The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Latest Episodes:

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - Friday, August 14, 2026 Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Who says the federal government should own part of a private company? That's no longer a theoretical question
As government takes a bigger role in shaping emerging technologies, Congress is trying to write rules for one that's changing faster than the legislative process
Financial regulators usually write rules for existing markets. Tokenized finance is forcing governments to coordinate rules for one that's still being built

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

After sweeping staffing reduction, agencies assemble "annual staffing plans" Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Following a year of sweeping staffing reductions, the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for agencies to ramp up recruitment efforts. The Office of Personnel Management has directed agencies to begin assembling “annual staffing plans” for fiscal 2027. The guidance places a particular focus on hiring technologists and early-career talent. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.

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

Pentagon wants to spend millions on Palantir with few details Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

The Pentagon wants to steer up to $244 million to Palantir through March 2027, with the possibility of additional funding through the end of 2028. But a draft memo obtained by Federal News Network doesn't spell out exactly what the money would pay for or which programs it would support.

The Defense Department says the memo is part of a broader effort to use industry expertise to speed up defense production. But one government watchdog raised questions of transparency and whether the directive could lead to sole-source contracting without enough consideration of competition. Federal News Network's Rachel Cohen joins me with more.

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

As AI becomes more common at the VA, veterans want to know how decisions are made and who's accountable for them Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

The VA says people remain responsible for decisions affecting veterans' benefits and healthcare, even as artificial intelligence becomes more common behind the scenes. But for veterans, trust depends on understanding how decisions are made and who answers when something goes wrong. Joining me now to share what that transparency could really look like is Benjamin Krause, founder of Krause Law.

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

Getting help starts with recognizing the real problem. For many veterans, that problem turns out to be a legal one Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

A housing problem, a benefits problem, or an employment problem may actually start as a legal problem. The challenge for many veterans is recognizing that early enough to get help before the consequences spread. We'll talk about a new effort to close that gap with Ron Flagg, president of the Legal Services Corporation

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

Military families don't get to choose when they move, ,that can make buying a home a tough financial decision Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

When military orders arrive, families may have only a short time to make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. Whether to buy, rent, sell or hold a home can have consequences long after the move is complete. For perspective on making those choices, I'm joined by Mike Meese, president of Armed Forces Mutual.

TAG

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 13, 2026 Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Military families don't get to choose when they move. That can make buying a home one of the toughest financial decisions they'll face
Getting help starts with recognizing the real problem. For many veterans, that problem turns out to be a legal one
As AI becomes more common at the VA, veterans want to know how decisions are made and who's accountable for them

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

What's new in the 8(a) business development program Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

The Small Business Administration finalized new rules for the 8(a) business development program in record time. In 60 days, SBA went from proposal to reviewing more than 100 comments to final regulation that will transform the 73-year-old program. For more on what’s in the new 8(a) regulations and why some experts remain concerned about the program’s long-term viability, Federal News Network’s executive editor Jason Miller joins me now.

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

FBI investigating North Korean remote IT staffer working for US agency Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

The yearslong North Korean remote IT worker campaign has infiltrated hundreds of companies. Now, the FBI has confirmed at least one of those individuals was found working for a federal agency. Experts say the widening campaign points to an emerging gap in national security vetting. 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.

OPM spent the past year helping reshape the federal workforce, a new GAO report looks inside OPM itself Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

OPM has played a central role in shaping federal workforce policy over the past 18 months. At the same time, the agency itself has undergone substantial staffing reductions. A new GAO report examines what those changes could mean for OPM's ability to carry out its mission and support other agencies. Joining me to walk through the details is Dawn Locke, director in GAO's Strategic Issues team.

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