10 Years and $3 Billion for a New Mail Truck?
Oshkosh Defense’s USPS van is thousands of dollars more expensive than the industry standard.
Government Waste
An Efficiency Commission Led by Elon Musk Would Be Good for the Government
The idea, proposed by former President Donald Trump, could curb waste and step in where our delinquent legislators are asleep on the job.
The Feds Think They Can Save 67 Lives for the Low, Low Price of $48 Million
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declares a crisis and issues new regulations.
Why Is the U.S. Military Buying Tinder Ads in Lebanon?
Uncle Sam is resorting to some unusual methods to support the Israeli war effort.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Used COVID Relief Money on Things That Had Nothing To Do With COVID
Minnesota used federal taxpayer dollars to cover state workers' parking costs, fund the Minnesota Zoo, and teach minority-owned businesses how to apply for government contracts.
Secret Service May Get Even More Money After Failing To Protect Trump
Government agencies are expensive, incompetent, and overreaching. The Secret Service is no exception.
Paris Spent $1.5 Billion Cleaning Poop Out of the Seine, and It's Still Too Dirty for Olympic Swimming
Athletes still can't swim in the Seine River after Paris wasted $1.5 billion trying to clean it for Olympic events.
The Best of Reason: Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?
Both parties—and the voters—are to blame for the national debt fiasco.
Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?
Both parties—and the voters—are to blame for the national debt fiasco.
Numb to the Numbers
The national debt has become an alarm bell ringing in the distance that people are pretending not to hear, especially in the city that caused the problem.
'Vast Majority' of Pandemic Employee Retention Credit Claims Are Likely Scams, Says IRS
Just the latest development in the continuing saga of COVID stimulus fraud.
Federal Budget Deficit Forecast Jumps $400 Billion, Fueled by Student Debt Forgiveness
The Congressional Budget Office reports the 2024 budget deficit will near $2 trillion.
Federally Funded Dad Jokes
Does America really need a National Strategic Dad Jokes Reserve?
Remy: Fortnight (Federal Employee Version)
A tale from the Tortured Public Servants Department.
No One Can Make Government Work
If businesses don't serve customers well, they go out of business. Government, on the other hand, is a monopoly.
Congress Does Not Come Back With a Warrant
Plus: A listener asks the editors for examples of tasks the government does well (yikes).
Poll: A Majority of Las Vegas Voters Don't Want To Pay for Athletics' New Stadium
The team's owner, John Fisher, may have overestimated Las Vegas residents' enthusiasm for a new baseball team.
Nearly $100 Billion in COVID Relief Money Remains Unspent
State governments have until the end of 2026 to spend the cash, even though Congress ended the COVID-19 emergency declaration last year.
How Michigan Lost $1 Million of Liquor
Sadly, not by drinking it—the government just lost a fifth of the state’s inventory.
Taxpayers Refuse To Pay New Stadium Expenses for Billionaire Sports Owners
Jackson County, Missouri, voted not to extend a sales tax that would have benefited the Chiefs and the Royals.
Taxpayers Will Soon Find Out if They'll Have To Finance Fancy Stadiums for the Chiefs and the Royals
Jackson County, Missouri, residents should not be billed for the undertakings of private businesses.
'Emergency' Spending Is Out of Control
Congress has authorized over $12 trillion in emergency spending over the past three decades.
The Best of Reason: After a Century, the Federal Tea Board Is Finally Dead
Imported tea was required for decades to pass a literal taste test before it could be sold in the United States.
The CCP Sucks. So Does Banning TikTok.
Plus: A listener asks about Republicans and Democrats monopolizing political power in the United States.
After a Century, the Federal Tea Board Is Finally Dead
Imported tea was required for decades to pass a literal taste test before it could be sold in the United States.
California's High-Speed Rail Needs Another $100 Billion. That's a Great Reason Not To Build It.
The whole project was supposed to cost $33 billion when it was initially proposed.
The Budget Deal Is Overflowing With $12 Billion of Earmarks
Why are federal taxpayers paying for upgrades at tiny rural airports, Thanksgiving Day parades, and enhancements for Alaskan king crabs?
Congress Wastes Billions With Bogus Emergency Declaration
And it isn't the first time.
The Federal Government Doesn't Know How Many of Its Buildings Contain Asbestos
A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds that two-thirds of government-owned buildings haven't been inspected for asbestos in at least five years.
If Semiconductor Chip Demand Is High, Why Do We Need More Subsidies?
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says more chip subsidies are needed, even before the Biden administration has distributed $52 billion or measured how effective that spending was.
Biden Announces New Plan To Forgive Student Debt in Cases of Financial 'Hardship'
The plan is the Biden administration's latest effort to enact large-scale student loan forgiveness.
Film Produced by Travis Kelce To Benefit From Green Energy Tax Credits
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 apportioned billions of dollars for green energy tax credits while also allowing them to be sold to other taxpayers.
Michigan Is Spending Millions Trying To Refurbish a Ski-Flying Hill. It's Not Working.
Copper Peak revitalization was pitched as an economic development project for the Upper Peninsula, which already has two working ski jumps.
Study Funded by Shell Convinced Pennsylvania To Give Shell $1.6 Billion Tax Break
The tax credits currently rank as the largest subsidy in state history.
California Stopped San Francisco's $1.7 Million Toilet. The City Can't Build Something Cheaper.
"Why isn't there a toilet here? I just don't get it. Nobody does," one resident told The New York Times last week. "It's yet another example of the city that can't."
St. Louis Schools Lost $260 Million to Economic Development Subsidies
According to a report from Good Jobs First, St. Louis' public schools took the brunt of the loss at nearly 65 percent of the total.
Homeless Encampments Cost These Cities Tens of Thousands of Dollars Per Tent
L.A., Portland, and other cities are spending millions to house homeless people in outdoor "safe sleeping" sites.
The Feds Shouldn't Subsidize Fancy, Risky Beach Houses
Government is "promoting bad behavior," says Sen. Rand Paul. He's right.
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.
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.
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.
G.M. To Lay Off 1,300 Michigan Workers Despite $824 Million in State Incentives
The bulk of the employees may be able to find work elsewhere within the company, but the state could still be on the hook for the promised cash.
