The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

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The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Friday, August 21, 2026 Aug 21, 2026

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

A surprising source is helping uncover compromised government websites
The government is taking a closer look at who is really performing work under small-business contracts

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Lawsuit seeks to force OPM to update reservist differential pay guidance Aug 20, 2026

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A new lawsuit argues the Office of Personnel Management has failed to update its guidance for over a year despite the Supreme Court ruling that clarified that reservists called to active duty during a national emergency are entitled to the difference between their civilian and military pay. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis has more.

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AbilityOne program comes under new scrutiny Aug 20, 2026

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The AbilityOne program is coming under new scrutiny for allegedly skirting the Buy American Act and other federal acquisition regulations. The General Services Administration is asking the commission and its partners like the National Industries for the Blind to submit a report by mid-November detailing how they are ensuring they are following federal acquisition laws and regulations. Federal News Network’s Jason Miller joins me now to discuss GSA’s concerns and what the AbilityOne Commission is doing about them, .

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A growing number of court filings have something in common: they cite legal cases that don't actually exist Aug 20, 2026

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Artificial intelligence can help lawyers research and draft legal filings. But courts are increasingly confronting a basic question: what happens when a lawyer trusts the technology and the technology gets it wrong? Judges have made clear that responsibility still rests with the lawyer. Here with more is Crawford Appleby of Wisner Baum.

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Autonomous? What's the difference between a machine that follows instructions and one that can handle something unexpected? Aug 20, 2026

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As the military invests in drones and robotic systems, one question keeps surfacing: how much can those systems really do without human direction? The answer has implications for procurement, operations and expectations about what this technology can deliver. Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Ben Wolff, CEO and co-founder of Palladyne AI.

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For years, cyber defenders have assumed they had time to react. What happens when AI shrinks that window? Aug 20, 2026

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Artificial intelligence has been part of the cybersecurity conversation for years. But a new report suggests AI may be moving beyond helping attackers and beginning to perform meaningful portions of cyber operations itself. That has implications for how quickly agencies must detect, patch and respond to threats. Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Glen Deskin, Head of Engineering at Check Point Software Technologies.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton -- Thursday, August 20, 2026 Aug 20, 2026

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

For years, cyber defenders have assumed they had time to react. What happens when artificial intelligence starts shrinking that window?
A lot of things are being called autonomous these days. But what's the difference between a machine that follows instructions and one that can handle something unexpected?
A growing number of court filings have something in common: they cite legal cases that don't actually exist.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump’s move to ‘unleash’ private sector hackers raises novel oversight, liability questions Aug 19, 2026

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President Donald Trump has signed a new order to “unleash” the private sector to conduct offensive cyber operations. The goal is to go after foreign criminal hackers, like ransomware gangs. But the new program also comes with questions about legal liabilities and other risks for companies that participate. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me now with more details.

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DoD strategic hiring committees are still a mystery a year after their formation Aug 19, 2026

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The Defense Department has begun using new strategic hiring committees to vet civilian employees, but nearly a year after the Trump administration ordered agencies to create them, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how they work. Four committees now operate across the Pentagon and military departments, but DoD has provided few details about how many hires they review, how often they reject candidates or whether they’re actually slowing the hiring process. Federal News Network’s Rachel Cohen has been digging into what these committees are doing. She joins me now with more on what they could mean for the Pentagon’s civilian workforce.

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Some of the federal government's oldest obligations have long faced a gap between commitment and execution Aug 19, 2026

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The IRS may be today's headline example of an institution struggling to match resources to mission. But the challenge is hardly new. The federal government's obligations to Tribal nations date back to the country's founding, and a new Brookings report examines why the systems supporting those commitments continue to fall short. Here to share more details is Brookings Institution fellow, Rob Maxim.

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