the performance of the private security contractor responsible for guarding the U. S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The report confirmed many of the findings of POGO's 2009 investigation into "Lord of the Flies" environment that had taken hold of the embassy's private security guard force. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org C906E873-84E7-420E-BDBF-A777D20F23CD Thu, 4 Nov 2010 19:17:35 -0400 Is the government falling down on the job in its oversight of private security contractors? The State Department Office of the Inspector General (OIG) last week released a damning performance evaluation of ArmorGroup North America (AGNA), the contractor responsible for guarding the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Among the revelations from the OIG report: * AGNA employed, and the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security failed to scrutinize, “Nepalese guards without verifiable experience, training, or background investigations in violation of its contract.” * “AGNA cannot account for 101 U.S. Government-furnished weapons that have been missing since 2007. AGNA used U.S. Government-furnished weapons for training rather than required contractor-furnished weapons.” * “AGNA regularly allows individuals who are not vetted by Embassy Kabul’s regional security office unescorted access to Camp Sullivan, a U.S. Government-owned camp containing sensitive materials.” The report confirms and expands on the findings of our investigation last year, which pulled back the curtain on a "Lord of the Flies environment" that had taken hold of the Embassy security guard force. Lewd and obscene photos of AGNA security guards helped our investigation garner considerable attention—but the key revelation, as detailed in our letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was that the State Department was failing to conduct oversight of a contractor performing an incredibly important service. This OIG report is just one more piece of evidence demonstrating that the State Department continues to struggle in its oversight of private security contractors--and raises questions about what role private security contractors should play in the U.S. efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. 27:44 Project On Government Oversight private security contractors, blackwater, xe, agna, embassy, state department, inspector general no no This June, the Army charged several U.S. soldiers with murdering three Afghans for sport in three separate episodes. Christopher Winfield, the father of Specialist Adam Winfield--one of the accused soldiers--recently told POGO his own story of how he tried to warn the Army about the killings. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 6716A539-5309-4B33-946A-D65A9FC5EB41 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:15:24 -0400 Could the alleged killings have been prevented? POGO sat down to speak with Chris and Emma Winfield, the parents of Army Specialist Adam Winfield, one of five soldiers charged with the murders of three Afghans in January, February and May. Spec. Winfield reportedly contacted his parents after the first incident, saying that he was being harassed and that his squad leader had gotten away with murder. Chris Winfield says he tried to warn the Army after communicating with his son, but says several Army offices, including the Army Inspector General and the Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID), did not respond to their voice mails. As reported by ABC News, the Army says that it conducted an internal investigation in response to the Winfields' story, and determined that the Winfields did not call the Army Inspector General. Regarding the interaction between Winfield and CID, the Army told ABC: "The evidence shows that he called several numbers on a Sunday. He spoke to one individual for approximately 12 minutes. He did call the Army Criminal Investigations Division, but he did not leave a message and did not follow a prompt to call the 24-hour MP desk." Chris Grey, a CID spokesperson, also told POGO that the CID office at Fort Lewis “could find no record of a message left by Mr. Winfield,” although the office admits Chris Winfield has produced phone records showing a one-minute phone call with the CID office. Nonetheless, because POGO has long taken an interest in issues related to blowing the whistle and the inspector general system, we thought this story merited exploration. 18:48 Project On Government Oversight Winfield, Afghanistan, oversight, military, inspector general no no How the U.S. can create jobs, increase security, save money, and generate as much as $23 billion for the Treasury. <br /><br /> POGO's Ingrid Drake and Peter Stockton sit down to explain <a href="http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/reports/nuclear-security-safety/downblending-heu/nss-nwc-20100914.html">POGO's latest report. </a> http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 8D36F6C2-DC1A-4BE5-9882-729AC12E588B Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:25:48 -0400 A win-win policy solution. Ingrid and Peter sit down to discuss the findings in POGO's latest report. In a nutshell, we have identified an opportunity to create jobs, save taxpayer dollars, improve security, and generate as much as $23 billion for the Treasury. 18:13 Project On Government Oversight nuclear weapons complex, downblending, doe, NRC, nukes no no What do you want to know about POGO or the world of government oversight? Send your questions to info@pogo.org and we'll answer the top ten questions. http://www.pogo.org/podcasts 31B1113D-41B6-418C-8CEC-0EA7CA4E5242 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:24:56 -0400 We'd like to hear from you. Ask us anything! What do you want to know about POGO or the world of government oversight? 2:39 Project On Government Oversight no no Winslow Wheeler, director of the <a href="http://www.cdi.org">Center for Defense Information</a>, joins POGO for a discussion of the new Pentagon savings initiatives proposed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. <br /> <br /> Read more about the savings initiatives <a href="http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4669">here</a> and <a href="http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2010/08/agency-meant-to-increase-dod-cost-savings-cut-because-its-redundant.html">here</a>. http://pogo.org/podcasts brahija@pogo.org 040B2D2B-7582-4EA6-B4C0-69B7DB81D8AF Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:19:31 -0400 w/ Winslow Wheeler, director of the Center for Defense Information On Monday August 9 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates proposed several initiatives to trim Pentagon bloat and make Department of Defense operations more efficient. But do these proposals mark steps towards genuine reform at the Pentagon? And what do the folks on Capitol Hill think? To find out, POGO sat down with Winslow Wheeler, director of the Center for Defense Information. 18:17 Project On Government Oversight defense, pentagon, waste, glut, national security, gates, winslow wheeler, no no Angela Canterbury, POGO's Director of Public Policy, walks us through some of the key pieces of legislation that POGO has been working on, and talks about what's next once legislators return from recess. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 86B3DD9A-635C-401D-9FDB-6DB54CE18E7E Mon, 9 Aug 2010 10:46:00 -0400 What happens after "exploring solutions" Angela Canterbury, POGO's Director of Public Policy, walks us through some of the key pieces of legislation that POGO has been working on (the CLEAR Act, the financial regulatory reform bill...), and talks about what's next (GAO oversight of the intelligence community, whistleblower protections...?) once legislators return from recess. 24:12 Project On Government Oversight CLEAR Act, FinReg, Minerals Management Service no no POGOnauts, including POGO Senior Investigator Peter Stockton, review a new film about the nuclear weapons complex, <a href="http://www.takepart.com/countdowntozero">Countdown to Zero</a>, and discuss the recent trend towards less and less oversight of our nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. http://www.pogo.org/podcasts B67A1042-F056-47FD-94A6-42AD6AA05122 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:47:34 -0400 with POGO Senior Investigator Peter Stockton POGOnauts, including POGO Senior Investigator Peter Stockton, review a new film about the nuclear weapons complex, Countdown to Zero, and discuss the recent trend towards less and less oversight of our nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. 9:37 Project On Government Oversight Countdown to Zero, nuclear weapons complex, government oversight, nukes no no This week POGO is joined by OpenTheGovernment.org's Amy Bennett for a discussion of the recent audit of revisions to agency Open Government Plans. <br /> <br />Read more about the audits <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/opengovtplans/home/about-this-project/audit-results-updated">here</a>. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 6EC2F5A4-20C0-412E-A59D-7552A9957047 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:21:01 -0400 with OpenTheGovernment.org's Amy Bennett. This week POGO is joined by OpenTheGovernment.org's Amy Bennett for a discussion of the recent audit of revisions to agency Open Government Plans. Agencies were required to submit these Plans as part of the Open Government Directive, the Obama Administration commitment to increase transparency in the federal government. POGO and other good government groups audited the agencies' Plans when they were first published, and committed to re-evaluating Plans that were re-submitted by June 25. You can find the results of the audit here: https://sites.google.com/site/opengovtplans/home/about-this-project/audit-results-updated 14:32 Project On Government Oversight opengov, accountability, government transparency, government secrecy no no POGO staffers dive into the history of the beleaguered government agency responsible for oversight of the offshore oil industry, and examine the reforms under consideration to improve the agency. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 4F49F7F8-775A-423E-AD7E-575ECE02063B Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:47:02 -0400 How to fix a broken agency? This week, POGO staffers dive into the history of the beleaguered government agency responsible for oversight of the offshore oil industry, and examine the reforms under consideration to improve the agency. Find more background information on POGO's blog: http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/oil-spill-mms/ 15:06 Project On Government Oversight oil spill, Gulf, Deepwater Horizon, MMS, Minerals Management Service, BOEMRE no no It may be one of the bulkiest terms in Washington, but POGO's got the skinny on inherently governmental functions. <br /> <br /> In this week's podcast, POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian describes her recent testimony before the Commission on Wartime Contracting, in which she addressed whether private security contractors in combat zones are performing services that should be reserved strictly for government personnel. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html brahija@pogo.org 27FEBA91-4EAC-4A79-8A69-39D9E822A69F Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:03:33 -0400 It may be one of the bulkiest terms in Washington, but POGO's got the skinny on inherently governmental functions. It may be one of the bulkiest terms in Washington, but POGO's got the skinny on inherently governmental functions. In this week's podcast, POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian describes her recent testimony before the Commission on Wartime Contracting, in which she addressed whether private security contractors in combat zones are performing services that should be reserved strictly for government personnel. You may read Danielle's testimony here: http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/testimony/contract-oversight/co-gp-20100618.html 10:22 Project On Government Oversight private security contractors, blackwater, xe services, inherently governmental functions no no Why does the National Security Agency maintain a room for Government Accountability Office investigators--and why is it empty? Special guest <a href="http://fas.org/press/experts/aftergood.html">Steve Aftergood</a> takes us through the latest developments in the debate over Congress's authority to conduct oversight of the intelligence community. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html A4D4D32A-593C-42F5-9252-79345C6F6112 Mon, 7 Jun 2010 13:32:49 -0400 With Special guest Steven Aftergood Why does the National Security Agency maintain a room for Government Accountability Office investigators--and why is it empty? The Federation of American Scientists' Steven Aftergood joins POGO to discuss congressional oversight of the intelligence community. The House just passed an amendment that would better enable the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate and audit intelligence agencies--Aftergood breaks down why this amendment is important, and why we still have a long way to go to strengthen oversight of this sector of the government. Read more about Steve Aftergood's work on his blog, Secrecy News: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/ 24:05 Project On Government Oversight secrecy, intelligence, CIA, GAO, congress no no POGO staffers discuss several amendments that have been introduced to financial regulatory reform legislation, including the amendment to audit the Federal Reserve. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 014F2BB1-BB34-4DDA-9608-9CBB5568C89A Fri, 14 May 2010 17:47:59 -0400 Including the measure to audit the Fed, and another to address the revolving door between industry and financial regulatory agencies. What are POGO's favorite amendments to the financial regulatory reform bill? Find out this week, as we learn about measures that would increase transparency and limit the revolving door problem between government and the financial sector. 16:13 Project On Government Oversight audit the fed, revolving door, financial sector no no The tragic Gulf oil spill has highlighted significant failures and deficiencies at the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS)--the agency responsible for oversight of offshore drilling. POGO has been monitoring the MMS for years, and this week we sat down to discuss some of the problems facing the agency. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 724AA6C5-974D-46A3-B422-F9EC27B1A60F Wed, 12 May 2010 11:40:02 -0400 Exploring the MMS's revolving door problem, history of lax oversight, and deficiencies in collection of oil and gas royalties. The tragic Gulf oil spill has highlighted significant failures and deficiencies at the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS)--the agency responsible for oversight of offshore drilling. POGO has been monitoring the MMS for years, and this week we sat down to discuss some of the problems facing the agency. 14:25 Project On Government Oversight Deepwater Horizion, Deepwater, Gulf, oil spill, BP, MMS, Minerals Management Service no no POGO takes a look at the Open Government Plans of the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 4036ED29-2B35-424A-8818-859325780E57 Fri, 7 May 2010 10:56:52 -0400 A look at the openness initiatives of the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission As required by the Open Government Directive, agencies have released their blueprints for transparency: the Open Government Plans. But how much openness and accountability will we see as a result of these plans? 16:12 Project On Government Oversight opengov, dod, doe, nrc no no POGO Investigator Neil Gordon discusses the latest update to POGO's Federal Contractor Misconduct Database. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html D2012E6B-9D8C-4DDB-967E-198E3EF3ACDD Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:02:45 -0400 POGO has brand new misconduct and accountability data for the government's top 100 contractors What's new in the updated version of POGO's Federal Contractor Misconduct Database? What's the public's reaction to the database? How do contractors react to the database? 18:00 Project On Government Oversight government contractor, accountability, misconduct, no no Scott discusses the proliferation of various labels describing "controlled unclassified information." http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html A3B17CF5-4CB4-41E9-BA7D-774B29F0FF09 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:29:05 -0400 Scott discusses the proliferation of various labels describing "controlled unclassified information." In the aftermath of 9/11, many agencies began labeling documents with markings such as "Sensitive But Unclassified." Scott describes how the proliferation of different labels and markings for this kind of information has become problematic. 10:10 Project On Government Oversight classified information, government secrecy, pseudo-classification, controlled unclassified, no no POGO takes a look at the SEC's program to reward whistleblowers who provide information to the agency about insider trading. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html C0E7506C-63A0-4B5D-81B2-3DC27B2B48DB Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:06:48 -0400 Plus a look at a new study highlighting the key role of whistleblowers in detecting corporate fraud. The agency's bounty program has resulted in awards to only five recipients in over twenty years of existence. 13:47 Project On Government Oversight SEC, whistleblower no no POGO staffers discuss all that transpired as part of Sunshine Week, the annual initiative to raise awareness of open-government issues. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 4EC6E121-CE13-4A7B-9B68-F802D007C621 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:18:58 -0400 How to improve the processing of Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests? How to make sure that government transparency has longevity as a public policy? POGO staffers discuss all that transpired as part of Sunshine Week, the annual initiative to raise awareness of open-government issues. 14:50 Project On Government Oversight no no Sometimes people working in the private sector come into public service, and sometimes people leave public service to enter the private sector. What questions do these sorts of personnel shifts raise? http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html C66DCEE7-FF6F-470B-BF36-47E8A461019A Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:02:10 -0400 Short answer: it's complicated. Sometimes people working in the private sector come into public service, and sometimes people leave public service to enter the private sector. What questions does these sort of personnel shifts raise? 17:29 Project On Government Oversight no no Mandy discusses problems that continue to plague the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), which persist in spite of efforts towards reform. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html AD7BAEA3-48C9-4745-AEC9-8535E241E24B Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:40:47 -0500 POGO worries that reforms implemented by the agency have failed to address the DCAA's systemic problems. The DCAA conducts around 30,000 audits each year, covering $501 billion in proposed contracts. But POGO worries that auditors lack the independence to fully hold contractors accountable and fight fraud waste and abuse. 12:51 Project On Government Oversight DCAA, contract oversight, auditors, audit, defense department, no no Michael Smallberg raises questions about the effectiveness of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 993F94CB-A895-43F9-B76D-A8AE69287730 Thu, 4 Mar 2010 11:34:29 -0500 Inherent conflicts of interest and an abysmal track record don't make for effective oversight. Michael Smallberg raises questions about the effectiveness of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. 12:51 Project On Government Oversight FINRA, SROs, SEC, no no Last week POGO submitted a list of a dozen nonpartisan good government fixes to each congressional office. For this podcast, instead of an orderly rundown, POGO staffers decided to mix things up and roll dice to determine which recommendation to discuss next. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 44F7EF38-1F4C-40E7-A4E8-73955AA61910 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:34:39 -0500 Twelve nonpartisan good government fixes. Last week POGO submitted a list of a dozen nonpartisan good government fixes to each congressional office. For this podcast, instead of an orderly rundown, POGO staffers decided to mix things up and roll dice to determine which recommendation to discuss next. 21:14 Project On Government Oversight no no Ingrid Drake discuss why the Senate should oppose the nomination of William Magwood to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — and what we should be looking for in a nominee. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 21E4718A-2323-4F2C-8140-BEDD8172B433 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:05:40 -0500 And why we should oppose one nominee in particular. Ingrid Drake explains why the Senate should oppose the nomination of William Magwood to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- and what we should be looking for in a nominee. 16:05 Project On Government Oversight Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear oversight no no Michael Smallberg and Adam Zagorin discuss their recent investigation on how a former SEC lawyer -- who is now running for Congress -- dimed out a whistleblower. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 1FCB6002-BEC9-4DB6-BDA9-371FE5B9E0D2 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:51:50 -0500 How a former SEC lawyer -- now running for Congress -- dimed out a whistleblower. Michael Smallberg and Adam Zagorin discuss their recent investigation on how a former SEC lawyer -- who is now running for Congress -- dimed out a whistleblower. 20:50 Project On Government Oversight SEC, whistleblower no no Just in time for the State of the Union address, Mandy Smithberger and Ingrid Drake discuss POGO's latest ovesight recommendations to the President. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 95367AB2-01B6-4FC8-9B5A-8B734842BC86 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:37:37 -0500 Five holes in the federal government's oversight mechanism that need to be plugged. Just in time for the State of the Union address, Mandy Smithberger and Ingrid Drake discuss POGO's latest recommendations to the President. 12:48 Project On Government Oversight SEC, whistleblower, financial regulation, no no Bryan Rahija discusses the challenges agencies face in implementing the Open Government Directive, plus the Obama administration's new policy on presidential signing statements. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 8B3317A0-7461-4082-BA43-3720B56F0FF5 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:46:26 -0500 January developments in the process towards an open government. Agencies face new challenges implementing the Open Government Directive, and the White House has a new approach with presidential signing statements. 18:00 Project On Government Oversight open government directive, opengov, signing statements, no no Ingrid Drake discusses the new moratorium on oversight of the contractors in charge of our nuclear weapons supply. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html A24C57B0-C7CC-4434-93EA-9563F87CE9FB Fri, 8 Jan 2010 15:42:45 -0500 The new moratorium on oversight of the contractors in charge of our nuclear weapons supply. If your kid accidentally blew apart a building, would you give them less supervision? This hands-off approach is exactly what the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is doing by giving the contractors who manage the nation’s eight nuclear weapons sites (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nevada Test Site, Sandia National Laboratory, Savannah River Site, Pantex, Y-12, and the Kansas City Plant) a six-month break from many regularly scheduled oversight reviews. 11:54 Project On Government Oversight NNSA, nuclear security, government oversight no no Michael Smallberg discusses POGO's latest work on the economic recovery front. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html CBD55458-5B2D-49A8-A355-3769F12D3249 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:21:44 -0500 Michael Smallberg discusses POGO's latest work on the economic recovery front. In December, POGO sent a letter to SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro regarding loopholes in proposed rule to increase transparency for troubled assets. Another letter urged the SEC Chairman to take action on recommendations made by the agency's Inspector General. 17:00 Project On Government Oversight derivatives, inspector general, SEC, Madoff no no Mandy Smithberger discusses POGO's latest efforts to make sure that contractor work on development, production, and evaluation of Pentagon engineering programs is unbiased. http://www.pogo.org/about/podcasts.html 59EE89C7-AA1C-4444-80EB-C171BFA91EE3 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:08:36 -0500 Why we should make sure development, production, and evaluation of Pentagon engineering programs are unbiased. Mandy Smithberger discusses a recent POGO letter to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. 5:13 Project On Government Oversight conflict of interest no no