With open season just around the corner, rising premiums may be top of mind for enrollees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, but there are a number of other changes that employees and annuitants will want to be aware of for Plan Year 2026 that includes several plans entering or leaving FEHB, as well as benefits changes across the government's insurance programs. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman recently sat down with the Director of Marketing and Fundraising at Consumers Checkbook, Kevin Moss.

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The Environmental Protection Agency is deepening its work with water utilities on cyber security issues. The EPA has recently launched a program to scan for Internet exposed devices at water and wastewater facilities. That work comes amid rising concerns about nation state hackers targeting water systems and other critical infrastructure for more Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday is here.

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We've spent a lot of time over the past month talking about how the government shutdown is affecting executive branch agencies. But it's a big issue for the federal judicial branch too. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts recently announced the judiciary has exhausted the funding it needs to keep all court operations up and running. So courts are having to make choices about what activities continue during a shutdown. Nick Boyle is partner at the law firm Latham and Watkins. He's here to talk more about those impacts.

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The Justice Department’s civil rights fraud initiative is putting contractors and grant recipients on notice, with demand letters that raise the stakes for DEI compliance and False Claims Act exposure. The risks are real for firms of all sizes. Here with guidance on how companies can prepare is partner at Proskauer and expert in government contractor employment law, Guy Brenner.

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The Office of Government Ethics surveys executive branch agencies each year to track common ethics concerns. Intelliworx analyzed the latest results and found that questions about gifts, financial conflicts, and outside work top the list. Here to discuss the findings is business analyst with Intelliworx, John Martin.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• What do federal employees ask about most when it comes to ethics?
• A new fraud initiative puts DEI programs under the government’s microscope
• We'll take a look at some of the shutdown's impacts on the federal judiciary

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For decades, service members and their families have been exposed to hazardous conditions and privatized military housing. The Change the Air Foundation recently launched what's probably one of the most comprehensive efforts yet to collect data. The Defense Department has never been able to track accurately what military spouses say. It's a survey created by families, for families. For more Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Erica Thompson, a military spouse, and the military families liaison for the Change the Air Foundation.

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The Trump administration's latest round of federal employee layoffs will remain on hold for now. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from carrying out widespread reductions in force for about 4000 employees while the case proceeds through the court. A judge initially put these layoffs on hold in mid October, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has the latest.

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