Mike Pompeo Says He 'Grew Up Libertarian'
These days, he may run for president. His politics have changed.
Defense Spending
By Shooting Down Balloon, the Expensive, Useless F-22 Fighter Finally Won a Dogfight
After $67 billion and more than 20 years, the F-22 finally won a dogfight against an unarmed, nearly immobile opponent.
Are We Making Any Progress on Police Brutality?
Plus: The editors consider the ongoing debt ceiling drama and answer a listener question about ending the war on drugs.
If Republicans Want To Cut Spending, They Should Start With the Pentagon
Sen. Rand Paul says Republicans "have to give up the sacred cow" of military spending in order to make a deal that will address the debt ceiling and balance the budget.
The GOP's Current Plan To Cut Spending Is a Political Failure
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are still the chief drivers of our future debt. But Republicans aren't touching them.
Pentagon Can't Account for $220 Billion of Gear Given to Contractors
The actual total is probably higher according to the Government Accountability Office's new report.
Will We Get Private Flying Cars Before the Pentagon Manages To Get This New Jet Off the Ground?
A Swedish company will soon be delivering electric single-person aircraft that can take off and land vertically, which the F-35B struggles with despite billions in funding.
The GOP Split on Ukraine Aid Isn't Really About Ukraine
For most aid critics, the urge to cut off Kyiv appears unconnected to any sort of principled realism, non-interventionism, or even isolationism.
This Military Spending Bill Will Make Puerto Rico's Next Hurricane Disaster Even Worse
The maritime industry inserted some protectionism into the National Defense Authorization Act.
Why Does Funding Government Take $1.7 Trillion and 4,000 Pages?
Plus: Title 42 order termination is on hold, the FTC vs. Meta, and more...
The Annual, Depressing 'Do Your Job Week' in Congress
Plus: The editors extend the discussion on the lack of immigration reform in this week’s bill.
Biden Is Set To Sign $858 Billion Pentagon Budget—One of the Biggest Ever
Plus: North Carolina strikes down voter ID law, more turmoil at Twitter, and more...
The Space Force Is an Expensive Farce
Why does the newest branch of the U.S. military need horses?
Air Force One Cost Overruns Are a Reminder of How Expensive an Imperial Presidency Can Be
Boeing reports that the two new presidential shuttles its building will now be $2 billion over budget.
Jon Stewart Accuses GOP of 'Cruelty' for Wanting Minor Amendments to Pricey Veterans' Bill
Senate Republicans have raised reasonable objections that legislation covering veterans' health conditions linked to toxic burn pits will allow for more spending on unrelated items.
The Army Thinks Printers Cost Over $1 Million
Poor accounting practices mean the Department of Defense can't even tell how much money or equipment it has lost.
Biden Says the Deficit Is Falling. Actually, It's Rising.
Under Biden, Trump, and Obama, government federal spending almost doubled.
Burn Pit Bill Creates Massive, Debt-Fueled Backdoor Expansion of the V.A. Health Care System
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans wouldn't have to show any link between their service and a long list of medical conditions to obtain government-funded healthcare.
The World Is Back on a War Footing and We'll All Pay the Price
Mourn the end of a too-brief interlude of relative peace and prosperity.
The $1.7 Trillion F-35 Fighter Jet Program Is About To Get More Expensive
GAO: Congress has been buying planes that lack crucial parts and haven't undergone full testing, so costly upgrades will eventually be needed.
The Defense Budget Keeps Ballooning To Fund Fleeting U.S. Primacy
The proposed defense budget reaches $813 billion, and politicians still can’t think critically about how to spend it.
Biden Is Trying To Pass a Wealth Tax—Again. It Could Be Unconstitutional.
The president's new budget plan calls on Congress to tax wealthy Americans' unrealized capital gains.
More Defense Spending Does Not Equal More Safety
Congress continues to allocate funds to produce weapons that the Pentagon itself says it doesn't need.
Congress Spends More on Defense Than the Next 10 Countries Combined
We can't afford to keep funding defense contractors' cost overruns.
House Votes To Make Your Daughters Eligible for the Military Draft
With minimal debate, Selective Service was doubled in a "must-pass" $778 billion defense bill.
On Memorial Day, Remember Skepticism Toward a Large, Standing Military
Thank the troops, but question the uses to which they’re put.
Does America Need To Be Involved in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
Neither side needs military aid funded by U.S. taxpayers.
The U.S.-China Relationship Doesn't Have To Be 'Increasingly Adversarial'
Many U.S. complaints about China aren’t about actions that threaten U.S. security.
Lindsey Graham Says Trump Will Sign Spending Bill if It Takes Aim at Section 230
Plus: One in seven NYC chain stores closed, Columbus officers turned off body cams before fatal shooting, and more....
Sneaking Section 230 Reform Into the Defense Bill Is a Terrible Idea
Plus: Bar food police strike in New York, study finds COVID-19 circulating in the U.S. last December, and more...
Pentagon Fails Another Audit, Will Likely Get Budget Increase From Congress Anyway
Auditors now say the military may be able to pass an audit before the end of the next decade, so at least that's something.
America Is Drowning in Pandemic Debt, but Congress Still Wants To Buy the Pentagon New Toys
If we can't trim the Pentagon's budget this year, will we ever?
Pentagon Uses Pandemic Response Cash To Pay Defense Contractors for More War Toys
Plus: House votes to keep funding the government, DHS recalls intelligence reports, Jeff Bezos is starting a preschool, and more...
Senate Republicans' $1 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill Includes Billions for New Fighter Jets, Attack Helicopters, and Missiles
Much of the military spending in the GOP's HEALS Act replaces funding that was redirected to pay for Trump's border wall.
The National Debt Is 'Unsustainable' and the Pentagon's Finances Are a Total Mess, Federal Audit Says
"Absent policy changes, the federal government continues to face an unsustainable long-term fiscal path," America's top auditor warns. But is anyone listening?
Republicans, Democrats Agree to Dump $738 Billion More Into the Forever War and Space Force
Plus: Tulsi Gabbard's new Afghanistan bill, SCOTUS rejects abortion case, and more...
America's Forgotten Debt
Neither party is serious about reining in spending. This is unsustainable.
Pentagon's Second Audit Identifies 1,300 New Problems
Despite the failure, Pentagon officials are spinning the audit as a step in the right direction.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw Claims We Have a 'Very Cost-Effective, Small Footprint' in the Middle East
He's wrong on both counts.
The Pentagon Budget Battle Is a Distraction
An ever-growing military budget is yet another illustration of the GOP's abandonment of small-government principles. And Democrats aren't any better.
Republicans and Democrats Spar Over Whether Defense Spending Should Increase by $20 Billion or $30 Billion
The depressing bipartisan consensus on ever-increasing defense spending shows no sign of breaking down anytime soon.
Making It Easier for Military Spouses To Get Occupational Licenses Could Help All Workers
State-level licensing laws can make it nearly impossible for workers to move from place to place, and that's a particular problem for military spouses. This bipartisan proposal could be a step towards fixing it.
Good News, Ladies! The Military-Industrial Complex Is Ours Now!
No one wants to consider if casually blowing things up is a good idea in the first place.
Mitch McConnell Touts Wild Spending Bills as 'Bipartisan' Accomplishments
Should the Senate majority leader really be celebrating more reckless spending?
Space Force: The Real Loser From Yesterday's Election Results?
If the Space Force goes down before it ever got up on its feet, that's probably for the best.
NASA Administrator: We Need a Space Force to Save Energy Grid From 'Existential Threat'
Is another bureaucracy really going to solve the problem?
Trump Signs $82 Billion Spending Boost for Pentagon
"It was not very hard" to get the spending bill through Congress, Trump said. And he's definitely right about that.
