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.
DOGE
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.
It's Trump's Economy Now
Plus: A listener asks the editors to discuss the pros and cons of homeownership.
The IRS Bleeds
Plus: Ceasefire talks, J.D. Vance as the future of the GOP, the government's war on treehouses, and more...
The FCC and Its Private Taxman Go to Court
FCC v. Consumers’ Research could dismantle a massive slush fund run by unelected regulators and industry insiders.
Possible Travel Bans Coming
Plus: The Trump administration's American dream revisionism, 50 theses on DOGE, what people get wrong about extreme MAGA, and more...
Medicare Deserves Attention From DOGE and Congress
Reform could replace an unsustainable boondoggle with lower costs, more freedom, and better care.
Yes, Cutting Government Waste Is Important
Entitlements are a much bigger expense, but that doesn't mean the waste doesn't matter.
Contrary to What Trump Said, Even DOGE Does Not Claim To Have Identified 'Hundreds of Billions' in Fraud
The president's assertion is divorced from reality, and so are the "estimated savings" touted by Elon Musk.
DOGE and Congress Should Take a Chainsaw to Corporate Welfare
Handouts to corporations distort the market, breed corruption, and politicize the economy.
The Best Part of Trump's Speech Was the List of Spending Cuts
If only they were as big as the list of new spending.
The 'Montana Miracle' Vindicated in Court
On Monday, a Montana judge roundly rejected homeowners' legal challenge to new laws allowing duplexes and accessory dwelling units in single-family areas.
DOGE Goes Deep State
A smaller government with a more powerful set of unaccountable executive officials is unlikely to be much of a win for liberty.
Hey DOGE: If You Want To Make Yourself Useful, Kill the Federal Energy Loan Program
The federal government has no business being a bank.
DOGE and Congress Should Look Hard at Reforming Social Security
Means-test Social Security, raise the retirement age, and let us invest our own money.
How Would Milton Friedman Do DOGE?
If the Department of Government Efficiency goes about this the wrong way, we could be left with both a presidency on steroids and no meaningful reduction in government.
Trump Admin Argues DOGE Is Exempt From Records Requests in FOIA Lawsuit
Elon Musk promised "maximum transparency," but that apparently doesn't include Freedom of Information requests to DOGE.
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.
Interest Rates Are Falling—Thank Government Spending Cuts for That
Cuts to government spending mean fewer bonds, lower borrowing costs, and potentially a break for borrowers.
No One Cares When Presidential Advisers Want Bigger Government
Elon Musk's vague White House role is only controversial because he's trying to slash bureaucracy.
Elon Musk, Who Supposedly Is Running DOGE, Is Not Officially in Charge of Anything
The presidential adviser's lack of formal authority complicates his cost-cutting mission.
Fresh Starts on Starter Homes
Lawmakers in Arizona and California are attempting to overcome local resistance to meaningful starter home reforms.
Mandate to DOGE
Plus: Romanian democracy, FEMA's insane policies, Maher on trans kids, and more...
Are Democrats Actually in Disarray?
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether it makes sense for a country to have a sovereign wealth fund.
What Did You Do Last Week?
Plus: German elections, how I almost got arrested this weekend, and more...
Research Says Big Federal Grants to Local Governments Breed Corruption
DOGE may not just save money; it may encourage honesty.
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.
Americans Say Government Is Corrupt and Inefficient but Are Lukewarm About DOGE
Democrats seem willing to tolerate a lot to get a larger government, but Republicans aren’t much better.
Randy Barnett: How Legal Is Trump's Agenda?
Georgetown constitutional law professor Randy Barnett discusses the legality of DOGE, Trump's executive orders, and birthright citizenship.
It's Time for a Flat Tax
America’s tax system is already highly progressive. A simpler, flatter structure would be fairer, raise more revenue, and fuel economic growth.
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.
Social Security's Insolvency Is Driven by Benefits for the Living, Not Fraud by the Dead
Elon Musk claims to have uncovered massive fraud within Social Security, but those data are already well known and not a major problem.
DOGE's Complicated Story
Plus: When FOIA stops working, how the pandemic shifted young people to the right, and more...
Justin Amash on Why the President Isn't Above the Law
Plus: A listener asks the editors to guess if the real reason Donald Trump is so passionate about tariffs is because he sees them as a deal-making tool rather than a purely economic instrument.
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.
DOGE Can't Slash Government Without Congress
The federal leviathan can’t be dismantled by executive action alone. To truly cut spending and rein in the bureaucracy, the administration needs buy-in from the branch that built it.
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.
Trump May Have To Grapple with Returning Inflation
Cutting government spending and calling off the trade war would be steps in the right direction.
Elon Musk's 'Proof' of Government Waste Is in the Pudding
Is the fraud in the room with us right now? Yes.
The Disappointing Results of Trump's 'Deferred Resignation' Plan Are Part of a Pattern
Elon Musk, the president's cost-cutting czar, has a habit of overpromising and underdelivering.
