Horizon cutting-room links: Friday, 20 December 2024

Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Northeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are Open. Employees are expected to begin the workday on time. Normal operating procedures are in effect

“Trump-backed funding bill fails as government shutdown looms,” Politico

“The measure went down decisively, 174-235, failing to meet a two-thirds bar for passage under a fast-track procedure, as 38 Republicans joined 197 Democrats to tank the bill. … With government funding set to expire at midnight Friday, Elon Musk and Trump lured Congress into a power struggle, demanding that Johnson abandon the bipartisan accord he struck with top Democrats this week and instead craft a bill favored by Republicans.”

“Elon Musk Flexes His Political Strength as Government Shutdown Looms,” New York Times

“Wielding the social media platform he purchased for $44 billion in 2022, Mr. Musk detonated a rhetorical nuclear bomb in the middle of government shutdown negotiations on Capitol Hill. … In more than 150 separate posts on X, starting before dawn on Wednesday, Mr. Musk demanded that Republicans back away from a bipartisan spending deal that was meant to avoid a government shutdown over Christmas.”

“Mr. Musk also shared misinformation about the bill, including false claims that it contained new aid for Ukraine or $3 billion in funds for a new stadium in Washington.”

“Space Force, Air Force Need More Money, Kendall Says,” Air & Space Forces Magazine

“Top Air Force and Space Force officials have increasingly warned in recent months that they cannot deliver capabilities vital to the nation’s security without a plus-up to their budgets. With a new president and Congress coming to Republicans are poised to take Congress and the White House in 2025, raising the prospects for increased defense spending—and the open-ended question of how much the Air Force or Space Force will get out of any potential increase.”

“Government Contractor KBR, Recently Hit by DOGE Fears, Draws Activist Investor,” Wall Street Journal

“Irenic has accumulated a more than 1% stake in [KBR] and plans to push management to spin off or sell its sustainable technology solutions segment, according to the people. That segment offers both the government and private sector services in areas including chemical processing and energy efficiency, according to KBR’s website.”

“How to Make the Drone Panic So Very Much Worse,” New York Times

“The weak and ineffective response of government authorities should serve as a lesson in exactly how not to handle such incidents in the digital age. Frustrated by a lack of clear information, citizen sleuths have been pointing lasers at unidentified objects in the sky, something the F.B.I. has taken to begging people not to do.”

“OPM delivers final rule on paid administrative leave, 8 years after law was passed,” FedNewsNetwork

“The Office of Personnel Management published a final rule this week on the 2016 Administrative Leave Act, capping how long federal employees can remain on administrative investigative leave to 10 days per year. … OPM said the yearslong delay on the final rule was due to “certain issues” arose in public comments on the proposed regulations in 2017.”