The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

00:14:22

A smaller IRS staff could mean a longer wait for returns

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/13

Tax season is underway, but the agency at the center of it is dealing with a shrinking workforce and the loss of tools meant to make filing easier. Those gaps are raising worries about whether the IRS can keep up, especially when it comes to customer service. For more, Federal News Network’s Eric White spoke with former Treasury Department Deputy Chief of Staff Julie Siegel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at

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00:07:51

CISA delays cyber incident reporting town halls due...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/12

The Homeland Security shutdown is delaying key public meetings over forthcoming cyber incident reporting regulations. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency had planned on holding the meetings this month. But much of CISA’s operations have been curtailed by the shutdown. 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.

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00:10:23

CMS’s two-pronged approach to crushing fraud, waste,...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/12

Four of the six major programs run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services saw their improper payment rate increase in fiscal 2025. Medicare Part C, Medicare Part D and Medicaid all saw upticks in how much money went out the door that shouldn’t have. While not all improper payments are considered fraud, CMS is planning an all out effort to reign in fraud specifically, and improper payments more broadly. For more on how CMS will take on this systemic challenge, Federal News Network

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00:11:04

Americans seeking a way out of the Middle East are...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/12

With official guidance thin and evacuation routes uncertain, Americans overseas are flooding Congressional offices for help, recreating the same crisis‑driven scramble we saw after the fall of Kabul. Caseworkers, who were never meant to be emergency responders are again stepping into life‑and‑death situations as they try to fill gaps left by strained federal operations. We’ll dig into what’s happening on the ground with Anne Meeker, deputy director of the Popvox Foundation. See Privacy Policy at

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00:12:17

DPAA’s family updates remain the heart of a mission...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/12

DPAA’s mission is to account for missing service members from World War II through Vietnam, work that depends as much on scientific progress as on the trust they build with families. Their Family Member Updates have become one of the few places where relatives can hear, face‑to‑face, what’s happening in long‑standing cases. Joining us to explain why those touchpoints remain essential are Col. Derek Rankin and Mr. Tim McMahon. Col. Rankin is Chief of Staff at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

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00:56:24

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Thursday,...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/12

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton DPAA’s family updates remain the heart of a mission that still spans the globe in search of answers As the situation in the Middle East worsens, Americans seeking a way out are once again turning to Congressional caseworkers — and the workload is beginning to look uncomfortably familiar Questions about pay, leave payouts, and retirement rules can catch a lot of federal employees off guard See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California

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00:11:52

Questions about pay, leave payouts and retirement...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/12

Some feds are seeing unexpected effects from the new special pay rate for law enforcement and from year‑end retirements that didn’t line up with when agencies process annual leave payouts. New retirees also face a set of early housekeeping steps that can make a big difference in how smoothly their benefits begin. We sort through the practical details with federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at

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00:07:24

Army to use alternative promotion authority to give...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/11

The Army is beginning to use a promotion authority Congress approved in 2018 that could give some officers more flexibility in how they move through the ranks. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis gives us an update. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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00:07:35

‘Radical reduction’ of GSA-owned buildings needed to...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/11

A multibillion-dollar backlog of building maintenance projects has grown too large for the federal government’s landlord to effectively manage. That’s according to a board that advises the General Services Administration on buildings it should sell or dispose of. The board recommends a “radical reduction” of buildings GSA owns. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman join us with more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at

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00:10:33

Amid mounting warnings that Iran or its proxies could...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/11

The heightened threat environment has put a spotlight on federal readiness, but a new GAP review shows HHS still lacks formal mechanisms to coordinate its two major preparedness programs. Those gaps matter when states face overlapping health hazards from outbreaks to extreme weather to hostile‑actor disruptions. GAO’s Mary Denigan‑Macauley joins us with the details. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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00:11:37

A sudden change to how VA evaluates disabilities...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/11

By bypassing notice‑and‑comment and issuing an interim final rule, VA shocked groups that normally get a heads‑up on major policy shifts. Veterans responded with near‑universal concern about how treatment‑controlled symptoms would be judged. We hear why the response was so sharp from Carl Blake, CEO of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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00:50:18

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Wednesday,...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/11

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A sudden change to how VA evaluates disabilities triggered immediate backlash from veterans and their advocates The Army is about to open its first operational makerspace in Europe, a new hub where soldiers can turn ideas into real solutions for the mission Amid mounting warnings that Iran or its proxies could strike back, GAO says HHS isn’t fully aligned internally on the public‑health preparedness programs states rely on most See Privacy Policy at

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00:09:58

The Army is about to open its first operational...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/11

The 21st Theater Sustainment Command. cuts the ribbon March 13 on its Innovation Lab at Kaiserslautern, Germany, built to help Soldiers tackle problems closest to the mission. The lab ties frontline needs to Army Development Command’s ability to prototype and test new concepts. We look at what Soldiers can build, how ideas move through the pipeline, and what success looks like in year one with Major Ron White, Chief Innovation Officer of the Army's 21st TSC. See Privacy Policy at

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00:07:43

Key data on political appointees missing from 'PLUM'...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/10

Errors and inconsistencies in a public list of political appointees are raising concerns over the data’s reliability. A new analysis of the so-called “PLUM” book, from the Government Accountability Office, finds that the list of federal executives does not contain all data required by statute. It’s also missing key information across several agencies and senior-level positions. Here with the details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and

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00:07:43

Trump administration is out with a new national cyber...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/10

The Trump administration is out with a new national cyber strategy. The administration’s focus is on making cyber adversaries pay for trying to hack into government networks or critical infrastructure. But there are a lot of familiar themes from past cyber strategies as well. To break it all down, 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.

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00:11:55

As debates sharpen over military use of AI, the...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/10

AIA says agentic AI could unlock faster, more adaptive decisions across the defense industrial base, but only if agencies and contractors address risks and real‑world friction. The conversation is unfolding as policymakers debate how military AI should be governed and what limits are necessary. Tim White, Vice President of Engineering and Technology at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), is with me to outline the path ahead. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California

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00:07:45

What does the IRS do if someone is kidnapped and not...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/10

It will hopefully never happen to you, but what if you're taken hostage and therefore unable to file a tax return? It's probably one of the last things on your mind during a traumatic experience, so the IRS does have a plan in place to make sure a victim doesn't face any unfair consequences from their ordeal. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration recently took a look at those protocols. To learn what they found, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to one of the auditors who

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00:10:46

The Pentagon’s “supply‑chain risk” label for...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/10

The Defense Department says it has officially notified Anthropic that the company and its products are deemed a supply‑chain risk, a move that could require defense vendors to certify they aren’t using Claude in DoD work. The designation stems from a breakdown over AI guardrails and the Pentagon’s insistence on “all lawful purposes,” raising questions about the scope of the Department’s authority and how a challenge would play out. We’ll sort the law from the headlines and what contractors need to

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00:49:21

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Tuesday,...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/10

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton As debates sharpen over military use of AI, the Aerospace Industries Association is outlining a path for agentic systems in defense The Pentagon’s “supply‑chain risk” label for Anthropic now forces a legal and operational reckoning across the defense industrial base What does the IRS do if someone is kidnapped and not able to pay taxes? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at

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00:07:43

Army overhauls direct commissioning process to bring...

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ·

2026/03/09

The Army is overhauling its direct commissioning program as it tries to bring more civilian tech experts into uniform. Service officials say the program will “completely upskill” Army organizations over time. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis is here with an update. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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