I write about federal #acquisition, #travel, and #aviation and edit Washington Horizon.
"The New York gaming commission’s facility location board said visitation would be anchored by locals within a two-hour drive, but they also expect the casinos to attract domestic and international tourists." https://skift.com/2025/12/15/nyc-casino-approval-tourism-impact/
"The changes at WC Smith come as the development community continues to face challenges. Office occupancies for Class B and C space remain low, and the interest rate climate has made it difficult to refinance maturing debt." https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2025/12/12/rahsaan-bernard-wc-smith-building-bridges.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=ae&utm_content=WA&j=43049863&senddate=2025-12-15&utm_term=ep16&empos=p16
"The ultrawealthy are able to buy and sell shares of the buzziest private companies via invite-only transactions long before they list their shares on public stock exchanges." https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/private-stock-market-growth-bb71bde1?st=JUe87n
"Specifically, it would appear that the 13-year-old jet with the registration code D-ABYD is leaving the fleet in January 2026, while the 12-year-old jet with the registration code D-ABYG is leaving the fleet in the third quarter of 2026." https://onemileatatime.com/news/lufthansa-sells-boeing-747/
Reagan negotiated from strength after building up US power and rejected détente; today’s defense posture and China/Russia concessions don’t match that playbook. https://www.wsj.com/opinion/pete-hegseths-zombie-reaganism-20d6129f?mod=hp_opin_pos_1
Kyle "then lays it all out in the world’s dumbest blind item, telling us she fell very hard for 'this person' and was deeply in love during a vulnerable time in her life. She acknowledges that they were dating, that it was a relationship, and that there were intense feelings." https://www.vulture.com/article/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-season-recap-season-15-episode-2-bravo.html
#Oracle blasts #press releases with great #numbers in the head. The reality is less clear. https://washingtonhorizon.com/whats-happening-at-oracle-really/
In announcing #State's return to Times New Roman as its default #font, a new memo does the most with the least. https://washingtonhorizon.com/whats-new-is-old-at-state-times-new-roman-is-back/
In Wedneda's cutting-room, Musk’s DOGE ended early after overstated savings; 26k rehired amid fallout. Army warns of foreign spy recruitment targeting soldiers and families. FAA gives $10k to 776 staff who kept skies safe during shutdown. https://washingtonhorizon.com/horizon-cutting-room-links-wednesday-26-november-2025/
GAO backs the VA’s literal reading of bed‑width MTRs and upholds the exclusion of a bidder whose products failed tape‑measure inspection. https://washingtonhorizon.com/joerns-healthcare-llc-b-423455-2-b-423455-3-b-423455-4/
GAO backs the Air Force’s holistic past‑performance assessment and cost‑conscious tradeoff in an MQ‑9 trainer award. https://washingtonhorizon.com/sofis-trg-llc-b-423667/
SBIR firm lacks standing to challenge Army's $43,342 DocuSign purchase through mandatory CHESS program without demonstrating connection to prior research. https://washingtonhorizon.com/inkit-inc-b-423724/
Musk’s DOGE is gone, but its shadow lingers and new reports of its fall emrege. Power has shifted to OMB and institutional channels—quieter tactics, same goals. https://washingtonhorizon.com/doge-after-musk-more-mess/
In Monday's cutting-room links: Event‑driven CPARS coming?, right‑to‑repair IP clash, smarter USA Hire assessments, and FAA’s Venezuela no‑fly notice. Watch impacts on performance records, lifecycle data, talent funnels, and flight plans. https://washingtonhorizon.com/horizon-cutting-room-links-monday-24-november-2025/
Navy's petroleum facility contract survives protest over key personnel experience requirements after agency changed criteria from mandatory to desired. https://washingtonhorizon.com/environet-inc-b-423470-2/
GAO denies Vox Optima's reconsideration request, affirming that GSA Schedule procurements require only brief explanations rather than formal debriefings and that protesters must challenge intervening offers to maintain interested party status. https://washingtonhorizon.com/vox-optima-llc-reconsideration-b-423661-3/
GAO denies Resource Management's protest over Navy IT support contract, ruling that agencies may properly include indefinite surge requirements when calculating whether proposals meet mandatory small business subcontracting thresholds. https://washingtonhorizon.com/resource-management-concepts-inc-b-423503-2-b-423503-4/
GAO denies ASR International's protest of Army quality assurance contract, finding the agency properly evaluated technical proposals using minimum rating criteria as a floor rather than a mandate and reasonably assessed the awardee's pricing. https://washingtonhorizon.com/asr-international-corporation-b-423594-b-423594-2/
GAO denies Advanced Computer Learning's challenge to Navy's evaluation of past performance references, finding the agency reasonably assessed relevance through #aggregation and properly supported its best value selection of lower-priced Linchpin Solutions. https://washingtonhorizon.com/advanced-computer-learning-company-llc-b-423267-2/