The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

When patients become critically ill, their bodies often fall into a dangerous immune response loop that today’s ICU tools can’t fully see or stop. The CIRCLE program aims to give doctors a clearer roadmap by combining new sensors, faster lab insights, and digital models that predict how a patient will respond. Joining me to discuss long‑term promise for ICU care is Dr. Yoram Vodovotz, Program Mana...

As Army civilians who have been identified as “surplus” begin receiving automated notices giving them a few days to decide whether to accept a reassignment, retire early or opt in for a buyout, many are making these life-altering decisions with limited information. Here with an update to her story from Monday is Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy...

Transportation Security Administration employees are seeing their first paychecks in more than a month. TSA agents are being paid this week despite lawmakers failing to come to an agreement on a Department of Homeland Security spending bill. That means thousands more DHS staff are continuing to work with out pay. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.  See Privacy Policy...

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Shutdowns don’t just disrupt agencies, they disrupt household finances, and the data shows it almost immediately A large TSP balance is a success story until Required Minimum Distributions turn it into a tax problem A military family’s decades‑long journey with autism is now helping other families navigate a system that often feels impossible...

Federal employees may eventually be made whole after a shutdown, but the timing matters. After the most recent missed paycheck, data from USAA shows requests for financial relief spiking among federal workers, highlighting short‑term cash‑flow pressures even when back pay is expected. We’ll walk through what those patterns reveal about how workers navigate fixed bills and uncertainty with Daniel D...

Federal employees often retire with two advantages many Americans don’t have: a steady pension and a sizable TSP. But when Required Minimum Distributions kick in, those income streams can collide, triggering higher taxes and unexpected ripple effects. We’ll look at how that happens and why planning years ahead can change the outcome with Thiago Glieger of RMG Advisors. See Privacy Policy at https:...

April is World Autism Month, and for military families, navigating autism care often means navigating multiple systems at once. Jaime and Tracy Parent have spent more than thirty years raising an autistic child while moving through diagnoses, deployments, school changes and the maze of military and civilian support programs. Their new book, "The Mission at Home," turns that lived experience into p...

Federal contractors have been required to comply with the Trump administration’s mandate to remove anything that is considered diversity, equity and inclusion for the past 15 months. But under President Donald Trump’s new executive order, signed last week, vendors face harsher penalties that could include False Claims Act lawsuits as well as possible suspension and debarment. For more on why this...

More shakeup at the Treasury Department. The department is preparing for targeted layoffs at an office focused on monitoring the stability of the U.S. financial system. And over at the IRS, its IT shop is back in hiring mode. This comes after it permanently reassigned more than 1,200 IT employees to other parts of the agency. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.  See Privacy Policy a...

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton As uncertainty clouds federal research budgets, a new analysis shows how NIH funding ripples through state and local economies nationwide U.S. Strategic Command has awarded a $500 million IDIQ contract to accelerate delivery of warfighter‑ready solutions as defense needs evolve During COVID, SBA moved fast to deliver disaster loans, but GAO says limited...

The National Institutes of Health funding touches far more than major research institutions. A new analysis maps how those dollars support jobs and businesses nationwide. United for Medical Research’s latest report breaks down the geographic reach of that impact and why timing matters as budgets tighten. Joining us to walk through the findings is Caitlin Leach, President of United for Medical Rese...

U.S. Strategic Command has awarded a $500 million IDIQ contract to the University of Nebraska’s National Strategic Research Institute to support warfighter‑ready solutions. The award is structured to emphasize speed, flexibility, and direct operational relevance rather than one‑off research projects. Joining me to talk through how these funds will advance STRATCOM's mission is the Director of NSRI...

When disaster loan programs scale up quickly, data sharing becomes critical. GAO says outdated systems and manual consent requirements limited SBA’s access to IRS tax data during COVID, leaving oversight gaps even as billions went out the door. Joining me to break down why that matters and where progress has been made is Director for Financial Markets and Community Investment at GAO, Courtney LaFo...

The Army is moving thousands of civilian employees into new roles under a sweeping “rebalancing” effort aimed at avoiding layoffs — but workers are required to accept a reassignment within days or risk separation from federal service. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel...

The Army has been talking for many years about the concept of a single IT network. But it’s made real, measurable progress recently. The service started with 42 networks, then reduced the number to 19, and then just five over the last few years. At the same time, the Army is moving toward more software-defined networks. Leo Garciga is the Army’s chief information officer. He talked about those ini...

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A new approach to the Pentagon’s long‑troubled audit effort is taking shape as fresh leadership resets expectations The administration says new Medicaid work rules will save money, but first, states will spend a lot figuring out how to make them work Contractors are playing a bigger role in TSA screening and national security AI, but that raises new que...

After years of failed attempts, the Defense Department is refining its strategy for achieving and sustaining a clean financial audit. With new financial management leaders in place and growing scrutiny from Congress, the pressure is shifting from progress to proof. To explain what’s different this time, we’re joined by the CEO of the Society of Defense Financial Management, Rich Brady. See Privacy...

As the new work‑requirement mandates roll out, states are confronting a costly truth: their eligibility systems weren’t built for this level of verification. Upgrades, contractors and extra staff could push total costs past a billion dollars before a single dollar in federal savings is realized. We get the ground‑level view from AP’s David Lieb. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

As the DHS shutdown highlights stress points in TSA operations, a long‑running federal program that relies on contractors is getting renewed attention just as agencies are also leaning more heavily on industry partners for artificial intelligence in national security. To connect those dots, I'm joined by Stephanie Kostro, President of the Professional Services Council. See Privacy Policy at https:...

As the conflict in the Middle East escalates following the U.S. and Israel’s launch of “major combat operations” against Iran, Defense Department employees say the demands of a new war are adding strain to an already stretched workforce. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis has more.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv...

Freedom of Information Act backlogs have been increasing across government for years. But the Trump administration’s workforce cuts have deepened challenges for already strained federal FOIA offices. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

New research argues that opportunities for public comment are shrinking on both sides of the Atlantic, as governments move faster and give people less time to respond. Those shortcuts may seem efficient, but they come with real risks for transparency and the quality of policymaking. Steven Balla, co-director of the regulatory studies center at George Washington University, is here to explain the p...

Ongoing U.S. operations tied to Iran are driving a rapid drawdown of munitions, putting new pressure on the defense industrial base. While billions have already been invested to expand production, questions remain about how resilient that system really is under stress. To explore what matters most right now, I’m joined by the Director, Center for the Industrial Base at CSIS, Jerry McGinn. See Priv...

Congress is heading into the Easter recess with the Department of Homeland Security still unfunded and no clear path to a deal. The president’s move to ensure TSA agents continue getting paid may buy time, but it doesn’t resolve the broader standoff or the demands piling up behind it. Loren Duggan of Bloomberg Government joins us with the latest read on where things stand and what’s likely to move...

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Both the U.S. and the EU are quietly narrowing chances for the public to weigh in on new rules and one expert says it’s time to pay attention Billions are flowing into munitions production, but there are limits to how quickly the U.S. can replenish its stockpiles They’re on recess, but DHS funding, voting rules, and overseas troop support are all waitin...