The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton When the hotspots go dark, who connects the unconnected? When a cyberattack hits, breakdowns inside the organization may be as dangerous as the hackers themselvesThis firm is using employee ownership and AI to stay ahead in federal contractingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A recent decision from the Federal Communications Commission has the nation's public libraries concerned. It had to do with a program aimed at providing publicly available high speed broadband internet, particularly in rural areas. However a recent vote by the agency ends its support of the program. For a look at how public libraries will look to adjust, we welcome Sam Helmick, President of the American Libraries Association. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New data from Cytactic shows that 70% of security leaders say internal misalignment creates more disruption than the threat actor itself. From unrehearsed plans to unclear authority, organizations are struggling to respond effectively even with strong tech in place. Josh Ferenczi, Head of Strategy at Cytactic, explains what leaders should do now to close the readiness gap.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Logistics Agency may have solved two problems. Every agency tends to struggle with attracting new and innovative companies and changing the culture of its workforce to work with those companies. DLA's tech accelerator team has shown over the last several years that it can use private sector methods to take an agile approach to solving problems, using interviews, data and market research. For more on the tech accelerator team, Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller, talked with David Koch, the Director of Research and Development at the Defense Logistics Agency.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last week's conclusion of the record breaking government shutdown was great news for federal employees in general, but for a few thousand feds, it was even better news. They'd been told they were about to lose their jobs completely, and those positions are now safe. That's thanks to a provision of the legislation that undid reductions in force that happened during the shutdown. Recent court documents shed more light on exactly how many employees the Trump administration tried to fire during that timeframe. Federal News Network's Jared Serbu is here with more details on what we learned from those tallies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Army is racing to field a prototype assault aircraft by early 2027 that flies twice as fast and twice as far as the Black Hawk. Colonel Jeffrey Poquette and Bell's Ryan Ehinger explained to Federal News Network's Jared Serbu how 215 flight hours on the V-280 Valor demonstrator proved tilt rotor technology works, why maintainers with virtual toolboxes are fixing design problems before metal gets cut, and how digital twins for every aircraft will slash 70% of lifecycle costs typically spent on sustainment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton What keeps recreational boaters safe, and what happens if the funding dries up? Now that the shutdown is over, contracting officers have a lot to catch up on Can digital engineering cut a decade-long test program in half?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Contracting officers and contractors are facing a mosaic of updates, everything from FAR deviations to new DoD priorities like speed and portfolio-based acquisition. Emily Murphy, Senior Fellow at the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University, is here with advice on how 1102s and businesses can keep it all straight while dealing with increasing workloads. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The nation's waterways may have some more reckless driving on them. Among the Trump administration's cuts to government spending, the Coast Guard planned to cut funding for boating safety grants to states and non profits. To find out what this could mean for the maritime community and to get a little more insight into how they work, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with David Kennedy, Government Affairs Manager for the boat insurance company, BoatUS.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Congress works to finalize the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren is calling out a leading industry group for trying to block bipartisan right to repair efforts that would give soldiers the ability to fix their own equipment. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis is here to help us sort it out. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.