Federal Drive with Tom Temin Federal News Network | Hubbard Radio

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is looking for a new chief information officer. HUD is now one of five major agencies looking for a new technology leader.
But unlike the departments of Defense and Health and Human Services, and the Small Business Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the HUD CIO didn’t actually leave the agency to create the job opening.
Beth Niblock, who has been CIO since July 2021, moved to a new position as senior advisor for disaster management. The reason for the opening is purely political. HUD decided to move the CIO’s position back to a career one from a political one.
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George Mason University will be the site of the recently approved Landolt NASA Space Mission. The mission will kick off in 2029 by launching a light into the sky that will help scientists determine the brightness of stars, so they can more accurately study how fast the universe is growing. Federal News Network's Eric White talked with the man leading the mission, GMU associate professor Peter Plavchan.
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Instead of asking Annie if she is okay, what if Annie asked you? That is the case now for veterans receiving treatment from the VA. The mobile and interactive service known as “Annie,” is being deployed nationwide to help vets keep up with their healthcare protocols via text message. The service, created by Accenture, has gotten a lot of positive feedback. To learn more, Federal News Network's Eric White talked with Dr. Ron Moody, Chief Medical Officer for Accenture. 
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There has been a ton of new developments regarding AI this year. It certainly has the potential to change many aspects of American industry and technology. Some members of Congress want to make sure the government is able to keep tabs on those developments and react accordingly. For more, Federal News Network's Eric White talked with Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.).
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On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:

Should there be a federal body monitoring AI like there is for cybersecurity? One member of Congress thinks so.

Veterans Affairs is hoping a non human entity can help keep tabs on its patients.

You may see one more star up in the night sky soon, only this one will be man-made.


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For federal employees, a bill pending in the Senate would bring expanded coverage of fertility treatments through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program.
But the Right to IVF Act, which Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced last week, did not garner the 60 votes needed to move forward with a floor vote Thursday afternoon. Almost all Republicans voted against the measure to advance the legislation, resulting in a 48-47 tally.
The legislation rolls together three previous bills all aiming to improve access and insurance coverage for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). In part, the bill would have impacts specifically on FEHB enrollees. One component of the Right to IVF Act aims to set higher requirements for FEHB carriers to offer IVF coverage.
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