The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Competing FEMA reorganization proposals are now on the table, and there’s actually surprising alignment on what needs to change, but no final plan. That raises a more urgent question: how ready will the agency be when the next major disaster hits? Andy Winkler of the Bipartisan Policy Center joins us with a look at what’s at stake. Read the report here: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/fem...

With USPS under financial pressure, expanding into new government services could offer a path forward. But despite having the authority to do more, that effort hasn’t moved much beyond passport processing. A new report from the Postal Service’s inspector general points to a lack of strategy and a fragmented approach inside the organization. David Garcia, Research Analyst with the Postal Service’s...

Congress appeared to be closing in on several major issues last week, before the White House shifted the dynamics in a way that could change what comes next. Now lawmakers are reassessing both timing and substance. For a look at where things stand, we turn to Mitchell Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent for WTOP. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reorganizing its long-standing value engineering program by shifting it from a separate activity and folding it into existing project delivery processes. Critics warn the move would increase the risk of waste, cost growth and schedule overruns and one organization has urged the Defense Department to immediately reverse the decision. For more, Federal News Networ...

The Postal Service has pushed back an immediate cash crisis by delaying payments to employee retirement plans. But Postmaster General David Steiner warned lawmakers this week that USPS’ long-term financial problems are far from solved. For the latest, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com...

When you think of Benjamin Franklin, you probably think invention or diplomacy, but Dr. Barry Davis says Franklin’s real legacy may be something more fundamental: the idea that a free society survives by acting before problems become crises. That concept shaped how early American institutions were built, and it still has relevance for how we think about public systems today. Dr. Davis joins me now...

The latest social security trustees report doesn’t break new ground, but it does move up the timeline for when the trust fund starts to run out of money. And it raises a basic question: if we’ve known this was coming, why hasn’t anything changed? Joining me to walk through the politics and the process of fixing social security is the Executive Vice President of Policy at the Peter G. Peterson Foun...

The choice to claim Social Security benefits early or delay them comes down to balancing immediate income against long‑term security. That decision often hinges on factors people can’t know for sure, especially how long they’ll live. Here to walk through what people should be weighing is Thiago Glieger, a certified financial planner with RMG Advisors. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton As America approaches its 250th anniversary, a new book points back to one of the founders’ most important ideas, prevention Some of the biggest fiscal problems facing the government aren’t surprises, they’re warnings we’ve chosen to live with There’s no perfect answer to when to claim Social Security, but there are real consequences to getting it wrong...

The White House is accelerating the governmentwide transition to post-quantum cryptography. In a new executive order, President Trump directs agencies to meet hard deadlines for adopting the PQC algorithms that will protect data from a future quantum computer. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No...

The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding a hearing today to consider four nominees for senior Pentagon and intelligence positions, key jobs given that the Defense Department is managing a record $1.5 trillion budget request with big plans for its space and intel capabilities. The four nominees are Jay Hurst, tapped to be the Pentagon's comptroller; Matt O'Malley, nominated as the deputy over...

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says it’s entering a new era, one that resets how it regulates and enforces Nuclear technology is moving fast, regulation has to keep up Better decisions depend on data, but only if people can actually use it See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://a...

A new reform push at ATF aims to reduce friction for lawful businesses and owners, while concentrating enforcement on willful violations. The challenge is maintaining that balance as expectations around safety and accountability remain high. Joining me to discuss ATF's shift in focus is the ATF director, Robert Cekada. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

Time at the International Atomic Energy Agency gave Anna Bradford a broader view of how countries approach nuclear safety and innovation. Now back at the NRC, she joins me to share how she’s applying those lessons as the U.S. navigates a new phase of reactor development. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

We’re starting a new monthly series focused on how federal data works in the real world. Episode one looks at a Federal Data Field Guide aimed at helping users sort through different datasets and put them to work. Joining me now are Denice Ross and Chris Marcum. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The wait is over for more than 1,400 vendors. NASA’s SEWP program office awarded spots on its sixth iteration of its governmentwide technology contract. In all, NASA made more than 2,100 awards under this governmentwide acquisition contract for IT products and services. For more on the SEWP VI awards, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me with details. See Privacy Policy at h...

As the summer wildfire season gets underway, federal wildland firefighters are facing an increasingly difficult situation on the job. Three out of four respondents to a recent survey say they have considered quitting within the past 12 months. That comes as the frontline workers face increasing burnout and low morale. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman. See Privacy Policy at http...

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton For years, commercial drones have been limited by how far operators can actually see them, that's about to change As drones take on a bigger role in the airspace, the rules around them are getting more complicated but also more coordinated than you might expect Electric aircraft are coming. The rules that will allow them to fly aren’t See Privacy Policy...

A new FAA framework could allow drone operators to fly beyond visual line of sight, opening the door to expanded use in infrastructure inspection, agriculture and emergency response. The shift would move drone operations closer to routine use across the national airspace. Joining me to explain the impact and the integration challenge is former senior executive in the FAA’s National Security Divisi...

As drone operations expand, regulation could easily fragment across FAA, DHS, DoD and others. Instead, there’s growing coordination to manage both safety and security across that system. Katie Inman, a Partner at Holland and Knight, walks us through how that’s taking shape. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf...

It’s not just drones pushing aviation into new territory. Electric aircraft are edging closer to commercial use, but certification is still the gatekeeper. The FAA is trying to adapt existing rules while building a longer-term framework that can scale with new designs and risks. Joining me to explain that tension is Derrick Collins, Director of GAO’s Physical Infrastructure team. See Privacy Polic...

Every year, agencies award billions of dollars in grants and other federal funding to finance infrastructure projects across the country. But few of those dollars come attached with cyber requirements, despite repeated warnings that foreign hackers are targeting power utilities and other critical infrastructure. A new report from the Institute for Security and Technology is now offering Congress a...

The Marine Corps has a new plan to grow the force by as much as 5% by 2032. The service hopes adding thousands of Marines will spell success in future wars. One lieutenant general says that goal is a step in the right direction to fix earlier versions of its force design plans. For more about this new goal and more context on changes ahead for the Marine Corps, Federal News Network DoD reporter Ra...

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Scientific breakthroughs don’t run on short timelines, but federal funding is starting to A lot of science policy doesn't fail, it just never makes it through the system Security at major events now depends on how well government and contractors operate as one system See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:...

Federal funding and independent universities have long worked together to drive American innovation. But with support becoming less predictable, universities say the strain is showing in both research activity and the talent pipeline. Joining me to explain the impact on future discoveries is the president of MIT, Dr. Sally Kornbluth. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...