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.
DOGE
Trump Embraces Mamdani Socialism as 'Practical'
Plus: DOGE is disbanded, Trump attempts to influence the Warner Bros. merger, and Democrats tell the military to reject illegal orders
A Dirge for DOGE
The Department of Government Efficiency didn't accomplish much. We still have cause to mourn its official closure.
DOGE Effect Finally Felt
Plus: Academic standards in crisis, everything's television, and more...
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.
Before Trump Had Elon Musk, Nixon Had Howard Phillips
Nixon's director of the Office of Economic Opportunity set out to shrink government, mostly failed, and was gone in less than a year. Sound familiar?
Congress Spent At Least $27,500 on Poster Displays in 2 Months. Here Are 4 Ridiculous Examples and 1 Good One.
It's a drop in the bucket compared to the national debt, but any wasteful government spending should be eliminated.
The Texas Floods Were a Natural Disaster, Not a Policy Disaster
There's no evidence that cuts to the National Weather Service impacted the response to the weekend's tragic flash floods.
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.
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful' Military Parade Is a Big, Ugly Waste of Millions of Dollars
Most Americans, it turns out, do not think it is a good use of taxpayer money, according to a recent poll.
Put the Libertarians Back in Charge
The libertarians aren't in charge. But the lesson of the last decade of politics is that they should be.
The 5 Worst Green Energy Projects Funded by Biden
From financing eminent domain abuses in Tennessee to climate-friendly ketchup, the Biden administration approved billions of dollars in wasteful spending.
Another Divorce for Trump
Plus: A cynical take on Zohran Mamdani, Florida's drinking water threatened, and more...
DOGE's Newly Listed 'Regulatory Savings' for Businesses Have Nothing to Do With Cutting Federal Spending
DOGE says regulatory changes will save $29.4 billion, but that does not amount to a reduction in government outlays, the initiative's ostensible target.
Will Trump's Regulatory Reforms Do Enough To Unleash Nuclear Energy?
The good parts of his executive order could easily get mired in the swamp.
Eisenhower Warned Us About the 'Scientific Elite'
The Trump administration's plans to slash science funding could end up liberating researchers from the corrupting influence Dwight Eisenhower warned about.
What Did We Learn From DOGE?
Plus: A listener asks which domestic policy changes could realistically boost U.S. manufacturing without raising costs for consumers.
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.
Do These Libertarians Regret Voting for Donald Trump?
Three libertarians—Dave Smith, J.D. Tuccille, and Liz Wolfe—revisit their reluctant votes for Trump, weighing the promises, chaos, and consequences of his second term so far.
Elon Musk Discovers That Serious Spending Cuts Are 'Really Difficult'
As he shifts his focus away from DOGE, he acknowledges the need for hard choices and congressional action.
Can the President Refuse To Spend Money Authorized by Congress?
Impoundment, line-item vetoes, and the tricky problem of cutting spending through the executive branch
Trump Says His Budget Proposal Will End the 'Green New Scam'
The budget proposal calls for gutting federal energy funding and environmental justice initiatives.
DOGE Has Been a Smashing Success
When compared to the most likely alternatives, DOGE has cut as much government as one could hope for.
The Intelligence Community's AI Revolution
The feds are rapidly deploying artificial intelligence across spy agencies. What could go wrong?
Even by Elon Musk's Own Demonstrably Unreliable Estimation, DOGE Will Fall Far Short of His Target
The cost cutter's current projection of annual "savings" is 85 percent lower than the goal he set two months ago—and even that number can't be trusted.
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.
Trump Is Giving Everyone What They Want In the Dumbest Way Possible
Dynamists, protectionists, hawks, and doves are seeing their policy goals realized in the most bungling and incompetent fashion imaginable.
Brown University Targets Student Journalist for Emailing Administrators
Brown is violating its code of conduct, which guarantees community members’ right to petition the university.
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.
The 'Meritocracy' Lie
Two months after he was inaugurated, Trump has smashed many of the government's silly DEI rules. But he hasn't created a new age of meritocracy.
Deportation Standoff
Plus: Rehiring federal workers, using Signal to orchestrate bombing the Houthis, and more...
Pesky Judges
Courts stop DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration data and prevent Homeland Security from deporting Georgetown fellow Badar Khan Suri.
One Federal Clause Allows DOGE To Cancel Contracts at Will
The Federal Acquisition Regulation requires the right for the government to terminate any federal contract "for convenience."
Kelsey Piper: A Reasonable Approach to AI
Vox's Kelsey Piper joins the show to discuss the drastic differences between the Biden and Trump administrations on AI—and what it all means for the future of humanity.
Back to Work
Plus: Who's in charge of DOGE, protests over Israel's renewed assault on Gaza, and a tribute to the life of Manuel Klausner.
How Pokémon Helps Explain DOGE
Musk's fans and critics will keep debating whether DOGE is revolutionizing government or wrecking important institutions.
TSA Screeners' Union Sues the Trump Administration for Violating Its First Amendment Rights
Passengers suing the TSA for First Amendment violations have had a rough time in court.
Elon Musk, Who Promised To Be 'Maximally Transparent,' Makes DOGE's Numbers Even Harder To Check
The cost-cutting initiative's calculation of "estimated savings" is mostly mysterious, and the parts we know about are riddled with errors.
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.
Everything's Computer
Plus: "Is any criticism of the government a deportable offense?" and more...
Trump Declares Tesla Vandals 'Domestic Terrorists'
It's far from the first case of terrorism inflation.
Congress and DOGE Can Find Spending Cuts at the Department of Defense
The U.S. can defend itself at a lot less expense.
Republicans May Regret Undermining Judicial Independence
Threats to impeach federal judges who rule against the government are a naked attack on their constitutionally crucial function.
DOGE Isn't Exempt From FOIA Requests, Judge Rules
The judge found that the agency's "unusual secrecy" and "substantial authority" make it subject to public record laws.
