Federal Drive interviews – July 26

On the Federal Drive show blog, you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

This is the In Depth/Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today’s guests:

Doug SternerCurator, Military Times’ Hall of Valor

Sterner is the curator of a website listing Americans with military decorations. He tells Federal Drive the Defense Department’s new push to do the same is a welcome effort. But he said the site is still lacking information but that it shouldn’t take much work to provide a complete database.


Caitlin WebberAnalyst, Bloomberg Government

President Barack Obama has asked Congress to repeal a 1974 law that restricted trade with the Soviet Union. The administration said the change is needed because it penalizes U.S. companies who do business in present-day Russia. Russia will join the World Trade Organization next month and not without controversy. Bloomberg Government analyst Caitlin Webber tells Federal Drive that foreign trade has become more important to Russia and foreign investment exploded in the vast country before the recession. Relaxing the law would be a win for U.S. businesses. And four senators now say they’ll support repeal of the law but on one important condition: They want sanctions for Russian officials who violate human rights. (Bloomberg Government is a subscription-only site)

Read more: U.S. sales to Russia poised for boost under WTO


Mark LipsonOrganic and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Advisor, USDA

The Agriculture Department’s Mark Lipson tells Federal Drive how USDA is mapping out local food programs. Walk into any given supermarket in certain areas of this city and you will likely see that the mushrooms come from Pennsylvania or the zucchini comes from Poolesville. In certain upscale markets you may even find a map of local farms. But if you don’t and you want one, the Agriculture Department has an app for that — part of its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass.


Also on the show:

New bid to train social workers on military issues

GOP senators launch tour warning of defense cuts

Pentagon still grappling with rules of cyberwar

Symantec fires CEO, chairman is replacing him

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