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Recent Posts
- Mapping Global Food Insecurity (Interactive Map)
- Operation Warp Speed—Federal Efforts to Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccine and Therapeutic Development
- GAO’s Scorecard—How we saved the federal government $77.6 billion this year
- The Risks of Lead Paint and How Lead is Detected in Blood
- Protecting Children from Lead Exposure in Schools and Child Care Facilities
- Auditing and Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
- Deconstructing Deepfakes—How do they work and what are the risks?
- The Wave of Concerns Facing the National Flood Insurance Program
- How does FEMA help people recover from major disasters?
- Fighting Money Laundering with the Bank Secrecy Act
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Author Archives: WatchBlog
Improper Payments on the Rise
Increasingly, the federal government is making payments it shouldn’t. Improper payments are when the federal government overpays, underpays, or makes payments to ineligible recipients. In FY 2019, federal agencies reported about $175 billion in estimated improper payments—up from $151 billion … Continue reading
Could AI Help Create New Medicines?
Developing and bringing a new drug to market is a lengthy and expensive process. Only about 1 in 10,000 chemical compounds that are tested makes it through the research and development pipeline and is approved by the FDA. This process … Continue reading
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February 6, 2020
Tagged artificial intelligence, Clinical trials, Drug testing, drugs, Federal regulations, Food and Drug Administration, Health research, Medical research, new drugs, Pharmacological research, prescription drugs, research and development, Science Technology Assessment and Analytics, STAA, Tim Persons
Taxing Times: Turning to IRS for Help
It’s that time of year again—tax filing season. As you prepare to file your tax return, where do you turn for help? Millions of taxpayers visit irs.gov for information or contact IRS during the filing season either on the phone, … Continue reading
The Rankings Are In—GAO Again Named Among Best Places to Work in the Federal Government
Continuing our streak, GAO has again been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. This year, we rose to 3rd among mid-size agencies—up one place from last year. We also once again ranked #1 in … Continue reading
Home for the Holidays? Not So Fast…
Flights delayed or canceled, passengers bumped, family celebrations missed—we’ve all heard the air travel horror stories. What recourse do you have if it happens to you? Well, that can depend on what caused the problem. Today’s WatchBlog takes a closer … Continue reading
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
