Shows / The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton provides expert insights on current events in the federal community. Read more interviews to keep up with daily news and analysis that affect the federal workforce. The Federal Drive is found at FederalNewsNetwork.com and 1500 AM in the Washington D.C. region.
Episodes
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
OPM cements rule allowing paid leave for ‘workforce realignment’ reasons
Agencies now have explicit authority to put federal employees on paid administrative leave for “workforce realignment” reasons. That’s after the Office of…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Trump administration looks to new technology to fight fraud, waste and abuse
The Trump administration is prioritizing the removal of fraud, waste and abuse from federal programs and funding. Last week federal officials discussed how…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A discovery at NIST changed how researchers think about an unusual quantum material. One physicist is being honored for that work
Scientists don't often encounter materials that behave in ways they can't fully explain. That's what happened when researchers studying a quantum material…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Recent conflicts have made one thing clear: knowing what the military needs and producing enough of it are two different challenges
As the Defense Department pushes for faster and more scalable solutions, companies are weighing where they can have the greatest impact. Joining me for…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Justice Department has fewer attorneys. The workload didn't get the memo
The Justice Department has lost a significant number of employees, but many of its responsibilities remain unchanged. New reporting from The Hill shows what…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Thursday, October 29, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton The Justice Department has fewer attorneys. The workload didn't get the memo Recent conflicts have made one thing…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
DoD's reasons for CMMC pause falling apart in face of RFI responses
The Defense Department has backed itself into a corner with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. Every reason Kirsten Davies, the DoD chief…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Lawsuit alleges DoD ignored years of internal warnings and failed to protect sensitive records
Two Marines are suing the Defense Department over a data breach that exposed the personal information of more than three million people with ties to the U.S…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Good management starts with knowing where your biggest challenges are, and GAO says the Defense Department lacks a consistent way to identify its most remote installations
Some military installations face persistent challenges recruiting workers and delivering critical services because of where they're located. A new GAO review…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Some federal workforce policies change with each administration. The Senior Executives Association says Congress should settle more of those questions in law
The Senior Executives Association is calling for Congress to take a larger role in setting key federal workforce policies. Its new policy agenda argues that…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The next generation of scientists, engineers and AI specialists won't appear overnight. One Department of Energy leader is being recognized for helping create more pathways into those fields
Programs that introduce students to science, technology and artificial intelligence can shape the federal workforce years before a hiring decision is made…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Some federal workforce policies change with each administration. The Senior Executives Association says Congress…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
DoD's reasons for CMMC pause falling apart in face of RFI responses
The Defense Department has backed itself into a corner with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. Every reason Kirsten Davies, the DoD chief…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Communities may win federal grants for resilience projects and still not have enough money to finish the job
Federal grants remain a cornerstone of resilience funding, but for many projects they're no longer the whole answer. Communities are increasingly combining…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Defense organizations have spent years talking about autonomy. What is changing now is the speed
Autonomy is no longer just a technology discussion. As new capabilities move from concept to deployment more quickly, government and industry are being forced…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Housing projects can involve funding from multiple federal agencies, and sometimes that involves multiple sets of reviews, inspections and paperwork
Federal housing projects can move only as fast as the approval process allows. A new agreement between USDA and HUD is aimed at reducing duplicate reviews and…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Housing projects can involve funding from multiple federal agencies. Sometimes they can also involve multiple sets…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Judge voids Bureau of Prisons' attempt to re-terminate union contract
The Bureau of Prisons’ attempt to “re-terminate” its collective bargaining agreement has been voided. A federal judge ruled that BOP cannot cancel its union…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
TRICARE Young Adult premiums to hit nearly $900 a month in 2027
Military families with young adult children enrolled in TRICARE are about to face another increase in health insurance costs. Starting in January, monthly…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A lot can happen in 25 working days. Congress will have to decide what deserves attention first once lawmakers return after the election
When Congress returns after the election, lawmakers will face a crowded agenda and a short clock. Leadership decisions, funding deadlines, Senate confirmations…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Inflation affects every retiree, but not all federal retirees receive the same cost-of-living protection
Retirees under the Federal Employees Retirement System can receive smaller cost-of-living adjustments than retirees covered by the older Civil Service…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
When citizens run into problems with government programs, congressional caseworkers are often the first to know. Those individual cases can reveal much bigger issues
Constituent service has long been viewed as helping people solve individual problems. Increasingly, practitioners see it as a source of insight into how…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Monday, October 26, 2026
Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A lot can happen in 25 working days. Congress will have to decide what deserves attention first once…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Senate lawmakers press Pentagon for greater price transparency
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressing the Pentagon to explain how it will obtain cost and pricing data from defense contractors, including for contracts…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Trump administration to let agencies promote federal employees more quickly
Agencies will soon get leeway to promote federal employees more quickly. That’s after the Office of Personnel Management published a final rule eliminating a…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A court has temporarily halted plans affecting the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
A court has temporarily stopped efforts to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. For Congressman Glenn Ivey, the dispute raises broader questions…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A recent Justice Department settlement sends a clear message to contractors: cybersecurity liability doesn't necessarily start with a breach
Many contractors assume cybersecurity enforcement begins after sensitive information is compromised. A recent settlement suggests the government may be focused…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Federal employees nearing retirement often get conflicting advice about what to do with their TSP accounts. Before making a rollover decision, it's worth knowing which factors actually matter
For many federal employees, the biggest retirement decision isn't when to retire. It's what to do with the money they've accumulated in the Thrift Savings…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Friday, October 23, 2026
Coming up on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A recent Justice Department settlement sends a clear message to contractors: cybersecurity liability doesn't…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
DISA faces another protest over Enclave contract expansion
The Defense Information Systems Agency’s decision to expand the scope of the Defense Enclave Services contract is being challenged again. Federal News…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
FAA AI use sparks new reviews into AI safety, workforce shortages
The Federal Aviation Administration 's use of artificial intelligence is coming under fire from its inspector general and Capitol Hill. The scrutiny comes as…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Federal employees are protected if they refuse an illegal order. Most of them may not know it
The Follow the Rules Act, signed by President Trump in 2017, prohibits federal agencies from firing, demoting, or punishing employees who refuse to carry out…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
It's hard to know whether research investments are paying off if the systems used to measure results keep changing
Federal policymakers rely on data to understand whether research funding is producing discoveries, technologies, and other public benefits. But many of the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Thursday, October 22, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Federal employees are protected if they refuse an illegal order. Most of them may not know it It's hard to know…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A record number of companies are reporting insider cybersecurity threats
The Defense Cyber Crime Center is seeing a record number of companies reporting insider threats. The FBI warned last week about North Korean schemes to fund…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
DoD looks to AI to speed up hiring for civilian jobs
The Pentagon wants to speed up hiring for civilian jobs, saying long delays can hurt military readiness. Defense official Michael Cogar recently gave an update…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A national missile shield may be worth pursuing, but the laws of physics still have a vote in what the US can realistically buy and build
The Trump administration's Golden Dome proposal has sparked visions of a nationwide shield against missile attack. But building an effective defense is as much…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Early in the Trump administration, agencies issued stop-work orders to their contractors. CFPB issued them to its own staff
At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the early workforce reductions drew most of the attention. A new inspector general review finds some of the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Good management starts with good data, and GAO says the federal judiciary is making space decisions without an important measure of how its space is being used
The federal judiciary has policies intended to control costs and manage its real estate footprint. But a new GAO review found it does not routinely collect…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A national missile shield may be worth pursuing, but the laws of physics still have a vote in what the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Governmentwide cyber exercise to test resilience against AI cyber attack
Cyber attacks using artificial intelligence increased by 89% in 2025 as compared to 2024. And this year the use of AI in cyber attacks is only increasing. This…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Energy Department’s lead cyber and energy security office has a new five-year strategic plan
The Energy Department’s lead cyber and energy security office has a new five-year strategic plan to improve resilience across electricity, oil and gas…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Government is about to start enforcing a new set of rules for buying AI
One of government's newest oversight tools isn't an audit or an investigation. It's a contract clause. The latest version of GSA's artificial intelligence…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The next Congress may face a simple question: Is oversight something lawmakers talk about, or something they do?
Contract requirements and inspectors general are only part of the federal oversight system. Congress is supposed to provide another layer of accountability…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Where the EPA IG chooses to look often tells you where the risks are growing
The EPA inspector general's office has mapped out its oversight priorities for fiscal 2027, from financial accountability to program performance. As more…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Where the EPA IG chooses to look often tells you where the risks are growing Government is about to start…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
PCS organization will soon become a standalone agency
The Defense Department will soon turn its organization dedicated to helping service members, civilian employees and their families navigate permanent change of…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Trump administration quietly hiring political appointees
The Trump administration has been quietly hiring political appointees under a new employment category. Agencies have made at least 25 Schedule G appointments…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Congress controls the purse strings and writes the sanctions laws. Two major headlines this week put both responsibilities in the spotlight
Questions about defense funding and Russia sanctions are drawing renewed attention to Congress's role in national security policy. Lawmakers still face…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Congress may be getting exactly the behavior its election system rewards
Only about 15% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, but Kevin Kosar of the American Enterprise Institute says the problem may run deeper than…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Army is borrowing techniques from venture capital to move promising technologies from ideas to capabilities soldiers can actually use
Innovation--it's what everyone seems to want yet it also seems hard to get. The Army created FUZE to help move promising technologies from concept to fielded…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Monday, October 19, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton The Army is borrowing techniques from venture capital to move promising technologies from ideas to capabilities…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
After AUSA, the Army moves out on the vision presented to its soldiers
Another AUSA is in the books. After three days of nonstop keynotes, panels, roundtables and networking, it's time for the Army to move out on the vision it…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
AI decision-support systems are often seen as just battlefield tools, but they are so much more
Military coalitions often struggle not because allies disagree on the mission, but because they operate under different rules for sharing information and…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Investors often look to past election cycles for clues about market performance, maybe not this year
With the midterm elections just a few weeks away, investors are once again hearing familiar arguments about how markets typically behave before and after…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The people who inherit the nation's debt are getting an early look at the choices required to address it
The national debt is often discussed as a long-term problem, but the people making future policy decisions are already in college classrooms today. An expanded…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Friday, October 16, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton The people who inherit the nation's debt are getting an early look at the choices required to address it AI…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
BOP re-terminates union contract, days after being ordered to restore it
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has, for a second time, terminated its collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees. That…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Navy looks to become more agile, with less focus on compliance
The Navy is trying to become more agile and less focused on compliance, but that kind of change doesn't happen without support from the top. Federal News…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A new Buy America ruling says waiver decisions must be based on today's manufacturing capacity, not tomorrow's
The administration's push for more domestic manufacturing and the proposed FAR overhaul both put greater focus on Buy America requirements. A recent court…