Budgets

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer listens as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Chuck Schumer Is the Weakest Link Chuck Schumer Is the Weakest Link

The Senate minority leader wants to make sure everyone else is fighting for democracy—so he’s not at risk.

Mar 21, 2025 / Jeet Heer

President-elect Donald Trump with Elon Musk at a launch of a test flight of the SpaceX rocket in Brownsville, Texas.

Science Fiction Predicted the Rise of the Tech Bro Oligarchy Science Fiction Predicted the Rise of the Tech Bro Oligarchy

The racist tinge to Elon Musk’s hacking of the government eerily reflects cyberpunk's vision of the future—especially the science fiction coming out of South Africa.

Mar 19, 2025 / Juan Cole

President Donald Trump and White House senior adviser, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sit in a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Trump’s Economics—and America’s Economy Trump’s Economics—and America’s Economy

You can’t make America great again by wrecking the government.

Mar 19, 2025 / James K. Galbraith

Trump Took Over the Kennedy Center, but Silencing the Arts Will Not Be So Easy

Trump Took Over the Kennedy Center, but Silencing the Arts Will Not Be So Easy Trump Took Over the Kennedy Center, but Silencing the Arts Will Not Be So Easy

Our last best hope for sharing, shaping, and wrangling over independent ideas may turn out to be America’s scrappy and disparate arts spaces—if they can hang on financially.

Mar 18, 2025 / Alisa Solomon

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to a crowd gathered in front of the US Treasury Department in protest of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency on February 4, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Chuck Schumer’s Flight-Over-Fight Instinct Is Leaving Democrats in the Lurch Chuck Schumer’s Flight-Over-Fight Instinct Is Leaving Democrats in the Lurch

The Senate minority leader appears to think the way to resist the Trump administration is by voting for the GOP’s spending bill.

Mar 14, 2025 / Chris Lehmann

Person walking by a store. A sign readers

How Trump Plans to Manipulate US Economic Data to Gaslight the Public How Trump Plans to Manipulate US Economic Data to Gaslight the Public

The president and his GOP cronies want to tamper with government statistics and use deceptive budget gimmicks to lie about the impact of their massive tax and budget cuts.

Mar 10, 2025 / Sam Gustin

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol on March 4, 2025, in Washington, DC. Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson applaud behind him.

With Boasts, Threats, and Lies, Trump Proves He’s Always in Campaign Mode With Boasts, Threats, and Lies, Trump Proves He’s Always in Campaign Mode

The president understands that politics never stops. Democrats should do the same.

Mar 5, 2025 / Jeet Heer

Depraved Tyrant

Depraved Tyrant Depraved Tyrant

Your money and your life.

Feb 28, 2025 / Steve Brodner

A protester holds a poster with an image of Elon Musk that reads “I Am Stealing From You” at the US Department of Education in Washington, DC, on February 14, 2025.

Why Hasn’t Trump Already Closed the Department of Education? Why Hasn’t Trump Already Closed the Department of Education?

Maybe because its support for students is popular with Republicans as well as Democrats. And because cutting that funding would blow a big hole in the budgets of red states.

Feb 21, 2025 / Jack Schneider

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump appear during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on February 11, 2025

DOGE Is a Massive Scam—Even on Its Own Terms DOGE Is a Massive Scam—Even on Its Own Terms

Even if you believe that Musk is trying to root out waste and fraud (and you really shouldn't), he and his dweeby hatchet bros are only making things more corrupt and expensive.

Feb 18, 2025 / Chris Lehmann

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