The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The nation’s newest military service still has a lot of work to do to chart its future. The Space Force had been planning to use a new “Futures Command” to handle that work, and it was supposed to be up and running by last year. That didn’t happen as scheduled. But the idea’s not dead either. Leaders say they’re still planning a new organization to help shape the service’s future, but they also needed to make sure it aligns with the new administration’s priorities. Details now from Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’ve spent anytime on LinkedIn over the last month, you may have seen what seems to be a constant stream of executives leaving federal service. Whether they are retiring, took the deferred resignation program or just through normal attrition, the exodus of federal executives feels more acute than ever before. In the federal report this week, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller takes a deep dive into the data and offers federal executives who recently left some advice to find success in the private sector. Jason joins me now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act aims to give the VA dedicated capacity to research emerging treatments for PTSD and other invisible wounds. We’ll hear from Representatives Lou Correa from California and Jack Bergman from Michigan, the lawmakers behind the push, and what it means for veterans and families.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Environmental Protection Agency may be relying on air quality data that underreports pollution. Biased data can mean declaring areas clean when they’re not. A recent report from the agency's IG warns that gaps in EPA oversight could expose communities to harmful pollution. Assistant Inspector General Paul Bergstrand is here to explain the risks and the fixes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Behind every health policy and intervention is data, but some of that data may soon be gone. A new analysis warns of cascading effects on research, programs and health equity, unless action is taken now. Joel Gurin, President and Founder of The Center for Open Data Enterprise is here to explain what’s at stake and what might be done.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.