Cool Presidents: Puzzle #82
"Cone-bearing tree"
Politics
DOGE Begins Publishing Data After Transparency Complaints
After Elon Musk promised "maximum transparency," the DOGE's website posted organizational charts of federal agencies and statistics on the federal work force.
The War on Bureaucracy
Plus: Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, padlocked playgrounds, and more...
Brickbats: March 2025
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
Sean McMeekin: Don't Whitewash the History of Communism
Historian Sean McMeekin dissects how communism has enduring and resurgent appeal in the West despite its history of violence and economic disaster.
Elon's 'Daily Proctology Exam'
Plus: Vance's AI speech, bubble boy playgrounds, Delaware antagonizes founders, and more...
Trump's Empty and Expensive Plan To Build 250 Statues of 'American Heroes'
The president's planned National Garden of American Heroes might be a nice idea, but it would be extremely costly—and unnecessary.
'All Hell Is Going To Break Out' in Israel
Plus: OpenAI vs. Musk, Eric Adams corruption charges dropped, and more...
Will Trump and the New GOP Congress Get to the Bottom of COVID-19's Origin?
It's a good sign that the president is calling on critics of the federal government's lack of transparency to staff his administration.
California Teachers Make 6 Figures on Average. Now They Demand More.
Plus: Steel and aluminum tariffs, Venezuelan sanctions and deportations, and more...
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Troubled waters, a Declaration of War, and some batty paperwork.
Will Elon Musk Cut as Much Government as Al Gore Did?
In the early 1990s, Bill Clinton's administration set out to "reinvent" government. What can the mercurial Tesla CEO learn from their efforts?
Has DOGE Already Lost Its Way?
Much cutting. Very waste. But the Department of Government Efficiency might not have the legal and budgetary chops to actually reduce spending.
Trump Is Flat-Out Lying About the 60 Minutes Interview With Harris
The full transcript shows the president's complaints about the editing of the interview are not just wildly hyperbolic and legally groundless. They are demonstrably false.
The Freakout Over 'Big Balls' and DOGE
Plus: NYC trans medicine protest, airplane collision (again), and more...
CIA Analyst Martin Gurri on Trump, Chaos, and Optimism
In a post–2024 election conversation, Gurri discussed his vote for Donald Trump and why he is cautiously optimistic about the next four years.
Riviera of the Middle East
Plus: Federal buyouts, puberty blockers at the Supreme Court, and more...
Libertarian Party Gets New National Chair After Angela McArdle's Surprise Resignation
The Mises Caucus hold over the party cracks as its founder Michael Heise loses in a 9-6 vote to Steven Nekhaila.
Is DOGE a 'Constitutional Crisis'?
Plus: USAID and Education Department cuts, tariff deal reached, and more...
FBI Nominee Kash Patel, Who Vowed To 'Come After' Trump's Enemies, Disclaims 'Retributive Actions'
At his confirmation hearing, the president's pick to run the nation's leading law enforcement agency ran away from his record as a MAGA zealot.
Lawmakers Back Trump's Push To Regain Control of the Panama Canal
Retaking the canal won’t protect national security.
Trump's Deportation Plan Is About Numbers, Not Safety
Once everyone is a priority, no particular group, including criminals, is singled out for enforcement.
California's Rationalist-Linked Death Cult
Plus: Air traffic control failures that led to a plane crash, "why shit not working" in New York City, and more...
California's Wildfires Exposed Failings of the State's Leadership
The potential risks from a major wildfire have been well known for years, but there was little appetite to solve those problems before disaster struck.
