Floating Failure
Plus: Taiwan heats up, Robert Moses and Rockaway Beach, CBDCs, and more...
Pentagon
U.S. Defense Spending Continues To Spiral Out of Control
Increased spending does not automatically equate to higher quality—something that is often lost in this debate.
Will American Troops Be Sucked Into an Israeli-Iranian War?
President Biden said that we will “do all we can to protect Israel’s security” after Israel killed an Iranian general.
The Government Doesn't Want You To See the Unused Space Force Logos
It took the Air Force four years to release redacted records of its quest to create spiffy new uniforms for the newest branch of the military.
The Air Force's New Nuclear Missile System Will Now Cost $131.5 Billion
It's just one reason the program should likely be terminated altogether.
David Stockman: Trump's War on Capitalism and Freedom
Reagan's former budget director says Donald Trump killed prosperity—and the GOP's core beliefs in capitalism and freedom.
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.
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.
Why Are American Troops Still in Iraq and Syria?
Our troops are just sitting there with targets on their backs. Why?
Darkest Hours
Plus: Pentagon abortion policy, renouncing DSA membership, AI chatbot problems, and more...
Hunter Biden Gets Caught in America's Double War on Drugs and Guns
Plus: A listener asks for the editors’ advice on how to spend his money.
Ukraine's Sluggish Counteroffensive Raises Questions About U.S. Support
Should the U.S. continue to bankroll the counteroffensive?
When Our Weapons Go Missing
Washington is doing a poor job of monitoring whether the weapons it sends to Ukraine are ending up in the right hands.
RIP Daniel Ellsberg, Who Told the World the Truth About the Vietnam War
The Pentagon Papers leaker risked prison to reveal that American military officials were lying to Congress and the public about Vietnam. He died today at age 92.
Socialism Is Bad for the Environment
"All the time we hear socialists say, 'Next time, we'll get it right.' How many next times do you get?"
Did the Pentagon Just Make a $3 Billion Accounting Error—or Did It Do Something Even Worse?
The Pentagon’s “accounting error” will allow President Joe Biden to send an extra $3 billion in military aid to Ukraine without congressional approval. Was this deliberate?
Of Course Washington and Moscow Are Fighting a Proxy War
That doesn't mean Russia is right. It means we're being honest about how much the U.S. is involved.
Is Clarence Thomas Ethically Challenged?
Plus: What the editors hate most about the IRS and tax day
U.S. Intelligence Leak Suspect Identified as 21-Year-Old Jack Teixeira
Plus: More secrecy from the Global Disinformation Index, the public awaits another big Supreme Court abortion decision, and more...
Leaker of Ukraine Intelligence Was Reportedly a Gun Enthusiast Trying To Impress His Discord Friends
Plus: New developments in the Texas abortion drug ruling, fallout from the Riley Gaines event at SFSU, and more...
Pentagon Leak Reveals 14 U.S. Troops in Ukraine
While escalation is not inevitable, it’s still a risk having any U.S. boots on the ground.
Recent Airstrikes Are Our Periodic Reminder That We're Fighting a War in Syria
Four years after IS was officially defeated, the U.S. continues to keep hundreds of troops in Syria to fight the vanquished terrorist group.
Pentagon Experts Don't Trust Young Men With Guns, Red Bull
Plus: FBI director says COVID's origins "are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan," Supreme Court justices seem skeptical of student loan forgiveness, and more...
Why Is It So Hard for Congress To End a War?
Lawmakers are once again trying to reclaim their war powers through AUMF repeal.
North America's UFO Weekend
Plus: States move to curtail internet anonymity, Amsterdam cracks down on cannabis, sex, and booze, and more...
By Shooting Down Balloon, the Expensive, Useless F-22 Fighter Finally Won a Dogfight
After $67 billion and more than 20 years, the F-22 finally won a dogfight against an unarmed, nearly immobile opponent.
Are We Making Any Progress on Police Brutality?
Plus: The editors consider the ongoing debt ceiling drama and answer a listener question about ending the war on drugs.
If Republicans Want To Cut Spending, They Should Start With the Pentagon
Sen. Rand Paul says Republicans "have to give up the sacred cow" of military spending in order to make a deal that will address the debt ceiling and balance the budget.
Pentagon Can't Account for $220 Billion of Gear Given to Contractors
The actual total is probably higher according to the Government Accountability Office's new report.
This Congressman Wants the U.S. To Use Military Force Against Mexican Cartels
Like other authorizations for the use of military force—or AUMFs—it would be an unnecessary, unwise expansion of executive power.
America's Loose Ends in the Middle East
They say the U.S. is pivoting to other conflicts, but the Pentagon hasn't exactly left the Middle East and North Africa behind.
Biden Is Set To Sign $858 Billion Pentagon Budget—One of the Biggest Ever
Plus: North Carolina strikes down voter ID law, more turmoil at Twitter, and more...
The Army Thinks Printers Cost Over $1 Million
Poor accounting practices mean the Department of Defense can't even tell how much money or equipment it has lost.
The $1.7 Trillion F-35 Fighter Jet Program Is About To Get More Expensive
GAO: Congress has been buying planes that lack crucial parts and haven't undergone full testing, so costly upgrades will eventually be needed.
More Defense Spending Does Not Equal More Safety
Congress continues to allocate funds to produce weapons that the Pentagon itself says it doesn't need.
Will America's Military Reckon with the Reckless Murders Perpetuated by Its Drone Wars?
A new, heavily investigated report shows a Pentagon uninterested in correcting its deadly errors.
Pentagon Admits to Accidentally Killing Civilians, Not Terrorists, in Kabul Drone Strike
Seven children were among the 10 killed.
After Toppling Al Qaeda, America Wasted a Staggering Amount of Money in Afghanistan
There will likely never be a full accounting of the war's cost, but as much as $600 billion might have simply vanished due to waste, fraud, and incompetence.
Kabul Attack Is a Vivid Reminder of Why America Should Leave Afghanistan ASAP
The Pentagon says 12 Americans were killed and 15 more wounded in a pair of suicide attacks near the Kabul airport. At least 60 Afghans died as well.
The Taliban Got Their Hands on American Military Gear Because We Invaded Afghanistan, Not Because We Withdrew
After a nearly 20-year occupation, this was one inevitable outcome.
We Will Keep Spending Trillions on the Afghanistan War Long After the Last Soldier Leaves
The final price tag could eventually exceed $6 trillion, and American taxpayers will be paying the tab when the 50th anniversary of 9/11 arrives.
Donald Rumsfeld, Architect of Disastrous 21st Century Foreign Policy, Dies at 88
Upon his passing, it's worth remembering how badly things can go when a man has such great power, even a man with elements of conventional decency.
RIP Mike Gravel, Unapologetic Opponent of War and Star of Absurdist Presidential Campaign Ads
A heterodox hero and committed antiwar activist, Gravel put the Pentagon Papers in the public record.
The Publication of the Pentagon Papers Still Sets an Example 50 Years Later
Whistleblowers and publishers are crucial for keeping government officials reasonably honest.
ACLU Study Finds Obama-Era Restrictions Failed To Slow Flow of Military Gear to Police
The study comes as House Democrats press to completely abolish the Pentagon program.
The Public Has No Real Way of Knowing How Many Troops Are Actually in Afghanistan
By playing with definitions, the military is able to keep more troops in Afghanistan than it publicly reports.
Trump Undermined Civilian Control of the Military. With His Pentagon Pick, Biden Has Too.
Civilian control over the military still matters.
Pentagon Fails Another Audit, Will Likely Get Budget Increase From Congress Anyway
Auditors now say the military may be able to pass an audit before the end of the next decade, so at least that's something.
