Horizon cutting-room links: Wednesday, 9 April 2025

The Horizon has covered the stalled DC budget fix, a new Virginia-class submarine, and HHS’s dismantling of its small business office, among other stories. Your Wednesday cutting-room links follow.

“Supreme Court halts lower court order to rehire at six agencies,” Roll Call**

“In an unsigned 7-2 order, the justices wrote that the national nonprofits who brought the case — and served as the basis of the nationwide injunction to reinstate federal employees — likely did not have the legal right to bring the case. The ruling means the Trump administration can keep the employees fired from half a dozen agencies, including the Agriculture Department, Defense Department and Veterans Affairs Department, while the case plays out before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

“A federal judge in Maryland, in a separate challenge to the firings, has ordered the administration to keep fired federal workers from 19 states and the District of Columbia on paid administrative leave while that case plays out. That order is still in effect.”

“Washington worries Trump could bail out Zuckerberg,” Politico

As the historic antitrust trial against Meta approaches, concerns rise in Washington that President Trump’s newfound alliance with CEO Mark Zuckerberg could lead to a last-minute intervention to derail the case. Trump recently fired the FTC's Democratic commissioners, giving the remaining GOP leadership unprecedented power to influence decisions regarding the trial, raising alarms over potential political interference in antitrust enforcement.

“The US needs ‘weapons in space,’ SPACECOM head says,” Defense One

The head of SPACECOM emphasizes the urgent need for the U.S. to develop "weapons in space" amidst a proposed defense budget increase to $1 trillion, highlighting the Pentagon's commitment to strengthening military capabilities despite ongoing budget constraints. The Pentagon has recently faced backlash for the dismissal of Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, a senior officer, which has raised concerns over political loyalty tests within military leadership.

“Another local USAID contractor goes out of business,” Washington Business Journal

DevWorks International, a Bethesda-based federal contractor for USAID, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after financial distress linked to halted foreign aid under the Trump administration, marking at least the second local USAID contractor to cease operations amid significant layoffs in the sector. DevWorks reported having over $3.3 million in assets primarily tied to unpaid work, while its bankruptcy filing revealed it owed $2.3 million in liabilities, with Catholic Relief Services as its largest creditor.

“F/A-XX could be the Navy’s last piloted fighter, bring greater range,” Defense News

The Navy's upcoming sixth-generation F/A-XX fighter may be its last manned aircraft, incorporating advanced technologies like artificial intelligence to enhance operational capabilities and range, potentially allowing it to fly over 2 percent farther than current fighters. Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly emphasized that the F/A-XX will enable the Navy to operate more effectively in contested environments, marking a significant shift towards integrating crewed and uncrewed platforms by the 2040s.