Unemployment Insurance programs saw unprecedented increases in demand during the pandemic. But despite this increase, many Americans were extremely frustrated when they tried to apply facing delays and other issues in accessing this essential safety…

The federal government has 500 million square feet of office space, which costs billions of dollars each year to lease, operate and maintain. But many of these buildings are under-occupied. This is a long standing problem, but one that increased…

Every year, GAO sends letters to federal agencies highlighting our recommendations from past reports that we think should be prioritized because they would have an immediate high impact on the most pressing challenges facing their agencies and…

Artificial intelligence could transform national defense and security. The Department of Defense has designated it a top priority in its modernization efforts. What are DOD's plans to gain AI technology and capabilities? We'll learn more…

The U.S. Coast Guard plans to acquire 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters to help continue its mission--patrolling for homeland security, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations. But construction of these ships faces delays, increasing costs and…

Nuclear weapons, along with other military weapon systems, are increasingly relying on software and other information technology to operate. But this increased reliance may make nuclear weapons and the systems they rely on more vulnerable to…

Social Security makes up a substantial percentage of the retirement income for many older Americans. But significant financial challenges threaten the government's ability to continue paying benefits in full. GAO's Kris Nguyen discusses…

Funding to support small businesses and their employees, who were impacted by the pandemic, totaled over $1 trillion. While this assisted more than 10 million businesses, some of it went to those who sought to defraud the government. We'll…

Widespread cancellations and delays seemed commonplace during the last holiday travel season. But while airlines are taking actions to address the causes of these disruptions, larger obstacles may lie ahead, including concerns about major shortages…

Noncompete agreements have historically been applied to highly skilled workers and executives with access to company secrets and other proprietary information. But recently these contracts used more broadly, with as many as 38% of workers saying…

The Department of Defense's budget makes up about half of all federal discretionary spending. But the DOD's financial statements have long been the source of scrutiny. For example, DOD is the only major federal agency that has never…

To combat child trafficking, the U.S. partners with other countries through Child Protection Compacts. We'll find out more from GAO's Chelsa Kenney, who looked at what is known about how well these partnerships work.

U.S. agencies sometimes provide funding to foreign businesses and other entities when it helps support U.S. trade and other goals. This financial support includes entities located in China. GAO's Kim Gianopoulos tells us more on this podcast.

Fusion energy has long promised to be a potentially transformative source of energy that avoids some of the risks and environmental impacts that other energy sources produce. But the advancement of this technology still faces fundamental challenges…

Food prices generally increase by about 2 percent each year. But from 2021 to 2022, food prices rose by 11 percent, the largest annual increase in over 40 years. What caused this major increase, and what can be done about it? We'll find out…

Regenerative medicine is an emerging field of health care that has the potential to cure previously untreatable diseases, repair or replace human cells, tissue or organs, and save lives. While the promise is vast, the workforce needed at all levels…

The United States and its global partners are experiencing a massive wave of cybercrimes. Here in the U.S., federal law enforcement have received record numbers of complaints in recent years, which include a wide array of Internet based scams…

American farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers are increasingly facing the impacts of climate change. Federal insurance programs can help offset some of these financial impacts. But as extreme weather events increase, so does the…

The IRS relies heavily on outdated computer software and hardware to perform its day-to-day operations. This includes things that would impact taxpayers, such as processing tax returns and refunds, and collecting taxes. We find out about IRS's…

COVID-19 has underscored the importance of being able to rapidly develop, manufacture, and distribute medical countermeasures--such as drugs, vaccines and testing supplies. But in the early days of the pandemic, the Department of Health and Human…

Who owns a nursing home is often an important factor impacting the quality of care residents living in that home receive. For nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs, ownership information is shared with the public so that…

Pediatric cancer is among the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. But there have been relatively few new drugs approved for treatments. What are the efforts to expand research for developing new treatments? We find…

The U.S. Navy plays a critical role in U.S. national defense, as well as world commerce and keeping the seas open to trade. It faces a number of obstacles in maintaining and operating its fleet of ships. We recently looked at these issues and found…

Commercial and personal use of drones is expected to grow rapidly over the next several years. How is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responding to this increase and making sure drones are being used safely? We'll find out from GAO…

When Medicaid and Medicare programs pay for nursing home or hospice care, the government requires participating hospitals, nursing homes and hospice providers to protect individuals from abuse or neglect. But federal requirements may differ, leaving…