Government Accountability Office (gao) Podcast: Watchdog Report

Our new report estimates, for the first time, the direct financial losses from fraud across federal programs and operations. GAO looked at a recent 5-year period and is estimating annual losses from fraud to be between $233 and $521 billion dollars…

The F-35 Lightning II aircraft is the military's most advanced stealth fighter. It's the Department of Defense's most ambitious and costly weapons system. The military currently has about 600 of these jets with plans to buy nearly…

The first Move Over law originated in 1996 in South Carolina. Today, every state has its own law. But despite this, many drivers don’t know about them. We learn more about efforts to get the word out from GAO’s Elizabeth "Biza" Repko.

We expect our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to be combat ready. But sleep deprivation and fatigue can dramatically reduce readiness, and fatigue has been connected to accidents that have resulted in deaths, as well as hundreds of millions of…

At-home testing tools may aid early detection of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and be more cost effective for patients. In a new report, a Science & Tech Spotlight, we looked at the status of this at-home…

U.S. commercial airline traffic dropped 96% during peak pandemic times. In response, the federal government (the taxpayers) provided $132 billion in financial assistance to the industry and related businesses. Today, the industry has largely…

Congress has approved $113 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine. Today, GAO is issuing the first in a series of reports--requested by Congress--about the use and oversight of this assistance. Today’s report specifically looks at defense and security…

We're seeing more deepfakes on social media and in the news. These are videos, audio or images that have been manipulated using artificial intelligence. What's being done to combat these fakes? We find out from GAO's Brian Bothwell.

Head Start is an important program that supports early learning and development in young children (from birth to 5), who live in poverty. Nearly 800,000 young children were enrolled in Head Start programs during the 2021-2022 school year. But many…

Serving in the military, especially combat, may carry a psychological cost for active-duty service members. If left untreated, behavioral health conditions--such as mental health and substance use disorders-- can worsen with consequences for the…

Here at GAO, we recognize economic trends can change quickly and have major impacts on Americans. We publish reports and provide technical assistance to Congress to help members understand these emerging issues and their potential policy options. On…

Many pregnant people take prenatal vitamins to promote healthy pregnancies and babies. But these widely used supplements are not subject to the same scrutiny for safety and labeling as prescription drugs. For a new report, we looked at whether some…

The U.S. and its allies face growing cyber threats from adversaries and individuals looking to undermine our democracies, institutions, and economies. These include threats from nations like China and Russia. In a new report, we looked at recent…

Medicaid is the government's program that helps low income, medically needy, populations receive health care services. Within Medicaid, managed care allows beneficiaries to receive these services from a network of approved providers. Spending…

As weather-related events--like hurricanes and wildfires--become more frequent and severe, meteorologists and others are looking for new ways to forecast these events. GAO's Brian Bothwell joins us to share his new report on the role artificial…

GAO publishes reports and provides technical assistance to Congress to help members understand the emerging technology and science issues and potential policy options. We recently named a new chief scientist to help lead this work. Met our new Chief…

Cyber-based attacks on federal systems have become more damaging and disruptive. Federal agencies are required to secure their IT systems from these attacks. GAO's Jennifer Franks joins us to look at our new report on the federal government…

Radioactive materials are commonly used for medical, industrial and research purposes. But after use, what's being done to ensure radioactive materials are disposed of safely. In a new report, we look at these concerns. GAO's Allison…

At the beginning of the pandemic, we heard a lot about shortages of hospital beds, ventilators, testing supplies, as well as doctors and nurses. GAO has reported heavily on the impacts of not being prepared for a pandemic. But in a new report, we…

Parents know that the first few years of a child's life include so many critical milestones. During those first few years, it's critical to identify any developmental delays a child might have and provide early intervention services. The…