The Attack on Iran Is Unlawful
Trump's attack on Iran plainly violates the War Powers Act. Limits on executive power are most important when they are inconvenient.
Pentagon
Parades Are Great, but We Shouldn't Venerate the Military
America’s founders were deeply suspicious of a standing army.
Gavin Newsom Defends Federalism Against Trump's Unilateral National Guard Deployment
In a federal lawsuit, California's governor argues that the president's assertion of control over "the State's militia" is illegal and unconstitutional.
The Pentagon Is Getting $150 Billion From the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Giving the Defense Department even more taxpayer money is a recipe for waste, not security.
Trump's New Budget Is Another Blueprint for Big Spending
We don't need more of the same. We need evidence of a serious turnaround.
Trump Wants To Increase Military Spending by $113 Billion
The president wants to develop the F-47 fighter jet 60 years before the F-35 is scheduled to retire.
Pete Hegseth's Carelessness and Dishonesty Mirror Hillary Clinton's
The defense secretary, who shared information about imminent U.S. air strikes in a manifestly insecure group chat, thought Clinton should be prosecuted for her careless handling of sensitive information.
It's Not Journalists' Job To Protect Government Secrets
With the controversy over the leaked White House group chat, mainstream media have been treating secrecy as a virtue and disclosure as a vice. That’s a dangerous game.
If You Want To Cut Government Spending, You Can't Ignore the Pentagon
Since Congress began requiring annual audits in 2018, the Department of Defense has never passed.
Meaningful Pentagon Cuts Will Require Rethinking What 'Defense' Means
If Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is serious about reducing military spending, he will need to embrace a narrower understanding of national security.
The Best of Reason: The Pentagon Keeps Losing Equipment and Buying Stuff It Doesn't Need
How the U.S. military busts its budget on wasteful, careless, and unnecessary "self-licking ice cream cones."
Neocons Wage a Rearguard Action Against Trump's Middle East Peace Drive
Trump wants to negotiate instead of bombing Iran. Jilted war hawks are blaming his advisers.
Hegseth on Defense
Plus: Who's on deck for the next round of confirmation hearings, Trump wants to create a second IRS, Cuba is no longer doing terrorism, and more...
Hegseth Faces the Senate
Plus: L.A.'s price gouging crackdown, more Rachel Maddow in your life, and more...
The Pentagon Keeps Losing Equipment and Buying Stuff It Doesn't Need
How the U.S. military busts its budget on wasteful, careless, and unnecessary 'self-licking ice cream cones.'
Pentagon Fails 7th Audit in a Row but Hopes To Pass by 2028
Congress required all federal agencies to submit annual financial reports in 1990. The Pentagon finally got around to complying in 2018, and it still hasn't passed an audit.
The Math Does Not Favor Avoiding Senate Scrutiny of Trump's Bizarre Cabinet Picks
Several Republican senators have said they are not inclined to abdicate their "advice and consent" role in presidential appointments.
How Donald Trump and Elon Musk Could Cut $2 Trillion in Government Spending
If Musk is truly serious about fiscal discipline, he'll advise the president-elect to eschew many of the policies he promised on the campaign trail.
Pentagon Paid Nearly 8,000 Percent Markup on Boeing's Bathroom Soap Dispenser
The Air Force paid nearly $150,000 above market value for airplane bathroom fixtures, a Department of Defense watchdog found.
Can the U.S. Government Tell Chinese People Apart?
Drone maker DJI claims the Pentagon has unfairly smeared it as an arm of the Chinese military based on a mix-up of Chinese names.
Why Is the U.S. Military Buying Tinder Ads in Lebanon?
Uncle Sam is resorting to some unusual methods to support the Israeli war effort.
Floating Failure
Plus: Taiwan heats up, Robert Moses and Rockaway Beach, CBDCs, and more...
U.S. Defense Spending Continues To Spiral Out of Control
Increased spending does not automatically equate to higher quality—something that is often lost in this debate.
Will American Troops Be Sucked Into an Israeli-Iranian War?
President Biden said that we will “do all we can to protect Israel’s security” after Israel killed an Iranian general.
The Government Doesn't Want You To See the Unused Space Force Logos
It took the Air Force four years to release redacted records of its quest to create spiffy new uniforms for the newest branch of the military.
The Air Force's New Nuclear Missile System Will Now Cost $131.5 Billion
It's just one reason the program should likely be terminated altogether.
David Stockman: Trump's War on Capitalism and Freedom
Reagan's former budget director says Donald Trump killed prosperity—and the GOP's core beliefs in capitalism and freedom.
Congress Renews Warrantless Digital Spying Program as Part of $886 Billion Spending Bill
Section 702 will continue until April, when Congress will have another shot at seriously reforming a program that desperately needs it.
Pentagon Fails Sixth Audit in a Row
Though federal law has required annual financial reports, the Department of Defense simply did not complete them until 2018. It has since failed each year.
Why Are American Troops Still in Iraq and Syria?
Our troops are just sitting there with targets on their backs. Why?
Darkest Hours
Plus: Pentagon abortion policy, renouncing DSA membership, AI chatbot problems, and more...
Hunter Biden Gets Caught in America's Double War on Drugs and Guns
Plus: A listener asks for the editors’ advice on how to spend his money.
Ukraine's Sluggish Counteroffensive Raises Questions About U.S. Support
Should the U.S. continue to bankroll the counteroffensive?
When Our Weapons Go Missing
Washington is doing a poor job of monitoring whether the weapons it sends to Ukraine are ending up in the right hands.
RIP Daniel Ellsberg, Who Told the World the Truth About the Vietnam War
The Pentagon Papers leaker risked prison to reveal that American military officials were lying to Congress and the public about Vietnam. He died today at age 92.
Socialism Is Bad for the Environment
"All the time we hear socialists say, 'Next time, we'll get it right.' How many next times do you get?"
Did the Pentagon Just Make a $3 Billion Accounting Error—or Did It Do Something Even Worse?
The Pentagon’s “accounting error” will allow President Joe Biden to send an extra $3 billion in military aid to Ukraine without congressional approval. Was this deliberate?
Of Course Washington and Moscow Are Fighting a Proxy War
That doesn't mean Russia is right. It means we're being honest about how much the U.S. is involved.
Is Clarence Thomas Ethically Challenged?
Plus: What the editors hate most about the IRS and tax day
U.S. Intelligence Leak Suspect Identified as 21-Year-Old Jack Teixeira
Plus: More secrecy from the Global Disinformation Index, the public awaits another big Supreme Court abortion decision, and more...
Leaker of Ukraine Intelligence Was Reportedly a Gun Enthusiast Trying To Impress His Discord Friends
Plus: New developments in the Texas abortion drug ruling, fallout from the Riley Gaines event at SFSU, and more...
Pentagon Leak Reveals 14 U.S. Troops in Ukraine
While escalation is not inevitable, it’s still a risk having any U.S. boots on the ground.
Recent Airstrikes Are Our Periodic Reminder That We're Fighting a War in Syria
Four years after IS was officially defeated, the U.S. continues to keep hundreds of troops in Syria to fight the vanquished terrorist group.
Pentagon Experts Don't Trust Young Men With Guns, Red Bull
Plus: FBI director says COVID's origins "are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan," Supreme Court justices seem skeptical of student loan forgiveness, and more...
Why Is It So Hard for Congress To End a War?
Lawmakers are once again trying to reclaim their war powers through AUMF repeal.
North America's UFO Weekend
Plus: States move to curtail internet anonymity, Amsterdam cracks down on cannabis, sex, and booze, and more...
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.
