Fox News Digital sat down with SkillStorm CEO Justin Vianello, who addressed issues the federal government faces hiring workers, sometimes raising national security concerns, and explained what his company is doing to streamline that process.

The federal government has struggled for decades with staffing issues in key roles like cybersecurity, tech and other high-skill areas, an issue flagged as far back as 2001, according to the Government Accountability Office. Vianello discussed how SkillStorm is attempting to solve those issues. 

‘If we look at the procurement process and the way it’s been structured, there’s significant delays,’ Vianello told Fox News Digital. ‘So, it can take years to actually get to a point where a solicitation is actually awarded. And then, ironically or paradoxically, post that award, the agency will expect … the particular company to be able to deliver a team in 10 days. So, this process is inefficient and somewhat outdated.’

Vianello explained that the current hiring process is ‘lengthy’ and ‘laborious,’ sometimes taking years rather than months and creating delays that teams need to properly mobilize and deploy. 

‘One of the solutions to that issue is to actually allow for an on-ramp time where people can spend between two to four months to custom build teams that have the right skills, that have (the) right certifications that are based in the right locations to rapidly deploy teams and to accelerate IT transformation and automation. And that’s really where the SkillStorm model comes in,’ Vianello said. 

Vianello says the company has spent millions of dollars in recent years building a Performance Acceleration Center for Excellence that is essentially a learning management training system with a customized curriculum and content along with a ‘stable of trainers’ in a position to ‘rapidly upskill and deploy people.’

‘How do we leverage that infrastructure to build out a solution for the federal government?’ Vianello said. ‘Well, what we do is we leverage that infrastructure to accelerate and train teams. And the way the model works is we both bring people into our program. We train them for anywhere between 10 and 16 weeks. We pay them while we’re training them. We help them achieve their certification, and then we deploy them. And we recover the investment that we make by billing them hourly.’

That system, Vianello explained, means SkillStorm takes ‘all the risk up front’ and recovers it by billing hourly to the client. 

‘Now this is the perfect solution to being able to custom-build tech teams, create net new talent for the ecosystem and being able deploy these people over time. But the government is gonna have to change the procurement system to not require people to be deployed within 10 days but allow companies to build these teams over two, three, four months.’

Another issue, Vianello told Fox News Digital, is the current hiring process can get tied up with security clearances and become a national security risk. 

‘That’s absolutely part of it, but I think there’s a bigger issue here if you look more generally at our model and some of the issues that are facing the market,’ Vianello said. ‘Well, if you look at SkillStorm’s model, SkillStorm has an innovative cost-effective solution to custom-build U.S.-based tech teams for rapid deployment. 

‘Now, we have a student debt crisis in this country, and, at the same time, what are we doing? We’re offshoring our children’s roles to other countries, and we’re using visa holders to take up the place of entry-level tech roles. Now, if we don’t invest in programs like SkillStorm, if we do invest in these outcome-driven, apprenticeship-type programs, where’s the next generation of cybersecurity experts going to come from?

‘Where’s the new generation of AI innovators going to come from? This is a national security issue that is essential in driving innovation. Right now, there are 500,000 open cybersecurity roles as of January 2025. We are the domestic models, like these apprenticeship models, that can support that gap to make sure that we’re protecting national security.’

Former General Services Administration (GSA) head Emily Murphy, who previously spoke to Fox News Digital about the GSA’s work to streamline government in the era of DOGE, said she has ‘seen firsthand how outdated federal systems have become one of the most serious yet least discussed threats to national security.

‘Agencies charged with safeguarding cybersecurity and digital infrastructure are losing the talent battle to the private sector, and the slow, outdated process for onboarding cleared workers doesn’t match the urgency of today’s threats.’

Murphy explained that the federal government needs a ‘new pipeline’ that ‘delivers clearance-eligible, project-ready professionals trained on mission-specific tools.’

‘SkillStorm is doing exactly that, deploying ‘Stormers,’ technologists trained on specific tech platforms, at a significant discount. It’s a smarter, faster way to secure the talent our government urgently needs.

Vianello told Fox News Digital SkillStorm and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have similar goals in making government more efficient. 

I think DOGE is really focused on IT automation and IT transformation and doing it on an efficient and cost-effective basis,’ Vianello said. 

‘We believe, going forward, there’s probably going to be more of a push to less full-time employees and more of a push towards efficient contractors coming in and accelerating project delivery. So, again, this really does come back in our belief. 

‘To the solicitation process, how do we tighten it up? How do we make sure that once an award is made and that technology is implemented, it’s not outdated? Because, if that continues to happen, how are you going to continue to attract technologists, young technologists who want to be part of the change?’

Conservative energy leaders are celebrating President Donald Trump’s latest effort to unleash American drilling. 

The Department of the Interior announced a proposal Monday to rescind President Joe Biden’s restrictions on oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said a Biden-era 2024 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule that restricted energy development for more than half of the 23 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope ignored the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976. 

‘The National Petroleum Reserve (NPR), created by Congress over a century ago to secure America’s energy supply, supports responsible oil development on 13 million acres,’ Frank Lasee, president of Truth in Energy and Climate, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. 

‘President Biden’s drilling ban in Alaska undermined energy security, increasing reliance on foreign oil, raising gasoline prices and fueling inflation through higher transportation costs,’ Lasee added. ‘Resuming drilling puts economic growth and energy independence ahead of climate ideology in a place almost no regular American will ever visit.’

Consistent with Trump’s executive orders, the proposed revision reverts to regulations that were in place prior to May 7, 2024, which Lasee called a ‘commendable’ prioritization of ‘American energy needs and economic well-being while adhering to the law.’

‘President Biden never should have halted congressionally sanctioned oil drilling in Alaska,’ said Sterling Burnett, director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute. ‘Trump is to be applauded, both for putting Americans’ energy needs and our economic well-being first and for following the law by opening these areas back up for production.’

According to the Department of Interior, the 2024 rule provisions lacked ‘a basis in the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act’ and undermined the BLM’s congressional obligation to oversee timely leasing in the region. 

‘President Trump’s move to restore drilling in Alaska’s Arctic region is a bold and necessary step toward reclaiming American energy independence,’ Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, said. 

Trump vowed to unleash American energy on the campaign trail in 2024 and signed executive orders on the first day of his second term to rescind Biden-era climate policies. 

‘By reversing Biden’s disastrous restrictions on 13 million acres, Trump is unleashing the abundant resources that power our economy, lower energy costs and strengthen national security. This is a victory for American workers, consumers and allies who rely on stable, affordable energy,’ Isaac added. 

Steve Milloy, senior policy fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, called the announcement ‘more good news from the Trump administration in rolling back more of Biden’s war on fossil fuels.’

‘Promises made. Promises kept. But the Trump administration will need to go further to give investors confidence that the Alaska leases will actually be viable. Radical climate activists will resort to the courts and scare off investors. There likely needs to be a legislative solution to that,’ Milloy added.

Trump and his Republican allies are seeking to roll back some of Biden’s green energy initiatives through budget reconciliation on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’

‘The National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) was created more than 100 years ago specifically to provide a supply of oil for America’s energy security. That energy security can be achieved by responsibly developing our oil reserves, including in the Gulf of America, our vast shale oil deposits in America’s heartland and, now, thankfully, the 13 million acres of the NPR that are going to be developed,’ said Gregory Whitestone, CO2 Coalition executive director.

‘Continuation of the Biden administration’s drilling ban would have resulted in a greater reliance on foreign supplies of oil (and) increases in gasoline prices and the inflationary spiral across all sectors of the American economy from increased transportation costs,’ Whitestone added. 

A cohort of Senate Republicans already troubled by the House GOP’s version of President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ found a common ally in Elon Musk, who again trashed the legislation on Tuesday.

Musk, who just exited his tenure as Trump’s efficiency bloodhound leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last week, doubled down on his position that the House’s reconciliation package was an ‘abomination.’

‘I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,’ Musk said on X. ‘This massive, outrageous, pork-filled congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.’

‘Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,’ he continued. ‘You know it.’

Senate Republicans have already vowed to make changes to the colossal bill, which includes the president’s desires on tax, energy, immigration, defense and national debt policies. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., lauded Musk for his work with DOGE, but noted that the Senate GOP and the tech-billionaire had ‘a difference of opinion.’

He didn’t believe that Musk’s comments would derail the bill entirely in the upper chamber, either. Thune has pledged to get the bill to the president’s desk by Independence Day. 

‘The legislation, as passed by the House, can be approved here in the Senate, can be strengthened in the Senate, in a number of ways,’ Thune said. ‘We intend to do that, but when it’s all said and done, we’ll send it back to the House and hope that they can pass it and put it on the president’s desk.’

Still, fractures have emerged among lawmakers, with some viewing the bill through the same lens as Musk.

‘Well, he has some of the same skepticism I have, you know, towards the big, beautiful bill,’ said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

Paul has vowed not to support the bill as is without a serious overhaul to the legislation that would nix a $5 trillion increase to the nation’s debt ceiling — a stance that has gotten him into hot water with Trump.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has similarly pledged not to support the bill unless much steeper spending cuts are achieved. The House’s product includes $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade, but Johnson would like to see a return to pre-pandemic spending levels, which would effectively amount to a roughly $6 trillion cut in spending.

‘I share his concerns,’ Johnson said of Musk. ‘I also appreciate what he and President Trump did with his DOGE effort.’

And Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a fiscal hawk whose views are closely aligned with Johnson’s, argued in response to the tech billionaire’s social media post that ‘federal spending has become excessive.’

‘The resulting inflation harms Americans and weaponizes government,’ Lee said on X. ‘The Senate can make this bill better. It must now do so.’

Other Senate Republicans, including those with outstanding concerns with the current legislation, were much less receptive to Musk’s tirade against the bill.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has remained steadfast in his position that he would not support the current Medicaid proposals in the House’s bill, especially if they cut benefits to his constituents and people across the country.

When asked his reaction to Musk’s rant, he shrugged, ‘Well, he’s entitled to his opinion, it’s a free country.’

Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.V., who has expressed reservations on the contents of the megabill, was more blunt.

‘My reaction to that is just simply this — and y’all may like this or not like this — but you know, Donald Trump is our president, not Elon Musk,’ he said. 

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to continue to provide accommodations and care for transgender inmates in federal prisons, saying officials had not provided a serious explanation for why medical treatment for gender dysphoria should be handled differently than other cases. 

The order Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee, blocks officials from carrying out President Donald Trump’s executive order, which required Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials to stop providing medical procedures related to sex changes. 

‘Neither the BOP nor the Executive Order provides any serious explanation as to why the treatment modalities covered by the Executive Order or implementing memoranda should be handled differently than any other mental health intervention,’ Lamberth wrote in a 36-page opinion. 

The judge granted an injunction requested by three transgender inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria to block the implementation of Trump’s executive order. Lamberth ruled the plaintiffs’ merits are likely to succeed under the Administrative Procedure Act. 

‘The import of the opinion is essentially this: Under the APA, the BOP may not arbitrarily deprive inmates of medications or other lifestyle accommodations that its own medical staff have deemed to be medically appropriate without considering the implications of that decision,’ Lamberth wrote.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. A BOP spokesperson told Fox News Digital the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation or matters that are the subject of legal proceedings.

Trump’s order mandated the BOP stop providing ‘any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex.’

Prior to Trump‘s reversal of BOP gender dysphoria policies, the BOP began funding transgender surgical procedures for transgender inmates in December 2022, with Donna Langan, formerly known as Peter Kevin Langan, becoming the first federal prisoner to undergo taxpayer-funded gender surgery. 

Langan was convicted in 1997 for involvement in a series of armed bank robberies across the Midwest during the 1990s. Langan was a leader of the Aryan Republican Army, a White supremacist group that carried out these robberies to fund their activities, according to court documents.

Tuesday’s ruling comes as judges continue to block parts of Trump’s agenda. 

: President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening is hosting the more than 3,000 political appointees in his administration for one of the largest events ever held on the White House lawn to celebrate their work, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The event will be the first time ever that the president has invited all individuals hired across all departments to the White House at the same time for the same event, officials told Fox News Digital. 

Traditionally, events are held over several shifts for each department, but Wednesday’s event will honor the more than 3,000 individuals hired for the second Trump administration. 

‘This is his team. These are his people,’ an official told Fox News Digital. ‘These are individuals who are hand-selected by the president to work in the administration delivering on the historic mandate that he received in November.’ 

The president will attend the event and address the attendees. Most members of the Cabinet will also attend. 

Those familiar with the planning of the event told Fox News Digital that there will be food and entertainment for staff. 

‘President Trump’s Office of Presidential Personnel is breaking hiring records at an unprecedented pace,’ Director of Presidential Personnel Sergio Gor told Fox News Digital. ‘In just 135 days, we have filled 91% of all political appointments across the U.S. government, a historic achievement.’ 

Gor told Fox News Digital that ‘the quality of talent that we’ve assembled is remarkable.’ 

‘Each political appointee in the Trump administration is unwavering in their commitment to this president and his goal to make America great again,’ Gor said. 

Since the president took office Jan. 20, the administration has hired more than 3,200 appointees. 

An official in the Office of Presidential Personnel told Fox News Digital that at the Departments of Defense, Commerce and Treasury, more than 85% of political hires are complete; at the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Homeland Security, 90% of political hires are complete; and at the Department of Veterans Affairs, 100% of political hires are complete. 

The official told Fox News Digital that the administration is filled with individuals who have served as Fortune 500 executives, accomplished business leaders, technical experts and ‘dedicated aides that are working to ensure that President Trump continues to deliver for the American people.’ 

‘We have hired the best and brightest to make America great again and advance the America First agenda,’ the official said. 

Trump’s Cabinet was also confirmed in record time, with officials noting that none of his Cabinet-level nominees failed in committee or on the Senate floor for confirmation. 

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance will attend the opening night of the musical ‘Les Misérables’ at the Kennedy Center next week, Fox News Digital has learned.

‘Les Misérables,’ one of the longest-running shows in Broadway and West End history, will have its opening night at the Kennedy Center on June 11. 

‘I love the songs, I love the play,’ Trump told Fox News Digital Tuesday. ‘I think it’s great — we may extend it.’  

The president has famously played songs from ‘Les Misérables’ at his rallies and events. 

‘The Kennedy Center is coming back,’ the president told Fox News Digital. ‘It was not properly taken care of and we are taking it back and we are going to turn it back into something great.’ 

Kennedy Center President Richard Grennell told Fox News Digital that ”Les Misérables’ is proving to be a huge hit.’ 

‘Opening night is going to be electric,’ Grennell told Fox News Digital.  

Kennedy Center officials told Fox News Digital that there will be a red carpet for opening night and that select members of the media will be invited to attend. Officials also said that attendees of the opening-night performance will be encouraged to walk the red carpet. 

Meanwhile, Kennedy Center officials told Fox News Digital that the first two weeks of the performance are nearly sold out, exceeding $3 million in ticket sales at the box office and exceeding the typical sales timeline.

‘We expect sales to exceed all expectations, surpassing the previously defined goals,’ a Kennedy Center spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

Meanwhile, sources told Fox News Digital that the president is committed to revitalizing the Kennedy Center, with some suggesting it should eventually be renamed ‘the Trump–Kennedy Center.’ 

The Kennedy Center has two affiliates — the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. The new leadership team is currently working on business plans with its affiliates to ensure the Kennedy Center has larger endowments and ‘greater sustainability.’

South Korean voters swung left in the presidential race Tuesday, and conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo conceded defeat to liberal opponent Lee Jae-myung in the snap election.

Kim, candidate of the People Power Party (PPP), said at a press conference in the early hours of Wednesday morning he ‘humbly accepts (the) people’s choice.’

The decision came after record early voting turnout prompted speculation Lee would secure the presidency and flip the top seat after the impeachment of predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who was booted from office after he declared martial law in December.

The impeachment threw the country into political chaos after Yoon, also a member of the PPP, was removed from office two years early. 

It is unclear by what margin Lee secured the presidency, though reports had suggested for weeks that the liberal candidate was favored to win the top job. 

But Lee’s candidacy also prompted some serious concern when it came to his policy on international relations, particularly Seoul’s relationship with the U.S., China and North Korea.

Kim challenged Lee’s policies in a presidential debate last month after the liberal candidate said he would take a ‘pragmatic’ approach.

‘There’s no need to worry. The South Korea-U.S. alliance is important and should continue to grow and strengthen,’ Lee said, adding Seoul should not be ‘unilaterally bound’ to Washington, especially when it comes to the U.S.’s adversarial rivals.

‘We should not neglect ties with China or Russia,’ he added. ‘We need to manage them appropriately, and there’s no need to have an unnecessarily hostile approach like now.’

This position is a shift from the previous administration, which was hawkish on China and North Korea. 

Lee has said he wants to mitigate the ‘North Korea risk’ by easing relations with Seoul’s northern neighbor.

President Donald Trump on Monday evening looked to reaffirm his administration’s position when it comes to nuclear negotiations with Iran and said Tehran will not be allowed ‘any enrichment of uranium.’

His message, which surfaced on multiple social media platforms, appeared to be a direct response to a report by Axios which cited two sources with ‘direct knowledge’ of a secret proposal that Washington provided to Tehran, allegedly said the U.S. would agree to permit ‘limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil for a to-be-determined period of time.’

Fox News Digital could not independently verify the details of the proposal, but if the decision to grant Tehran some uranium enrichment were granted, it would directly contradict public comments issued by lead negotiator Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump.

Iran has repeatedly said it will not agree to a uranium enrichment ban, arguing it has the right to the process, which is also vital for nuclear energy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Monday reiterated this point in a press conference from Egypt, and, according to the Tasnim News Agency, said he plans to respond to the U.S. proposal soon.

Araqchi did not comment on the specifics of the agreement but said his ‘response will be based on the principles of the Iranian nation.’ 

The proposal also reportedly included the notion that Iran could join a regional consortium for uranium enrichment, as a solution to its enrichment needs. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Monday reportedly argued that this was not a new solution, nor an adequate substitute. 

‘If some parties are proposing such a process, we welcome it and have no problem with participation either. But we emphasize that such an initiative cannot replace enrichment inside Iran,’ the spokesperson said. 

The White House has not said how long it will attempt to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program, as security officials have repeatedly warned that Iran could be playing for time as the threat of U.N. snapback sanctions is set to expire come October. 

Iran on Tuesday reiterated that it is not going to abandon negotiations but suggested it would not cave to Washington’s demands either. 

‘Iran won’t leave the negotiating table while protecting its national interests,’ a spokesperson for the Iranian government, Fatemeh Mohajerani, said, according to the Tasnim News Agency.

Though she added, ‘All scenarios are on the table. We are prepared for everything.’

President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for opposing his ‘big, beautiful bill.’ 

‘Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting ‘NO’ on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!’ Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. 

The president added, ‘Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!’ 

Paul is among a group of at least four Republican senators who have expressed apprehension over Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ due to the budget package’s projected increase in the national debt. 

The White House has framed the bill as a solution to four years of failures under former President Joe Biden. Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, and Mike Lee of Utah, three other Republicans in the upper chamber, have also shared concerns about the bill’s fiscal implications.

Paul told Breitbart News on Monday that while he believes the left is ‘adrift,’ most Republicans are shying away from intra-party debates on certain issues, similarly to how Democrats acted after former President Barack Obama’s re-election win. 

Paul reportedly said he supports ‘a lot’ of Trump’s budget package but disagrees with ‘the additional $5 trillion in debt’ the senator claims is attached to the bill. 

‘That’s a hard place for me as I support much of what’s in the bill, tax cuts, spending cuts, plus more spending cuts if we can get them. But I can’t reconcile myself to adding $5 trillion in debt, raising the debt ceiling,’ Paul said. 

The senator told Breitbart the debt is going to be $2.2 trillion this year and Republicans have largely continued Biden-era spending levels.

‘They’re anticipating $5 trillion in two years, and that means next year’s deficit that some people are saying it’s going to grow to over $3 trillion a year again,’ Paul said.

The senator separately expressed to the Associated Press that he told Trump this would be the first time in recent history that Republicans would ‘own’ the debt ceiling if an increase of the nation’s debt limit was included in the GOP’s sweeping tax and spending package. Paul reportedly added in the Breitbart interview that his opposition to portions of the ‘big, beautiful bill’ are meant to preserve the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s progress down the road. 

‘My fear is that when this bill passes that the ramifications a year out, two years out, will be, ‘My goodness, what happened to DOGE? What happened to the spending cuts? Why is the deficit so big still?’’ he said. ‘So I am working very hard to make sure there is still at least a part of the party — and it doesn’t have to be anti-Donald Trump because I’m for him in so many ways — but it also means people still have to stand up and present their own ideas of what they’re for.’ 

‘I do support President Trump and I support most of the bill,’ Rand also wrote on X, explaining his position. ‘I’m his biggest defender on foreign policy. But at the same time I want conservative government so I have to fight for what I believe in.’ 

Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, met at the White House at a critical moment Monday as senators returned to begin negotiations over the president’s big tax breaks and spending cuts package.

Thune said that GOP senators are ‘on track’ to have the package approved by their July 4 deadline. But Thune also acknowledged the long road ahead as senators grind through private talks over changes to put their own stamp on the House-passed bill. Thune told the Senate floor on Monday that Republicans’ priority is ‘extending tax relief for hardworking Americans and strengthening our border, energy, and national security.’

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., meanwhile, says Trump told him in a call he ‘wants to make sure’ the Senate doesn’t cut Medicaid benefits, according to the AP.

The Missouri Republican has been working to strip steep healthcare cuts from the House bill, beyond work requirements for some aid recipients.

Hawley said Trump told him the senators could instead raise revenue by closing the so-called carried interest tax loophole used by wealthy filers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.