The Trump Administration Begins 'Substantial' Layoffs of Federal Workers
Civil servants are normally temporarily furloughed during shutdowns. The White House insists the current funding lapse empowers them to permanently fire workers.
Bureaucracy
The Economy Doesn't Need Federal Jobs Data To Function
There are plenty of private alternatives to the employment report put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Review: A Godzilla Movie About Bureaucracy
In Shin Godzilla, scientists must cut through red tape to save Tokyo.
Alcohol Escapes a Government Crackdown—for Now
A quiet push to declare “no safe level” of drinking has officially fizzled.
The Trump Administration Misses Key Deadlines for Imposing Restrictions on Gain-of-Function Research
Biosafety advocates worry the administration is backtracking on its promise to implement meaningful restrictions on the type of research that likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
Department of Veterans Affairs
In 16 Years, the V.A. Turned This $450 Million Hospital Project Into a $1.6 Billion Boondoggle
What began as a simple hospital project has become yet another example of bureaucratic failure at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Lawmakers Want To Shield Kids From AI Chatbots. But Restricting Them Could Cut Off a Mental Health Lifeline.
Crackdowns on AI chatbots over perceived risks to children's safety could ultimately put more children at risk.
The Nearly Free Markets of Guatemala
Guatemalans don't wait for the government's permission. They build their own markets through voluntary exchange.
The ACLU Says a New York Official Violated the NRA's First Amendment Rights. They Still Can't Sue Her.
A federal court concluded the official was entitled to qualified immunity in a case that united two unlikely allies.
Why Does the Government Run Air Traffic Control?
Air traffic control is simply too important to leave up to the politicians.
The Freedom of Information Act Is Failing Due to Government Bloat
In FY 2024, over 200,000 Freedom of Information Act requests were backlogged, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Feds Try To Bankrupt a Moving Company for Hiring Strong, Young Movers
Nobody complained about the company, so federal bureaucrats launched their own crusade.
Federal Judge to Trump on FTC Commissioner Firing: No, You Can't Fire Whomever You Want
The ruling upholds protections afforded to officers of the "quasi legislative or quasi judicial agencies" created by Congress.
Federal Officials Won't Admit the Real Reason for Ditching the TSA's Shoe Rule
The widely resented and ridiculed policy, which the U.S. was nearly alone in enforcing, never made much sense.
Will Trump Actually Close the Education Department?
Plus: Cuomo has a hard time taking no for an answer, a pro-party manifesto, Trump's about-face on Ukraine, and more...
Trump Walks Back Talk of Abolishing FEMA
After criticizing the agency for being ineffective for months, the Trump administration now plans to reform it to supplement state disaster response efforts.
Bill Kristol Is Alarmed That a President Would Ship Accused Foreign Enemies to an Overseas Prison
The hawkish defender of Guantanamo Bay and the post-9/11 security state worries President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is threatening civil liberties.
DMV Officials Issued Driver's Licenses for Cash. Why Will REAL ID Be Any Different?
Bureaucratic requirements impose burdens only on people not inclined to break the law.
With Environmental Regulatory Reform, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Finally Does Something Substantial
Without Newsom's efforts, major reforms to California's stifling environmental laws would have died on the vine.
Why Do Republicans Support the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit?
Publicly funded homes in some cities are costing taxpayers more than $1 million per unit, but Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” would increase funding for these inefficient projects.
If Brendan Carr Cares About Free Speech, He Should Make These Changes at the FCC
Now is the perfect time for the FCC to change its precedent to comply with the First Amendment.
Some Federal Agencies Are Actually Getting More Efficient
Downsizing pushed the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to adopt tech solutions that it could have tried years ago.
What Happens if the Department of Education Goes Away?
Most of what the department does would likely stick around, for better or for worse.
Courts Are Quietly Taking Over the Internet
The next generation of online platforms is being shaped less by engineers and entrepreneurs and more by regulators and courts—and they’re very bad at it.
Andor Is a Star Wars Show About the Brutality of Bureaucracy
Tony Gilroy's series reminds us that an empire doesn't need dark magic to be evil.
The Federal Government's 175,000 Pages of Regulations Turn the Rule of Law Into a Cruel Joke
Trump rightly decries the "absurd and unjust" consequences of proliferating regulatory crimes.
How Florida Law Makes Gator Encounters More Dangerous
Protections apply even when the animal is on your property and getting closer.
Is REAL ID Actually Happening?
The law was passed 20 years ago, and enforcement finally looms.
The Paperwork Reduction Act Created a Paperwork Explosion
A law meant to simplify government forms now blocks commonsense improvements, wastes taxpayer money, and slows life-saving services.
Milton Friedman's Warning to DOGE
The Nobel Prize-winning economist says the Iron Triangle of Politics must be defeated to cut down the government for good.
Gavin Newsom Should Work on Governing Rather Than Podcasting
California once was the state where a visionary might start up a gee-whiz concept in a garage. Now bureaucrats and powerful unions would crush that concept in its infancy.
Invest in Education—Not the Department of Education
More education dollars are funding more bureaucrats, who, by and large, are not improving student outcomes.
The Cold War Broadcasting Apparatus Should Shut Down
Dissidents resisting authoritarian regimes should be independent of the United States—and so should their media sources.
How Pokémon Helps Explain DOGE
Musk's fans and critics will keep debating whether DOGE is revolutionizing government or wrecking important institutions.
Passport Applicants May Have To Affirm That They Are 'Not Required To Register' As Sex Offenders
The proposed State Department policy would add to the irrational burdens that registrants face.
Government Goons Destroy Tree House
The owner of a beloved neighborhood structure spent years—and thousands of dollars—trying to comply with L.A. bureaucrats’ demands.
America Is Beating Europe
A popular narrative says Europeans are better off because of increased regulation. Reality paints a different picture.
Jail Time for Cheap Rides?
D.C.'s bureaucracy violates independent drivers' economic liberty.
Trump Administration Moves To Streamline Environmental Reviews
From forest restoration to energy infrastructure, NEPA delays projects that would benefit the economy and environment.
What Did You Do Last Week?
Plus: German elections, how I almost got arrested this weekend, and more...
RIP to Government Acronyms
One perk that may materialize from Elon Musk upending the federal bureaucracy is the downfall of the government’s obsessive use of abbreviations.
The Sunny Side of Donald Trump's Power Grabs
The president is positioning himself to have much greater control over a smaller, enfeebled federal bureaucracy.
In DOGE Lawsuit, Judge Declines To Block White House Emailing Federal Employees
Citing Reddit posts and podcast interviews, pseudonymous government employees are arguing that DOGE violated federal privacy regulations when setting up a government-wide email system.
Bad To Worse
From insurance to affordable housing mandates, California's regulatory noose tightens over wildfire rebuilding efforts.
The 5 Worst Things About the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The agency—an unelected regulator with a blank check—has spent much of its short life making things harder for the consumers it set out to protect.
DOGE Needs Data To Survive. These Lawsuits Are Trying To Starve It of Information.
Nearly a dozen lawsuits allege that DOGE's access to government payment and personnel systems violates a litany of federal privacy and record-handling laws.
I Tried To Fix Government Tech for Years. I'm Fed Up.
Maybe DOGE will succeed where the U.S. Digital Service (mostly) failed.
