The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

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DoD class deviation leaves contractors with more questions than answers Jul 13, 2026

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The Defense Department is providing little guidance on how firms are expected to comply with a series of restrictions aimed at severing ties with companies the Pentagon says support Beijing's military. A new class deviation the department recently issued significantly broadens the definition of "Chinese military company" but it's unclear how exactly it impacts defense contractors. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis spoke with Tracye Howard, government contracts partner at Wiley Rein LLP.

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The VA is reporting record-high rates for suicide risk screening and follow-up Jul 13, 2026

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After an Inspector General review identified gaps in suicide risk screening and follow-up, the VA moved to strengthen those processes across its system. The result is higher screening rates and more reliable evaluations for veterans at risk. Joining me to break down those improvements is Acting Executive Director of the Office of Suicide Prevention at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Steven Dobscha.

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Tens of billions of dollars of federal dollars are spent on university research every year, but taxpayers don't know how Jul 13, 2026

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Every year, the federal government spends billions supporting research at universities across the country. That investment helps drive scientific advances, but it also depends on a complex system of funding decisions, academic institutions and researchers. For a closer look at how that system works, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Darren Lipomi, professor of chemical engineering at the University of Rochester and author of a new book, "Science Nonfiction: Behind the Scenes in University Research."

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Congress has a lot on its agenda, the harder question is whether everyone agrees on what belongs at the top of the list Jul 13, 2026

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Congress has a full plate before lawmakers leave town for August. The problem isn't a lack of important work. It's that competing priorities from the House, Senate and White House are all jockeying for the same limited attention and political capital. For a look at where those tensions stand, I'm joined by Mitchell Miller, Capitol Hill Correspondent for WTOP.

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The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Monday, July 13, 2026 Jul 13, 2026

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The VA is reporting record-high rates for suicide risk screening and follow-up
Congress has a lot on its agenda. The harder question is whether everyone agrees on what belongs at the top of the list
The federal government spends tens of billions of dollars each year on university research. Most taxpayers never see how that system actually works

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GSA praised for initial changes to AI draft regs, but more work needed Jul 10, 2026

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In the three weeks since the General Services Administration updated its proposed regulations for the basic safeguarding of data within large language model artificial intelligence systems, vendors and other interested parties have officially submitted only a handful of comments. But that is not because there isn’t a lack of interest or questions about the new proposed rule that GSA would apply to all schedule and governmentwide acquisition contracts under their purview. The comments likely will start pouring in after GSA holds a listening session on July 14 in Washington, D.C. For more on what GSA included in the updated draft regulations and what questions still remain, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now.

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CDC must ‘make hard decisions’ triaging work after elevating Ebola response Jul 10, 2026

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking to rebuild its workforce after cutting more than a quarter of its employees last year, according to its top officials. But CDC employees heard similar messages from leadership months ago and have yet to see much hiring. Instead, the agency is relying on temporary reassignments to address staffing gaps a strategy that is putting a toll on the workforce, according to employees. This comes as CDC is upgrading its Ebola response to its highest level of threat. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.

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A new OPM rule will expand how federal agencies make workforce decisions Jul 10, 2026

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Hiring someone is only the beginning of the government's relationship with an employee. A newly finalized OPM rule expands the agency's authority to pursue suitability actions for certain misconduct that occurs after hiring, raising new questions about accountability and workforce management. Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Michael Fallings, Managing Partner at Tully Rinckey, to find out more about what is changing.

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The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Friday, July 10, 2026 Jul 10, 2026

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

In the military, mission success depends on understanding what people can actually do—and matching them to the missions that need them
For pregnant Medicaid patients, finding care depends on information that's supposed to point them in the right direction, but may not
Federal agencies make thousands of decisions about the workforce every day. A new OPM rule could expand how some of those decisions get made

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For pregnant Medicaid patients, finding care depends on information that's supposed to point them in the right direction Jul 10, 2026

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Access to care starts with knowing where care actually exists. New findings from the HHS Inspector General show that the provider information Medicaid patients and state officials rely on is often inaccurate or incomplete. Joining me now is Laura Kordish, Regional Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections at Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

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