The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Last week's signs of movement seem to have hit a stop sign over the weekend. The House remains in recess. Regardless of the impacts on air travel, SNAP benefits, and military pay, Senate Democrats are holding firm on their demands, and Republicans are equally resolute in their positions, Here with more details on the shutdown negotiations is Maeve Sheehey, congressional reporter with Bloomberg Government.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the shutdown stretches on, federal contractors face growing wage and hour risks, from delayed payments to potential violations of labor law. Employers trying to do the right thing may still stumble into legal trouble. Here to explain how contractors can protect themselves and what organizations should be doing to stay compliant is Co-Chair of the Employment + Labor Practice at Morrison and Foerster, Andrew Turnbull.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Open Season kicks off today. Federal employees and retirees are facing another round of double-digit premium hikes, shifting plan defaults, and new coverage options. Here to explain what’s changing and how to avoid paying for coverage you don’t need is John Hatton from NARFE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The decision by the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high volume markets beginning this morning, isn't just a reaction to the now longest partial government shutdown ever. FAA is seeing the strain on air traffic controllers who are starting to call out sick more often. A new Federal News Network pulse poll finds FAA employees aren't the only ones working without pay that may be calling out sick or taking part in a sick out if this shutdown continues deep into November. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller joins me now to discuss what we found in our latest survey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Like the other military services, the Army has now recovered from the recruiting challenges it faced over the last several years. But even during the peak of those problems, a bright spot was that retention stayed strong. Now the Army is trying to capitalize on that strength by thinking more carefully about which soldiers it keeps and where. As Federal News Network's Jared Serbu reports, the Service wants to retain its soldiers in the fields where they're most needed, focus its retention efforts more on officers and put an emphasis on quality over quantity.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 Cuts to U.S. emergency food aid are straining global relief efforts and reshaping how the State Department handles humanitarian crises New CMMC rules take effect Monday, with contractors facing unclear thresholds, shifting clauses, and real risks to eligibilitySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the first major cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency hit the U.S. Agency for International Development. About 85% of its programs were eliminated, and the rest, including emergency food aid, were folded into the State Department. That food aid program has long had bipartisan support, but the transition hasn’t been seamless. Federal News Network's Eric White recently spoke with Vincent Smith from the American Enterprise Institute to explore the program's growing pains.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Starting Monday, some Defense contracts will require verified cybersecurity compliance under new CMMC rules. But contractors face murky thresholds, shifting clause language, and real risks to eligibility. For the details on the changes, Federal News Network's Jared Serbu spoke with Dan Ramish, partner at Haynes Boone.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is hinting at some upcoming initiatives aiming to bring more tech talent into the federal workforce. At the same time, OPM says it's looking to improve early career recruitment and focus more on applicant skill sets rather than job titles. But OPMs big hiring goals also come after hundreds of thousands of feds have left their jobs this year. 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 leaders came under fire Tuesday for quietly reorganizing part of the Defense Department's policy office without notifying Congress. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis is here with more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.