The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The Small Business Administration finalized new rules for the 8(a) business development program in record time. In 60 days, SBA went from proposal to reviewing more than 100 comments to final regulation that will transform the 73-year-old program. For more on what’s in the new 8(a) regulations and why some experts remain concerned about the program’s long-term viability, Federal News Network’s executive editor Jason Miller joins me now.
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The yearslong North Korean remote IT worker campaign has infiltrated hundreds of companies. Now, the FBI has confirmed at least one of those individuals was found working for a federal agency. Experts say the widening campaign points to an emerging gap in national security vetting. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.
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Federal agencies depend on public comments when they write and revise regulations, but many citizens and subject-matter experts have little experience participating in the process. A new effort aims to help people understand how agencies evaluate comments and what makes them useful. Here with more is Colette Delawalla, founder of the Stand Up for Science Foundation.
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The HHS Office of Inspector General is seeking public input on how fraud-and-abuse laws affect payments to clinical-trial participants. The effort could help determine whether existing rules strike the right balance between protecting patients and supporting medical research. Joining me now is Spencer Turnbull, Chief of the Industry Guidance Branch at HHS-OIG.
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OPM has played a central role in shaping federal workforce policy over the past 18 months. At the same time, the agency itself has undergone substantial staffing reductions. A new GAO report examines what those changes could mean for OPM's ability to carry out its mission and support other agencies. Joining me to walk through the details is Dawn Locke, director in GAO's Strategic Issues team.
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