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.
Pentagon
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.
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.
This Congressman Wants the U.S. To Use Military Force Against Mexican Cartels
Like other authorizations for the use of military force—or AUMFs—it would be an unnecessary, unwise expansion of executive power.
America's Loose Ends in the Middle East
They say the U.S. is pivoting to other conflicts, but the Pentagon hasn't exactly left the Middle East and North Africa behind.
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 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.
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.
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.
Will America's Military Reckon with the Reckless Murders Perpetuated by Its Drone Wars?
A new, heavily investigated report shows a Pentagon uninterested in correcting its deadly errors.
Pentagon Admits to Accidentally Killing Civilians, Not Terrorists, in Kabul Drone Strike
Seven children were among the 10 killed.
After Toppling Al Qaeda, America Wasted a Staggering Amount of Money in Afghanistan
There will likely never be a full accounting of the war's cost, but as much as $600 billion might have simply vanished due to waste, fraud, and incompetence.
Kabul Attack Is a Vivid Reminder of Why America Should Leave Afghanistan ASAP
The Pentagon says 12 Americans were killed and 15 more wounded in a pair of suicide attacks near the Kabul airport. At least 60 Afghans died as well.
The Taliban Got Their Hands on American Military Gear Because We Invaded Afghanistan, Not Because We Withdrew
After a nearly 20-year occupation, this was one inevitable outcome.
We Will Keep Spending Trillions on the Afghanistan War Long After the Last Soldier Leaves
The final price tag could eventually exceed $6 trillion, and American taxpayers will be paying the tab when the 50th anniversary of 9/11 arrives.
Donald Rumsfeld, Architect of Disastrous 21st Century Foreign Policy, Dies at 88
Upon his passing, it's worth remembering how badly things can go when a man has such great power, even a man with elements of conventional decency.
RIP Mike Gravel, Unapologetic Opponent of War and Star of Absurdist Presidential Campaign Ads
A heterodox hero and committed antiwar activist, Gravel put the Pentagon Papers in the public record.
The Publication of the Pentagon Papers Still Sets an Example 50 Years Later
Whistleblowers and publishers are crucial for keeping government officials reasonably honest.
ACLU Study Finds Obama-Era Restrictions Failed To Slow Flow of Military Gear to Police
The study comes as House Democrats press to completely abolish the Pentagon program.
The Public Has No Real Way of Knowing How Many Troops Are Actually in Afghanistan
By playing with definitions, the military is able to keep more troops in Afghanistan than it publicly reports.
Trump Undermined Civilian Control of the Military. With His Pentagon Pick, Biden Has Too.
Civilian control over the military still matters.
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.
If Trump Ends Term by Pulling Troops Out of Afghanistan, That's Good for America
Let’s not let fears of “Trump loyalists” overshadow positive outcomes.
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...
Police Are Using $1.6 Billion in Surplus Military Gear Doled Out Since 9/11
That includes 1,114 armored personnel carriers.
The Space Force Has a Horse. Of Course.
The horses used to belong to the Air Force, which makes only slightly more sense.
Stop Blue Angel Flyovers Saluting COVID-19 Responders!
Empty displays of ritual militarism are always a waste of time, money, and goodwill, but especially during a pandemic.
As Pandemic Spending Rises, Pentagon Spending Needs Cuts
The coronavirus pandemic should certainly occasion more prudence at the Pentagon in strategy and spending alike.
Unable To Handle Criticism of Coronavirus Stimulus Waste, Trump Fires Another Watchdog
Glenn Fine was abruptly removed from his post without explanation.
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?
Trump Will Raid Pentagon's War on Terror Slush Fund To Build His Border Wall
The administration also plans to move $2.2 billion originally earmarked for purchasing vehicles, ships, and aircraft to cover wall construction costs.
America Dropped a Record Number of Bombs on Afghanistan Last Year
Civilian deaths are also on the rise, and it's increasingly obvious that there is no clear strategy for the U.S. to "win" its longest military conflict.
U.S. Troops Were Harmed by Iranian Attack. (We Still Shouldn't Go to War With Iran.)
Plus: encryption battles, the Nordic equality myth, and more...
Pentagon Memo Warns Against Identification Risks of Consumer Genetic Testing
That horse has left the barn.
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.
Trump Said Leaving Syria Was About Bringing Our Troops Home. Why Is He Sending Them to Iraq?
The mishandling of the Syrian withdrawal appears to have created less stability in Syria and considerably weakened Trump's ability to dictate foreign policy—a situation where actually bringing the troops home now seems even more farfetched.
Bringing Them Home? Trump Commits 1,800 More Troops to the Middle East
If Trump wants credit for ending wars in the Middle East, he'll have to actually reduce the number of Americans deployed there.
A New Front in Trump's War on Amazon
Plus: Thousands of troops leaving Afghanistan, TV networks sue streaming site Locust, Gabbard calls Harris response "pathetic," and more...
Defense Department Computer Network Among Top Sharers of Child Pornography
Plus: Florida legalizes vegetable gardens, Facebook bans anti-voting ads, and more...
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.
Here Are 3 Bad Reasons We're Still in Afghanistan
There is no military solution to be had. It's time to simply come home.
Pentagon Spent $4.6 Million on Lobster Tail and Crab in One Month
Chalk it up to use-it-or-lose-it spending.
Watch the CPAC Crowd Go Wild When Mike Pence Mentions 'Space Force'
Though a "U.S.A." chant didn't really seem to catch on.
Donald Trump's Libertarian Christmas?: Podcast
Reason editors' best and worst moments of 2018, including the president's welcome and long-overdue drawdown from Afghanistan
Bringing Troops Home From Syria and Afghanistan Also Brings Fits of Bipartisan Rage: Reason Roundup
Plus: United Nations goes to bat for Julian Assange and Slack censors chat with Iranians.
It Looks Like Trump Is About to Pull the U.S. Out of Afghanistan, Too
After announcing draw-down from Syria, the president may be seriously contemplating getting out of Afghanistan as well.