Why DOGE Mattered
It didn't meaningfully cut spending or reduce the size of government, but the DOGE project proved that politicians shouldn't be scared of doing those things.
Budget
'Emergency' Has Become Washington's Favorite Loophole. It's Cost Taxpayers $15 Trillion.
Over the last decade, roughly one in every 10 dollars of budget authority has worn an emergency tag.
This College Dropout Thinks His AI Startup Can Do What Elon Musk Couldn't: Expose Fraud
Alex Shieh, creator of Bloat@Brown, co-founded the Antifraud Company to investigate and publicize corporate fraud in critical government programs.
After All Those DOGE Cuts, Federal Spending Still Increased by $300 Billion
For the fiscal year that ended on September 30, the federal government spent more than $7 trillion and ran a $1.8 trillion deficit.
White House Proposal To Withhold Back Pay From Federal Workers Is More Rhetoric Than Reform
A new White House budget memo frames shutdown furlough pay withholdings as fiscal restraint, but the budgetary impact is minimal—the greater effect may be expanding executive control over the federal bureaucracy.
Trump To Cancel Biden-Era Green Energy Grants, but Only for Blue States
The president would be justified in wanting to rescind all state grants. Instead, he's apparently letting states that voted for him keep the cash.
The White House Just Defunded a Federal Watchdog
The decision to close two federal watchdog agencies has drawn criticism from a pair of Republican senators.
Could This Be the Best Government Shutdown Ever?
Take your opportunities for smaller government where you find them.
Here's What Would Happen If We Seized All the Wealth From America's 800 Billionaires
Don't comfort yourself with wishful thinking that millionaires and billionaires could take the entire burden of the deficit off our hands.
Trump's $4.9 Billion 'Pocket Rescission' Violates Federal Law and Usurps Congressional Authority
Congress holds the power of the purse in our system of government, and further eroding congressional responsibility for spending decisions will not end well.
Brandon Johnson's Chicago Is a Preview of Zohran Mamdani's New York
Big city mayors' progressive ambitions are on a collision course with fiscal reality.
Keep Government Funding—and Political Meddling—Far Away From Olympic Athletes
Plus: Congress might blow up the pro sports business model, and Las Vegas is struggling
Audit Finds $400 Million in Questionable Lease Spending After Maryland's Governor Bragged About Savings
A costly lease for the Maryland Department of Health, along with other findings in a state audit, raises questions about the millions in savings touted by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
A Social Security Bailout Would Cost Younger Workers $157,000 in Higher Taxes
To keep Social Security solvent without cutting benefits would require a massive hike in payroll taxes, which would fall entirely on working Americans.
The Rescission Bill Reveals How Difficult It Is To Get Congress To Make Even Tiny Spending Cuts
The bill, which could pass the Senate on Wednesday, would trim 13 cents from every $100 of federal spending.
3 of the Worst Examples of Military Spending in the 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
It spends $34 billion to subsidize shipbuilding, supply chains, and drone technology.
The $4 Trillion 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Breaks the Bank and Violates Congress' Own Budget Rules
This is what Washington calls compromise: The House proposes $1, the Senate proposes $2, and somehow, the government ends up spending $3.
Senate Votes 99–1 To Remove AI Moratorium from 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
Now nearly 100 state AI laws will remain in force—and nearly 1,000 more are already waiting in the wings.
Extending the Trump Tax Cuts Is a Good Idea. But It Won't Deliver 'Big, Beautiful' Economic Growth.
The budget legislation is full of other expensive provisions that will add trillions to our sky-high national debt.
Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Would Boost Subsidies for Rich Farmers
Subsidies inherently skew the market, and farm subsidies are no different.
Belated Republican Objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill Glide Over Its Blatant Fiscal Irresponsibility
House members who discovered objectionable elements only after voting for the package nevertheless underline the unseemly haste of the legislative process.
Buyer's Remorse
Plus: Harvey Milk was kind of libertarian, deporting Zohran, public schools shy away from transparency, and more...
It's Rand Paul and Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump Over the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Paul said he refuses to support "maintaining Biden spending levels," and Musk said the Trump-backed tax bill is "a disgusting abomination."
Elon Musk Is Right. The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Is a Bad Deal.
Musk's opinion about the bill matters, since he is one of the few people in conservative politics who can get away with defying Trump.
How Does the National Debt Affect You? A Budget Expert Explains.
Higher debt means lower wages, higher interest rates, and fewer opportunities, says Romina Boccia of the Cato Institute.
The GOP Budget Is Big, Bloated, B.S.
Plus: A listener asks if the economic inequality data is bad.
Biden's Cancer
Plus: That big, beautiful bill; Romanian election results; China's pivot to nuclear; and more...
Why DOGE Failed
Elon Musk promised $2 trillion in cuts but delivered only a tiny portion of that total. We asked seven policy experts to explain what he got wrong.
New York's Biggest Budget Doubles Down on the Mistakes Driving People Out
Lawmakers passed the largest spending plan in state history, pushing costs higher without delivering results.
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 Says His Budget Proposal Will End the 'Green New Scam'
The budget proposal calls for gutting federal energy funding and environmental justice initiatives.
Trump's Budget Calls for $17 Billion Cut to NIH, Citing Lax Oversight of Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan
The White House budget plan says the agency's failure to prove it was not complicit in a possible lab leak shows it's "too big and unfocused."
Feds Borrowed $1.3 Trillion in the First 6 Months of This Fiscal Year
That's the highest total outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now Congress wants to borrow even more.
'Liberation Day' Tariffs Will Liberate People—From Their Income
Lower-income families who spend the largest shares of their income on goods—and who have been badly hurt from the recent inflation—will likely suffer the most.
Gold Tops $3,000
Despite efforts to rein in government debt, gold prices keep rising—suggesting investors aren’t buying the promises of fiscal responsibility.
Why We Don't Need the Department of Education
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether a Kamala Harris presidency would have been preferable.
The House's Budget Bill Cuts Earmarks, but Spending Will Be Going Up Anyway
Every cut helps, but that's not where the money is.
Congress and DOGE Can Find Spending Cuts at the Department of Defense
The U.S. can defend itself at a lot less expense.
Yes, Cutting Government Waste Is Important
Entitlements are a much bigger expense, but that doesn't mean the waste doesn't matter.
Trump Promised a Balanced Budget. Don't Believe It.
It's great to have presidents talking about the need for a balanced budget, but Republicans are backing a plan that will increase borrowing.
Trump Promised To Lower Prices. Will Congress Help Him Deliver?
At the current rate of inflation, the dollar will lose 33 cents of purchasing power within a decade.
The House GOP Budget Blueprint Promises More Borrowing, More Debt, and Not Enough Spending Cuts
"If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better," says Rep. Thomas Massie. He's right.
The New Republican Budget Plan Is Unserious
It tries to offset as much as $4.8 trillion—mostly for tax cut extensions—with only $1.5 trillion in supposed spending reductions.
Rand Paul Wants DOGE To Build a $500 Billion Rescission Package for Congress To Approve
"The only way you get less waste is to give them less money to spend," says the libertarian-adjacent senator from Kentucky.
DOGE Is Good. It's Not Enough.
Even if the Department of Government Efficiency eliminates all improper payments and fraud, we'll still be facing a debt explosion—which requires structural reform.
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?
