Diplomacy

State Department Opens Up Refugee Sponsorship to Individual Americans

The Biden administration, having bemoaned its internal shortfalls, leans on others outside government to meet the president's lofty admission goals.

State Department Releases its Roadmap for Increasing Diversity and Equity

The department also announced last month a new, paid fellowship and internship program aimed at bringing individuals with diverse backgrounds to the department.

Biden Administration at Odds With the IG Over the Scrutiny Afghans Received Before Entering the U.S.

DHS cannot be sure it properly screened the evacuees, the IG said, raising the possibility it admitted "criminals, suspected terrorists or other nefarious actors."

The State Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Officer Says ‘This Time is Different’

Amb. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley joined the U.S. Agency for International Development’s chief diversity officer, and the two testified about their work before a Senate committee on Tuesday.

GovExec Daily: USGS is Fighting the 'Blood Diamond' Trade

Peter Chirico joins the podcast to discuss how the U.S. Geological Survey is tracking and surveying the mining and selling of blood minerals.

The State Department Releases a Draft of Its $10 Billion Plan to Upgrade Diplomatic Tech

The "Evolve" solicitation is designed to revamp the technology products and services used by U.S. diplomats at home and abroad.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv Resumes Operations

It’s been three months since Russia started the war in Ukraine.

The State Dept. Should Recover Taxpayer Dollars ‘Wasted’ on a U.S. Embassy, Lawmaker Says

The construction of a new embassy compound in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan has been delayed for years. 

The Biden Administration Is Overhauling the Hiring Process for Foreign Service Applicants

The nearly 100-year-old test will play a less significant role in selecting qualified candidates.

U.S. Diplomats Will Start Returning to Ukraine

Russia’s aggression continues, but “Ukraine is succeeding,” said the secretary of State. 

Non-Emergency Federal Employees Ordered to Leave Shanghai

The mandate comes as China contends with a worsening surge of COVID-19 cases.

Hell at Abbey Gate: Chaos, Confusion and Death in the Final Days of the War in Afghanistan

In firsthand accounts, Afghan civilians and U.S. Marines describe the desperate struggle to flee through the Kabul airport’s last open entrance. U.S. officials knew an attack was coming. Then a suicide bomber killed and injured hundreds.

Madeleine Albright, the First Female Secretary of State, Dies at 84

"Hers were the hands that turned the tide of history," President Biden said in a White House statement on Wednesday.

GovExec Daily: Federal Employees and the Ukraine Crisis

Courtney Bublé and Eric Katz join the podcast to discuss the ways feds are responding to the situation in Europe.

The Secretary of State Has One Overarching Message for U.S. Embassy Personnel in Europe: ‘Thank You’

The secretary is abroad for five days continuing the Biden administration’s efforts to counter Russia’s war against Ukraine.