The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Latest Episodes:

Military leaders are drawing new lessons from conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and beyond Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Governments around the world are rethinking the technologies and capabilities they'll need for future conflicts. I caught up with OJ Sanchez, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, at the Farnborough Airshow to discuss what military customers are asking for now and what lessons industry is taking from today's battlefields.

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

Space Force doesn’t know how many personnel it needs, watchdog finds Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

As Space Force leaders argue that doubling the size of the newest branch of the military is a “national security necessity,” roughly 25% of the jobs within the service were unfilled in fiscal 2025, and the service lacks guidance for determining how many people it actually needs to accomplish its missions. 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-sell-my-info.

Fired DHS, Interior probationary workers challenge MSPB ruling Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Fired probationary employees from the Department of Homeland Security and the Interior Department are continuing to challenge the legality of their terminations last year. This time, they’re taking their fight to federal appeals court. The ex-employees are challenging the Merit Systems Protection Board’s decision to dismiss their case. 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.

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Monday, July 27, 2026 Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton . . .

Congress can pass legislation. Government still has to implement it. A look at the week on Capitol Hill with Mitchell Miller
The Trump administration continues to champion deregulation. But agencies still have thousands of regulatory actions on their to-do lists
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering changes to decades-old radiation protection requirements. At issue is how regulators translate scientific risk into practical operating rules

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

The Trump administration is championing deregulation, but agencies have thousands of regulatory actions waiting Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

The Trump administration has released its latest Unified Agenda, offering the clearest picture yet of what federal agencies expect to work on in the coming months. While the White House continues to emphasize deregulation, the agenda shows a government that remains deeply engaged in writing and revising rules. Joining me for a closer look, Will Yeatman, the new director of the Regulatory Studies Center at George Washington University.

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

Congress can pass legislation, but Government still has to implement it Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

It was a busy week on Capitol Hill, with House lawmakers advancing spending, defense and other major legislation before leaving town. What happens next will depend on both the Senate and the agencies responsible for implementation. Here with the latest is Mitchell Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent for WTOP.

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

Nuclear Regulatory Commission considers changes to radiation protection requirements Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

For decades, federal radiation standards have been guided by the principle that exposures should be kept as low as reasonably achievable. Now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering changes to that framework while maintaining the same scientific assessment of radiation risk. The debate centers on how regulators put that science into practice. Joining me to walk through the issue is Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

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

After Slaughter decision, MSPB no longer calling itself ‘independent’ Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

The Merit Systems Protection Board is no longer describing itself as “independent.” In recent weeks, the board has been removing the word “independent” from its public-facing materials. The action has raised questions of confidence in other MSPB processes. 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.

Space Force Space Systems Command starts application of AI to mission areas Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

The Space Force’s Space Systems Command already is seeing an increase in trust and confidence when it comes to applying artificial intelligence tools to mission areas. While hard metrics still may be difficult to point to, for areas like source selection or market research, Guardians already are feeling the impact of these new and emerging capabilities. F Schnell is deputy portfolio acquisition executive for the Space Force Infrastructure Office, and Capt. “Doc” Rana is the director of Human-AI Teaming Lab at Space Systems Command. They talked about it with Federal News Network’s Jason Miller on our Space and Satellite Exchange. Rana speaks first.

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 - - Friday, July 24, 2026 Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

It's easy to focus on the latest workforce rule or executive action. But taken together, these changes raise a larger question: what's the right balance between holding employees accountable and helping them perform at their best?
What if military readiness starts at the kitchen table? A new survey of more than 10,000 military and veteran families finds that family well-being, financial stability, health care access, and spouse employment are deeply connected—and directly tied to readiness.
Supreme Court justices are accustomed to hearing arguments, not making them before Congress. Recently, two justices went to Capitol Hill to make a case for more security funding.

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