What Army civilians should consider before accepting VERA or VSIP

The Trump administration is opening up more opportunities to expand hiring across government. In less than a week, the Office of Personnel Management has set up an “early-career talent network” and also launched a recruitment effort for project managers. The initiatives come after sweeping reductions to the federal workforce over the last year. Here with the latest, 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.

A patchy federal job landscape is threatening to upend a longstanding cyber talent pipeline. Hundreds of students graduate from the CyberCorps Scholarship-for-Service program every year. But recent and soon-to-be graduates say they continue to face major challenges in finding federal job opportunities. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The launch of Rubin Observatory's alert system marks a breakthrough in astrophysics, giving scientists a real‑time stream of changes across the sky, from brightening stars to newly spotted asteroids. It’s one of the final steps before the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, which will scan the southern sky every night for a decade with unprecedented precision. Dr. Bob Blum joins us to share why this moment is so scientifically and cosmically exciting.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When patients become critically ill, their bodies often fall into a dangerous immune response loop that today’s ICU tools can’t fully see or stop. The CIRCLE program aims to give doctors a clearer roadmap by combining new sensors, faster lab insights, and digital models that predict how a patient will respond. Joining me to discuss long‑term promise for ICU care is Dr. Yoram Vodovotz, Program Manager for CIRCLE at ARPA‑H.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Rubin Observatory just turned the night sky into a live feed and the universe is far busier than anyone imagined A new ARPA‑H effort aims to change how doctors understand and treat critical illness in real timeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transportation Security Administration employees are seeing their first paychecks in more than a month. TSA agents are being paid this week despite lawmakers failing to come to an agreement on a Department of Homeland Security spending bill. That means thousands more DHS staff are continuing to work with out pay. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Army civilians who have been identified as “surplus” begin receiving automated notices giving them a few days to decide whether to accept a reassignment, retire early or opt in for a buyout, many are making these life-altering decisions with limited information. Here with an update to her story from Monday is Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

April is World Autism Month, and for military families, navigating autism care often means navigating multiple systems at once. Jaime and Tracy Parent have spent more than thirty years raising an autistic child while moving through diagnoses, deployments, school changes and the maze of military and civilian support programs. Their new book, "The Mission at Home," turns that lived experience into practical guidance for families facing the same transitions and gaps in care. We’ll hear from Jaime and Tracy about what they’ve learned and what still needs to change.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees often retire with two advantages many Americans don’t have: a steady pension and a sizable TSP. But when Required Minimum Distributions kick in, those income streams can collide, triggering higher taxes and unexpected ripple effects. We’ll look at how that happens and why planning years ahead can change the outcome with Thiago Glieger of RMG Advisors.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Shutdowns don’t just disrupt agencies, they disrupt household finances, and the data shows it almost immediately A large TSP balance is a success story until Required Minimum Distributions turn it into a tax problem A military family’s decades‑long journey with autism is now helping other families navigate a system that often feels impossible to manageSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.