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
USPS cutting delivery days ‘on the table,’ as agency runs out of cash, postmaster general tells lawmakers
The Postal Service says it’s close to running out of cash and may need to cut delivery days. USPS is asking lawmakers to step in and offer some assistance…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A mixed‑reality rollout from the Army National Guard is giving students a firsthand look at the skills and careers behind disaster response
A new program called “Disasterville” brings National Guard missions into schools through a mix of physical props and virtual reality, letting students step…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A new “drone killer” cartridge aims to give Marines a simple, low‑cost way to stop small drones with the rifles they already carry
As adversaries lean heavily on small drones for surveillance and strikes, U.S. forces need a response that doesn’t slow them down. Engineers focused on low…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Friday, March 20, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A mixed‑reality rollout from the Army National Guard is giving students a firsthand look at the skills and careers…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
With drones now touching everything from security to agriculture, The University of Texas at El Paso is gearing up to build the technology
The University of Texas at El Paso is strengthening its ability to test next‑generation drone and counter‑drone systems and to apply them to challenges like…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Agencies are starting to take action on the new national cyber strategy
The Trump administration’s new national cyber strategy is starting to translate into agency actions. But there are still a lot of questions about what comes…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Defense secretary launches "ruthless review" of military's legal offices
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a “ruthless” review of how the military’s legal offices are organized. Experts say while there is room to…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
So many personnel policies are shifting at the same time that even seasoned federal workers are struggling to follow
Several weeks into the DHS shutdown, front‑line employees from TSA to the Coast Guard are working without pay as airport delays mount and families feel the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Thursday, March 19, 2026
Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton What happened inside government last year explains many of today’s gaps in capacity and accountability…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The message from Maryland, losing a federal job doesn’t have to mean leaving the region
As federal workers and contractors navigate sudden disruption, Maryland leaders are focused on keeping families housed, connected, and economically mobile…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
What happened inside government last year explains many of today’s gaps in capacity and accountability
Traditional guardrails eroded quickly during the Trump administration’s first year, with ethics bodies sidelined and inspectors general forced out while DOGE…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
OPM launches new HR shared service center for agencies
Agencies have a new opportunity to get help with modernizing their HR functions. A new “HR shared service center” from the Office of Personnel Management…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Trump brings ‘war on fraud’ into focus with task force of benefits-paying agencies
President Donald Trump promised he would wage a “war on fraud” at his State of the Union address. Now those plans are coming into focus. A new executive order…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A major reboot of the government’s small‑innovation programs is finally moving after months of uncertainty
The Senate has advanced a bill that would reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs through 2031 after a long lapse, and it comes with some notable changes for…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
GAO finds persistent gaps and data problems in OMB’s federal program inventory, limiting its value for oversight and decision‑making
The federal program inventory was meant to give policymakers a clear picture of what the government does and how much it spends. GAO says that picture remains…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
New limits on executive pay and dividends are changing expectations across the defense sector
The administration’s new rules on executive pay, dividends and other financial tools haven’t moved defense earnings, but they’re already reshaping how…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton New limits on executive pay and dividends are changing expectations across the defense sector, even if the effects…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
As the Navy pushes to embed 5th generation wireless technologies across its system, we get an update
The Navy is in the middle of a year-long push to embed fifth-generation wireless technologies across its systems and installations. And the service’s 5G…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Navy creating new contract center for excellence for SBIR, STTR
As soon as President Donald Trump signs the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program reauthorization act into law, the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A military widow who turned her deepest loss into a decade of service is being honored with one of TAPS’ highest awards
For more than a decade, Sara Wilson has been a steady presence for families navigating military grief, from Good Grief Camps to crisis support in some of the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
CBO's latest assessment shows a federal outlook defined by rising costs, structural imbalances and tough choices ahead
According to the Peterson Foundation, this year’s CBO outlook lays out a budget weighed down by structural forces; from health‑care costs to an aging…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
From the Strait of Hormuz to the factory floor, today’s Middle East operations are reshaping what the Pentagon asks of its contractors
Ongoing U.S. military operations in the Middle East are stretching supply chains, increasing demand for munitions and intelligence, and raising new questions…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton CBO's latest assessment shows a federal outlook defined by rising costs, structural imbalances and tough choices…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
GSA to be designated as QSMO for acquisition
The General Services Administration is set to lead an acquisition system consolidation across government. That’s because GSA will be designated a “quality…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Lawmakers question DoD’s growing use of equity investments to strengthen DIB
The Defense Department has begun taking a series of equity stakes in companies deemed critical to national security. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
AI is now a competitive edge in federal capture and small firms need to adjust fast
AI is reshaping the skills contractors need to compete. Small businesses in particular need to adjust how they use these tools inside their proposals. An…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
As HHS looks to speed up AI in clinical care, the big questions are burden, trust and what comes next.
The Department of Health and Human Services asked clinicians, patients, developers and health systems how the agency should guide the use of AI in health care…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Escalating conflict abroad is now driving debates over war powers, energy prices and the fate of key funding bill
Democrats are signaling they may force votes tied to the Iran conflict while leadership scrambles to keep DHS funding and other priorities on track. Energy…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Monday, March 16, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton As HHS looks to speed up AI in clinical care, the big questions are burden, trust and what comes next AI is now a…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
IRS phase-out of paper checks leaves some taxpayers waiting months for refunds
Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers are facing extended wait times to receive their tax refunds from the IRS. In the past many of them would normally receive a…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
OPM’s Kupor defends Schedule Policy/Career, as finalization nears
After a year of workforce overhauls, the Trump administration is continuing to charge forward with major changes for federal employees. The new Schedule…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A smaller IRS staff could mean a longer wait for returns
Tax season is underway, but the agency at the center of it is dealing with a shrinking workforce and the loss of tools meant to make filing easier. Those gaps…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Applications are open for a program that helps Navy and Marine Corps families pay for school through grants and interest‑free loans
The Navy‑Marine Corps Relief Society has opened its 2026–27 Education Assistance Program, giving spouses and children a chance to apply for scholarships and…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Friday, March 13, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A smaller IRS staff could mean a longer wait for returns Applications are open for a program that helps Navy and…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
CISA delays cyber incident reporting town halls due to shutdown
The Homeland Security shutdown is delaying key public meetings over forthcoming cyber incident reporting regulations. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
CMS’s two-pronged approach to crushing fraud, waste, abuse
Four of the six major programs run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services saw their improper payment rate increase in fiscal 2025. Medicare Part C…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Americans seeking a way out of the Middle East are once again turning to Congressional caseworkers
With official guidance thin and evacuation routes uncertain, Americans overseas are flooding Congressional offices for help, recreating the same crisis‑driven…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
DPAA’s family updates remain the heart of a mission that still spans the globe in search of answers
DPAA’s mission is to account for missing service members from World War II through Vietnam, work that depends as much on scientific progress as on the trust…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Questions about pay, leave payouts and retirement rules can catch a lot of federal employees off guard
Some feds are seeing unexpected effects from the new special pay rate for law enforcement and from year‑end retirements that didn’t line up with when agencies…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Thursday, March 12, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton DPAA’s family updates remain the heart of a mission that still spans the globe in search of answers As the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Army to use alternative promotion authority to give officers more flexibility in their careers
The Army is beginning to use a promotion authority Congress approved in 2018 that could give some officers more flexibility in how they move through the ranks…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
‘Radical reduction’ of GSA-owned buildings needed to address growing maintenance backlog, panel finds
A multibillion-dollar backlog of building maintenance projects has grown too large for the federal government’s landlord to effectively manage. That’s…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A sudden change to how VA evaluates disabilities triggered immediate backlash from veterans and their advocates
By bypassing notice‑and‑comment and issuing an interim final rule, VA shocked groups that normally get a heads‑up on major policy shifts. Veterans responded…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Amid mounting warnings that Iran or its proxies could strike back, GAO says HHS isn’t fully aligned on public‑health preparedness
The heightened threat environment has put a spotlight on federal readiness, but a new GAP review shows HHS still lacks formal mechanisms to coordinate its two…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Army is about to open its first operational makerspace in Europe
The 21st Theater Sustainment Command. cuts the ribbon March 13 on its Innovation Lab at Kaiserslautern, Germany, built to help Soldiers tackle problems closest…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A sudden change to how VA evaluates disabilities triggered immediate backlash from veterans and their advocates…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Key data on political appointees missing from 'PLUM' book
Errors and inconsistencies in a public list of political appointees are raising concerns over the data’s reliability. A new analysis of the so-called “PLUM”…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Trump administration is out with a new national cyber strategy
The Trump administration is out with a new national cyber strategy. The administration’s focus is on making cyber adversaries pay for trying to hack into…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
As debates sharpen over military use of AI, the Aerospace Industries Association is outlining a path for agentic systems in defense
AIA says agentic AI could unlock faster, more adaptive decisions across the defense industrial base, but only if agencies and contractors address risks and…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton As debates sharpen over military use of AI, the Aerospace Industries Association is outlining a path for agentic…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Pentagon’s “supply‑chain risk” label for Anthropic now forces a legal and operational reckoning across the defense industrial base
The Defense Department says it has officially notified Anthropic that the company and its products are deemed a supply‑chain risk, a move that could require…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
What does the IRS do if someone is kidnapped and not able to pay taxes?
It will hopefully never happen to you, but what if you're taken hostage and therefore unable to file a tax return? It's probably one of the last things on your…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Army overhauls direct commissioning process to bring in civilian tech experts faster
The Army is overhauling its direct commissioning program as it tries to bring more civilian tech experts into uniform. Service officials say the program will…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Federal cybersecurity leaders look to AI to thwart cyber adversaries using the same AI technology
Federal cybersecurity leaders say they’re looking to artificial intelligence to help thwart cyber adversaries who are increasingly using AI themselves. Gharun…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
A stalled DHS funding fight at home and rising tensions abroad are pushing Congress into another week of high‑stakes maneuvering
Leadership changes sparked by DHS Secretary Noem’s departure and Oklahoma Senator Mullin’s potential role have stirred new political drama but provided no path…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
NIH sets up camp near one of the worst environmental disasters ever
Three years after a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, residents are still worried about the health risks from the…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - Monday, March 9, 2026
Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton U.S. organizations should prepare for potential retaliation in the cyber domain as tensions with Iran escalate NIH…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
U.S. organizations should prepare for potential retaliation in the cyber domain as tensions with Iran escalate
Experts say the next month could bring disruptive cyber activity from Iran and its aligned groups, and they’re urging organizations to shore up defenses now…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
How NAVWAR is keeping the small business light burning
The last 12 months have been tough for small business government contractors, to say the least.There is increased scrutiny on not just the 8(a) program, but on…
- The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
OPM wants agencies to prioritize employees’ performance, not tenure, during RIFs
Agencies may soon make their layoff decisions based on performance, rather than tenure. A new proposal from the Trump administration seeks to reverse agencies’…