Voice of America staff being placed on indefinite leave with pay is a perplexing situation sparking a wide range of reactions. The decision seems counterintuitive; if the goal is to save money, why continue paying salaries without requiring work? Shutting down the agency entirely would appear more efficient, or alternatively, allowing staff to continue their duties would maintain some level of operational continuity. The current approach leaves many wondering about the underlying motives.
This indefinite leave with pay seems particularly puzzling considering previous attempts to reduce staff through buyouts were largely unsuccessful. It suggests the administration’s motivations extend beyond simply trimming budgets.… Continue reading
Despite Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claiming $105 billion in savings, February’s federal spending reached a record $603 billion, a 7% increase year-over-year. While some departments saw spending reductions, increases in areas like health and Social Security offset these gains. Critics argue that DOGE’s impact is negligible compared to the overall budget, and that more drastic measures are needed to address the soaring national debt. The House recently passed a stopgap funding bill with minor spending adjustments, leaving the long-term fiscal outlook uncertain.
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A WIRED investigation contradicts Elon Musk’s assertion that Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees receive zero compensation, revealing that several key figures earn six-figure salaries via the General Services Administration (GSA). These salaries, ranging from $120,500 to $195,200 annually, include those working on projects like dismantling USAID and restructuring the GSA. This contrasts sharply with DOGE’s initial recruitment claims and its now $40 million budget. The situation raises concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest given Musk’s substantial personal wealth and his companies’ history of receiving significant government funding.
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Analysis of the Trump administration’s contract cancellation program reveals that 417 of the 1,125 terminated contracts, totaling $478 million, are not expected to generate any cost savings due to pre-existing financial obligations. This is because funds were already committed for goods and services, rendering the cancellations ineffective. Experts criticize this “slash and burn” approach, arguing it could harm government operations and that alternative methods for achieving efficiencies exist. Despite the administration’s claim of over $7 billion in savings, independent assessments raise doubts about the accuracy of this figure.
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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has released a second batch of “receipts” detailing purported cost savings, but these also contain significant inaccuracies. Despite doubling the number of listed contracts to 2,299, the itemized savings dropped from $16.6 billion to $9.6 billion, while DOGE simultaneously claims total savings of $65 billion, a figure lacking supporting documentation for the vast majority of its claimed reductions. Numerous instances of double-counting, misreporting, and errors in the original $16.6 billion figure have been identified, raising serious concerns about the accuracy and reliability of DOGE’s reported savings. The discrepancies highlight the need for greater transparency and independent verification of these claimed cost-cutting measures.
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Analysis of data from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reveals that nearly 40% of the Trump administration’s canceled federal contracts, totaling 794, will not result in cost savings due to pre-existing financial obligations. This “slash and burn” approach, criticized for its lack of efficiency and potential harm to government agencies, contrasts with alternative methods of identifying cost-saving measures. Despite DOGE’s claim of $65 billion in savings from various cost-cutting measures, this figure remains unverified. The cancellations include contracts for various goods and services, some already fully paid, raising concerns about the program’s effectiveness.
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The Department of Homeland Security has launched a $200 million ad campaign, conceived by President Trump, to deter illegal immigration. Secretary Noem, featured in the ads, thanked Trump for his border security policies, fulfilling his request to run the ads domestically and internationally. The campaign uses strong language to warn undocumented immigrants of impending deportation, positioning itself as a counter-narrative to media coverage. These ads are running in multiple languages and countries.
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DOGE’s only public ledger, purportedly detailing massive government savings, is demonstrably flawed. The claimed savings, initially touted as a staggering $55 billion, are riddled with errors so significant that they cast serious doubt on the entire project’s credibility.
Many contracts listed as canceled or generating savings were, in reality, either double or triple-counted. This deliberate inflation of savings figures significantly undermines the project’s claim to fiscal responsibility.
Another significant error involved an initial calculation mistake that artificially inflated the total savings by billions of dollars. This fundamental accounting error raises serious questions about the competence, or perhaps the intentions, of those responsible for compiling the data.… Continue reading
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) erroneously reported $8 billion in savings from a canceled D&G Support Services contract with ICE, a figure later corrected to $8 million. This error, stemming from a database inaccuracy, is one of several inconsistencies found in DOGE’s $55 billion savings claim. DOGE has yet to publicly address these discrepancies, which include misrepresenting already-paid funds and pre-existing closures as cost savings. The inaccurate reporting has led to accusations of misrepresentation and “cooking the books.”
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Since resuming the presidency, Donald Trump has already spent $10.7 million in taxpayer funds on golf trips, a cost seemingly overlooked by his own “Department of Government Efficiency.” These expenses, projected to continue weekly, have not been flagged by Trump’s purported “waste, fraud, and abuse” investigators despite exceeding seven figures per trip. Critics argue this demonstrates a clear conflict of interest, as Trump profits from directing government spending to his own for-profit businesses. This practice, amounting to roughly one-third of his days in office spent at his own resorts, vastly surpasses the travel expenses incurred by his predecessor.
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Matt Underwood 
John Q. Hosedrinker