Agencies are facing tons of changing expectations from the Office of Personnel Management this year. In the last few weeks alone, OPM has told agencies how to think differently about awarding employees for good work, as well as how to implement recent changes to the federal probationary period. To help make sense of it all Federal News Network's Drew Friedman caught up with the Partnership for Public Services, Vice President of Government Affairs, Jenny Mattingly.

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Meet Paul. Paul was a CDC employee for more than 20 years. He left CDC in February and only got officially out processed in June. Paul's experience is all too common these days at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where months of delays are normal, as well as a lot of other agencies. In this week's Federal Report, Federal News Network, Executive Editor Jason Miller writes about why CDC delays are having real world consequences for former employees like Paul.

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The Trump administration is tightening the leash of sort to push contractors on complying with cybersecurity requirements, as well as ensuring their charging the government a fair price. This comes at a time when the government's biggest purchaser is conducting a whirlwind of new activities. Here to break it all down for us, President of the Professional Services Council Stephanie Kostro.

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When a nuclear explosion or accident occurs, time is critical. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed an AI-powered method to speed up the complex chemical analysis needed to understand what happened. By guiding lab steps more efficiently, this breakthrough could help officials identify nuclear materials faster—boosting safety, security, and response efforts. Here to explain this new approach and its impacts is Dr. Nick Uhnak. Dr. Uhnak is a Radiochemist in the National Security Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

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Nearly 150 employees at the National Science Foundation have sent a letter to Congress warning that deep staffing cuts, forced relocations, and political interference are threatening the agency’s mission and independence. One-third of NSF’s workforce is already gone, and senior executives are being pushed out. Dr. Jesus Soriano, who leads the agency’s employee union, says the changes could do lasting damage to American science.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• A warning from inside the NSF, staff say science itself is under threat
• AI could help scientists decode nuclear events faster, saving time when every second counts
• Federal contractors feel the push to comply on new cybersecurity requirements

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Across the federal government, leaders are wrestling with the challenge of attracting and keeping top tech talent. Salaries in the private sector are often higher. Government hiring can be slow and recent changes across the federal government add a new level of uncertainty, but agencies are finding creative ways to cultivate the talent they need. Federal News networks, Anastasia Obis spoke with federal leaders about how their agencies are working to recruit and retain tech professionals and why mentorship is important when it comes to retaining

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Improving the security clearance background investigation process continues to be a major priority for government and industry. Several provisions in the fiscal 2026 national defense authorization bill are aimed at expanding the pool of clear talent for more on these efforts federal news networks. Justin Doubleday spoke with the Vice President of Technology Policy and Government Relations at the Professional Services Council, Tim Brennan.

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