Why Trump's China Tariffs Won't Work
Plus: A listener asks whether or not Thomas Jefferson was right.
Government Spending
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.
These Reforms Would Simplify Our Messy Tax Code—and Level the Playing Field
The government currently collects revenue in an arbitrary and distortionary manner, with loopholes that benefit special groups.
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.
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.
Federal Energy Tax Credits Will Cost More Than $4 Trillion. Lawmakers Might Not Cut Them.
Republican members of Congress are lobbying to keep the Inflation Reduction Act's tax credits alive.
Will Jay Bhattacharya Get Gain-of-Function Research Under Control?
The past three administrations have tried and failed to implement binding regulations on risky research that likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
Don't Bail Out Farmers Again
Farmers will bear the brunt of Trump's trade war. That's a good reason to avoid tariffs in the first place, not an excuse for another bailout.
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."
Chuck Schumer Thinks Only Republicans Hate Paying Taxes
The Senate minority leader mocked anti-tax, anti-government views held by most Americans.
Invest in Education—Not the Department of Education
More education dollars are funding more bureaucrats, who, by and large, are not improving student outcomes.
Allies Cancel Orders of F-35s, the Fighter Jets That Will Cost $2 Trillion
The U.S., in turn, should cancel the F-35 program altogether.
The Cold War Broadcasting Apparatus Should Shut Down
Dissidents resisting authoritarian regimes should be independent of the United States—and so should their media sources.
How Pokémon Helps Explain DOGE
Musk's fans and critics will keep debating whether DOGE is revolutionizing government or wrecking important institutions.
Schumer's Big Break
Plus: Rate reductions, Apple encryption, the Mahmoud Khalil case, and more...
Report: California Continues To Spend a Lot of Money on Poor Quality Roads
North Carolina and Virginia have managed to keep quality up and costs down.
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.
Biden Rushed Out Billions for Green Energy Projects Before Trump Took Office
The outgoing administration shoveled out loans for projects that private lenders wouldn't fund.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Research Says Big Federal Grants to Local Governments Breed Corruption
DOGE may not just save money; it may encourage honesty.
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.
To Cut Government Spending, Trump Targets Pocket Change
The penny is expensive to produce and has long outlived its usefulness.
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.
Meaningful Pentagon Cuts Will Require Rethinking What 'Defense' Means
If Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is serious about reducing military spending, he will need to embrace a narrower understanding of national security.
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.
