State Governments Promised Private Companies More than $10 Billion in Subsidies Last Year
The statistic, compiled by watchdog group Good Jobs First, only takes into account "megadeals" involving at least $50 million in subsidies.
Government Spending
Biden Administration Quietly Extended the Unnecessary COVID Bailout for States and Local Governments
Republican senators say the change is "mind-bending and deeply concerning."
Watchdog Report: USPS Still Failing To Secure Facility That Was Robbed Twice in 2023
A new inspector general report indicates that officials knew that the industrial park had been targeted in the past.
3 Economic Myths That Need To Die
As we step into 2024, it's crucial to adopt a more informed perspective on these dubious claims.
America Has Borrowed $1 Trillion Since the Start of Football Season
The federal government is borrowing money at a mind-spinning rate, and you can't blame it on the COVID-19 pandemic anymore.
Philadelphia Relies on Private Sector Chargers To Charge City-Owned E.V.s
Motorists complain about long lines at charging stations as civil servants queue up in city-owned electric vehicles.
Here's Why Charity Is Better at Solving Problems Than Government
Big government has been ruinous for millions of people. Charities aren't perfect, but they are much more efficient and effective.
Why a Huge Budget Deficit Might Be Good News for California
California is facing a projected deficit of $68 billion, a larger amount than the entire annual budget of the state of Florida.
How Biden Hobbled His Own Infrastructure Push
At nearly every turn, the infrastructure package opted for policies that limited supplies, hiked prices, added paperwork, and grew government.
All I Want for Christmas Is for Congress To Exercise Fiscal Restraint
Lawmakers can take small steps that are uncontroversial and bipartisan to jumpstart the fiscal stability process.
Welcome to the Hyperbole Factory
Plus: A listener asks the editors to consider the libertarian argument against shopping local.
Milei Begins Shock Therapy in Argentina
The self-described anarcho-capitalist president devalued the peso, halved government ministries, and announced a series of spending cuts.
Congress Renews Warrantless Digital Spying Program as Part of $886 Billion Spending Bill
Section 702 will continue until April, when Congress will have another shot at seriously reforming a program that desperately needs it.
Thomas Massie: Why Not Vote 'No'?
Congressman Thomas Massie discusses his "no" votes on foreign aid, COVID-19 relief, and labeling anti-Zionism antisemitism on episode two of Just Asking Questions.
Weapons for Christmas
Plus: Elon Musk's mom tells off the FCC, A24 tackles civil war, Nate Silver talks F.A. Hayek, and more...
The Media's Misleading Fearmongering Over Climate Change
"Over the last 20 years, because of temperature rises, we have seen about 116,000 more people die from heat. But 283,000 fewer people die from cold."
America Is Taking a High-Speed Train to Bankruptcy
Every dollar wasted on political pork, fraud, and poorly considered infrastructure makes the country’s fiscal situation even worse.
Congress Authorized $7.5 Billion for E.V. Chargers. After 2 Years, None Are Built.
More than $2 billion has been distributed, but only two states have even broken ground and most states haven't even submitted proposals.
Playing Chicken
Plus: University reckoning, climate-grief vasectomies, Chinese garlic, and more...
Even Hateful Protests Are Protected, Free Speech Group Reminds Congress
Respecting free speech defends individual rights and lets people show us who they are.
Congress Is Trying To Avoid Taking Responsibility for the Debt Crisis It Created
A fiscal commission might be a good idea, but it's also the ultimate expression of Congress' irresponsibility.
Charter Schools Get Less Funding but Achieve Similar Test Scores to Public Schools
Charter schools use "fewer dollars to achieve better outcomes," write University of Arkansas researchers.
Congress Admits It Has a Debt Problem, but Will It Do Anything?
Servicing debt grows more expensive as the deadline to curb the spending spree gets closer.
Pentagon Fails Sixth Audit in a Row
Though federal law has required annual financial reports, the Department of Defense simply did not complete them until 2018. It has since failed each year.
Florida's Bloated Prison System Will Cost Billions To Maintain
Florida's mandatory minimum sentences created a large, elderly prison population. Now the bill is coming due.
Full Extent of COVID Fraud Will 'Never Be Known With Certainty'
A new GAO report details federal prosecutors' attempts to put the horse back in the barn.
Here's One Way To Move Toward Responsible Government and Sane Fiscal Policy
The Copenhagen Consensus has long championed a cost-benefit approach for addressing the world's most critical environmental problems.
Government Gives Billions in Grants Each Year to Ivy League Universities
Some private universities receive more from the government than they net in tuition payments.
After Moody's Warning, Federal Officials Continue To Ignore Fiscal Reality
Moody's calculates that interest payments on the national debt will consume over a quarter of federal tax revenue by 2033, up from just 9 percent last year.
New Boss/Old Boss
Plus: Hamas and hospitals, Hamas and K-Mart, Randi Weingarten is very confused, and more...
The FBI Needs Downsizing, Not $3.5 Billion for a New Headquarters
Lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia fought over which state should house the new site rather than whether the bureau even needs so many agents.
Are Republicans Finally Getting Serious About Social Security?
This week's debate was the first signal that the party's next presidential nominee might actually understand the entitlement crisis.
The U.S. Needs a Fiscal Commission Because Congress Won't Do Its Job
In the last 50 years, when the budget process has been in place, Congress has managed only four times to pass a budget on time.
20 Years to Disaster
"The United States has about 20 years for corrective action after which no amount of future tax increases or spending cuts could avoid the government defaulting on its debt."
Battle Lines Drawn
Plus: House GOP defies White House on Israel funding, Gaza City surrounded, SBF guilty, Republican under indictment seeks reelection
House GOP Threatens To Kill 'Baby YIMBY Grant' Program After First Year
The Democrat-controlled Senate meanwhile is proposing to expand the program.
Biden Threatens To Veto GOP Spending Bill That Would 'Cut' Amtrak Funding to Double Pre-Pandemic Levels
Amtrak has historically received $2 billion in federal subsidies each year. Under Republicans' "draconian" cuts, they'd receive over $5 billion next year.
Escalation in Gaza
Plus: Everyone's favorite congressman survives another day, the Senate passes spending bills, New York City goes to war on tourism, and more...
Is Chaos the Natural State of Congress?
The federal budgeting process was broken long before Matt Gaetz and Kevin McCarthy's recent spat.
Spending Recklessly in Good Times Is a Recipe for Disaster in Bad Times
Years ago, when interest rates were low, calls for the federal government to exercise fiscal restraint were dismissed. That was unwise.
87% of Americans Want Politicians To Do Something Before Social Security Runs Out of Money
Entitlement reform has long been considered a third rail in American politics, but that perspective might be changing.
Taking From IRS, Giving to Israel
Plus: Massive union wins, abortion rebrands, Silvio Berlusconi's nude-art collection, and more...
Biden Wants Another $56 Billion in 'Emergency' Spending
Congress is being asked to borrow more money to fund broadband access and other pet projects. Only about $9 billion would be spent on natural disaster recovery efforts.
Federal Agencies Maintain Offices That Sit Mostly Empty
A new Government Accountability Office report notes that of 24 federal agencies, none of their headquarters are more than half-staffed on an average day.
New Speaker Mike Johnson's First Good Idea: A Debt Commission
A debt commission won't solve any of the federal government's fiscal problems, but it's the first step towards taking them seriously.
You Can't Fix Him (the IRS)
Plus: Tanks in Gaza, quitting the DSA, Gen Z hates a sex scene, and more...
Democrats Say They're Fighting Inequality. But Many of Their Policies Favor the Rich.
Over the last several years, they have worked nonstop to ease the tax burden of their high-income constituents.