A Foggy Forecast for the Next Generation of Weather Satellites
The U.S. government uses a group of satellites to monitor weather events, including extreme weather events like hurricanes. The National Oce...
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Government Accountability Office (GAO) Podcast: Watchdog Report
Featuring interviews with GAO officials on significant issues and new reports, the Watchdog Report is recorded, hosted, and produced by GAO staff.
Episodes
20 of 64 episodesThe Crack Down on Mortgage-Related Spam Calls and Texts
If you've ever applied for a mortgage, it comes with a credit check. After that, you might get unsolicited calls and texts from other l...
GAO Looks to the Future and a New Era of Auditing
A lot has changed in the last couple of years. Our government has changed—not just politically, but also in what policymakers expect from fe...
From Office Supplies to Airplanes--What Happens to Federal Property When It's No Longer Needed?
Each year, federal agencies dispose of hundreds of millions of dollars in personal property that is no longer needed. This includes everythi...
The National Register of Historic Places--More Than Just Buildings and Battle Sites
There are thousands of properties on the National Register of Historic Places. It's everything from buildings to battlefields. But some...
The Navy's Attack Submarines Have Costly Maintenance Challenges
The Navy's attack submarine fleet provide the United States with an unparalleled advantage to gather intelligence undetected and attack...
At FEMA, Staff Reductions and Lack of Planning May Impact Readiness
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is tasked with helping Americans and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from di...
Ebola, Measles, and Avian Influenza—The Importance of Emerging Disease Surveillance
In recent decades, several emerging infectious diseases have necessitated the need for global responses. We looked at what's being done...
Health Insurance Marketplace Agents' Scams and the Efforts to Prevent Them
Consumers can use the help of a broker or agent to help them navigate government-run health insurance marketplaces. Agents can be useful in...
How Airline Mergers and Competition Impact Passengers?
The last several decades have marked a turbulent, transformative time for commercial airlines--with mergers, failed mergers, and even airlin...
The Air Force’s Aerial Refueling Fleet Is Shrinking in Capability
During long flights or extended air combat missions, aerial refueling tankers can eliminate the need for military planes to land. Having thi...
How GAO is Fighting Fraud and Reducing Improper Payments in Government Spending
The federal government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud each year and millions more to payment errors—also known as improper p...
What a Recent Rule Change Means for Corporate Transparency
Drug cartels and other illegal enterprises often use shell companies to hide their dealings and launder money. To combat this activity, many...
GAO Has Found New Ways to Save the Federal Government Billions of Dollars
Over the years, GAO’s work has helped save taxpayers billions of dollars by reducing duplication, overlap and fragmentation in programs. Eac...
America’s Cybersecurity Risks and How GAO Is Helping to Address Them
On this special episode of the Watchdog Report podcast, we discuss America’s cybersecurity risks, as well as GAO’s role in auditing and impr...
Preventing Fraud in Medicare
Medicare is the biggest spending area for the U.S. government and the largest federal health program. Due to the sheer size of Medicare, the...
Efforts to Stop the Sale of Thousands of Unauthorized E-Cigarette Products
New tobacco product must first be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being sold in the United States. Despite this re...
Gene L. Dodaro, the 8th Comptroller General of the United States and Head of GAO
For nearly two decades, the U.S. Government Accountability Office was led by Gene L. Dodaro, an auditor who came up-through the ranks of the...
GAO Stands Out in its Ability to Answer the Tough Questions. Here’s How We Do it.
Before Congress makes tough policy decisions, it often comes to GAO for information. This episode looks at some of the toughest questions Co...
Water Recycling Program Could Help Drought-Stricken Communities
In some parts of the United States, growing populations and prolonged droughts are straining water supplies. Large-scale water recycling cou...