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Recent Posts
- A GAO Photo Album
- The Importance of Good Oversight for Medicaid
- Expanding GAO’s Science & Technology Expertise
- Federal Information Security: There’s Work to Do
- Education for Students with Disabilities
- Protecting our Critical Infrastructure
- GAO’s 2019 Performance and Accountability Report — A Record Year in Financial Benefits
- Climate Change and the Nation’s Most Contaminated Hazardous Waste Sites
- Can Irrigation Technology Address Water Scarcity? (Podcast and Infographic)
- The DATA Act: Checking in on Spending Transparency
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Author Archives: WatchBlog
Expanding GAO’s Science & Technology Expertise
We provide Congress with nonpartisan and fact-based analysis of technological and scientific developments that affect our society, environment, and economy. To enhance our ability to do this, we established the Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics (STAA) team in January 2019. … Continue reading
Federal Information Security: There’s Work to Do
Just about every federal government operation—from processing taxes and protecting national parks to coordinating military operations and delivering foreign aid—relies in some way on computers. Protecting government computer systems and the information stored in them is vital, and a 2014 … Continue reading
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December 3, 2019
Tagged cybersecurity, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Greg Wilshusen, High Risk List, High-risk issues, information security, Information security management, Information security regulations, information systems, information technology, Information technology and cybersecurity, Merit Systems Protection Board, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of Management and Budget, Presidio Trust, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration
Education for Students with Disabilities
In 1970, only 1 in 5 children with disabilities was educated in a public school, and many states had laws that excluded children with certain disabilities from school. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act sought to change that by requiring … Continue reading
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November 26, 2019
Tagged Autism, children, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Developmental disabilities, Disabilities, Disability evaluation, Disciplinary actions, education, Education Workforce and Income Security, Jacqueline Nowicki, Learning disabilities, life skills training, Military personnel, public schools, special education, Students with disabilities
Climate Change and the Nation’s Most Contaminated Hazardous Waste Sites
Climate change may increase the frequency and intensity of certain natural disasters, which could damage Superfund site—among the nation’s most contaminated hazardous waste sites. For instance, flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 damaged several Superfund sites in the greater Houston … Continue reading
Can Irrigation Technology Address Water Scarcity? (Podcast and Infographic)
GAO keeps a close eye on the latest technologies, but today we’re looking at a truly ancient one: irrigated agriculture. Despite dating back at least 5,000 years, irrigation technology continues to improve. Micro irrigation, for example, applies water close to … Continue reading
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November 14, 2019
Tagged Agricultural industry, Agricultural policies, Agricultural practices, Bureau of Reclamation, Crops, Department of the Interior, Droughts, Farming, Farming systems, Federal Communications Commission, freshwater, Global positioning system, Groundwater, Irrigation, Irrigation systems, National Agricultural Statistics Service, satellites, Science and Technology, Science Technology Assessment and Analytics, STAA, Sustainable agriculture, Tim Persons, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, water conservation, Water resources, Water resources conservation, Water supply, Water supply management, Water use, Watersheds
Our Innovation Lab: Building a Sandbox for Audit Tech
As our world becomes increasingly digitized, being able to quickly make sense of patterns, correlations, and behaviors from huge amounts of data is vital. This is especially true for federal agencies and the audit community. As Taka Ariga, GAO’s first … Continue reading
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October 29, 2019
Tagged advanced technology, artificial intelligence, Auditing procedures, audits, emerging technologies, improper payments, Medicare payments, Science and Technology, Science Technology Assessment and Analytics, STAA, Taka Ariga, Technological innovations, Technology research, Tim Persons
Preparing for Evolving Cybersecurity Threats Facing the U.S. Electric Grid
Electricity is essential for modern life. In addition to our modern home conveniences, like our microwaves, computers, and lighting, electricity is vital to hospitals, first responders, and financial services in our country. So, what would happen if our electric grid … Continue reading
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October 16, 2019
Tagged critical infrastructure, Critical infrastructure protection, Critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, Cyber attacks, cybersecurity, Cyberspace threats, Department of Energy, Electricity, Electricity grids, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Frank Rusco, Information technology and cybersecurity, Natural Resources and Environment, Nick Marinos, Security threats
Treating Behavioral Health Conditions in the United States
Nearly 57 million American adults had a mental health condition (such as depression), a substance use disorder, or both in 2017—and 70% of them didn’t receive treatment for these conditions. Left untreated, these behavioral health conditions can cause other health … Continue reading
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October 10, 2019
Tagged Access to health care, Alcohol or drug abuse problems, Certification and accreditation, Department of Health and Human Services, Drug abuse treatment, drug overdose, health care, Health care personnel, health care providers, Health risks, Mary Denigan-Macauley, mental health, Mental health care services, mental health services, Mental illnesses, Rehabilitation counseling, Rehabilitation programs, Rural health, substance abuse
Proving You’re You: How Federal Agencies Can Improve Online Verification
So much of how we collect and share information in today’s world is done online. We get our news. We do our shopping and banking. We book appointments. And online access has even made it easier for us to apply … Continue reading
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October 8, 2019
Tagged Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Credit reporting, cybersecurity, Department of Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, identity verification, Information technology and cybersecurity, Internal Revenue Service, ITC, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Nick Marinos, Social Security Administration, US Postal Service
Our New “Science & Tech Spotlights”
GAO has launched a new line of science and tech quick reads, 2-pagers providing brief overviews of key topics in the field. To complement our more in-depth evaluations and assessments, these “Science & Tech Spotlights” summarize emerging innovations and the … Continue reading
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October 3, 2019
Tagged addiction, advanced technology, Alcohol or drug abuse problems, Criminal investigations, criminal justice, Drug abuse treatment, Epidemics, Genetics, Medical evidence, prescription drugs, Science Technology Assessment and Analytics, STAA, Tim Persons, vaccination, weapon systems, weapons, Weapons research and development
