The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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