Horizon cutting-room links: Wednesday, 27 August 2025

"Federal Employment in D.C. Metro Falls to Lowest Level Since Great Recession," Washington Business Journal

The DC metro is experiencing a sharp decline in federal employment, reaching its lowest level since the Great Recession, primarily due to extensive job cuts initiated by the Trump administration. With further reductions on the horizon, local leaders express concern about a potential talent exodus and budget shortfalls.

• Federal jobs in the Washington metropolitan statistical area have fallen to 359,800 as of 1 July 2025, marking a nearly 5 percent decrease since 1 January 2025, and the first drop below 360,000 since May 2009.
• The ongoing job cuts extend beyond federal employment, with a reported 17,300 fewer professional services jobs in the region, particularly in the government contracting sector, which is typically a buffer during federal job reductions.
• Local leaders emphasize the need for strategic collaboration among business organizations and jurisdictions to diversify the economy and retain talent in light of rising living costs and potential outmigration of skilled workers.

Jason Miller: "CIO’s Exit Highlights NIH’s Ongoing Problems With IT Organization," Federal News Network

The recent departure of NIH’s CIO, Adele Merritt, after only nine months, underscores persistent challenges within NIH's IT structure. Merritt's exit, coupled with the retirement of Jeff Shilling from the National Cancer Institute, raises questions about the effectiveness of NIH's organizational changes and the difficulties faced by CIOs in a fragmented IT environment.

• Adele Merritt's resignation after nine months highlights ongoing difficulties within NIH's IT organization, with criticisms about the CIO's role being subordinate to the director of the Center for IT, undermining effective leadership.
• NIH's unique structure, with 32 different CIOs across 27 centers, complicates cohesive IT management, contrasting with other DOD agencies that have consolidated under a single CIO, which increases operational challenges.
• Despite promises from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to reduce the number of CIOs and streamline IT functions across the agency, no concrete steps have been taken to implement these changes, leaving NIH's IT leadership in a precarious position.

"Air Force seeks fivefold funding hike for mobile base defense tech," Air & Space Forces Magazine

The Air Force is requesting $836 million for fiscal year 2026 to bolster mobile base defense systems against drone and missile threats. This funding request comes in the context of recent geopolitical tensions and a notable increase in drone activity.

• The proposed funding represents a fivefold increase for Air Base Air Defense Systems (ABADS), driven by recent congressional funding initiatives and the Pentagon's efforts to counter increasing drone and missile threats from adversaries, particularly in light of Ukraine's recent drone attacks.
• The Air Force plans to procure two types of defense technologies—the Small Unmanned Aircraft Defense System (SUADS) for counter-drone measures and a missile defense variant of ABADS that utilizes advanced surveillance systems to detect incoming threats.
• Experts have praised the funding increase as overdue, stressing the importance of air base defense amid growing vulnerabilities, but there are concerns about the effectiveness of nonkinetic methods in neutralizing incoming threats effectively.