DOGE

The MinnPost Festival will take place on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Key speakers include Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who will address voting system changes, Nicholas Enrich discussing his experience with USAID’s dismantling, and Jim Walsh performing a live Mad Ripple Hootenanny built around protest songs. Tickets are available for purchase now.

A Government Accountability Office report concluded that the Department of Government Efficiency failed to substantiate most of the billions in savings it claimed. This lack of evidence was attributed to unverified methods and pre-existing contract terminations used by the department.

Over a year after Elon Musk left the government, it remains unclear who was in DOGE and whether they understood ethics rules. The government watchdog has not been able to identify all individuals who worked for DOGE.

The U.S. national debt reached $39.5 trillion in June, with President Trump accused of adding $2.2–2.3 trillion annually to the debt. Tech investor Jason Calacanis labeled Trump the 'worst-spending president in history,' citing broken campaign promises to reduce the debt. The debt now amounts to $113,000 per person, with interest payments exceeding $1 trillion in 2023.

President Trump's 'self-deportation' program, Project Homecoming, has facilitated over 132,000 unauthorized immigrant departures with a $600 million budget, offering stipends up to $2,600. The initiative, part of a broader effort to remove 1 million unauthorized immigrants annually, involves ICE detention facilities and accelerated departures through case managers in 40 detention sites.

Elon Musk discussed AI surpassing human intelligence within five years, expressed philosophical acceptance of AI risks, and admitted to being 'carried away' with political involvement. He highlighted a potential 'age of amazing abundance' from AI advancements but acknowledged challenges in controlling its trajectory.

Washington, DC is preparing to borrow $1.2 billion through a municipal debt sale as its credit stabilizes following the DOGE period. The bond sale is part of the district's annual financial strategy.

The CDC's Cyclospora lab was downsized by DOGE last year, leading to concerns about reduced effectiveness in outbreak responses. A former CDC lab director warned that these responses, which require rapid action, will be significantly diminished.

Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, played a key role in blocking foreign aid cuts during the first Trump administration and restoring USAID funding after Elon Musk’s DOGE effort. His bipartisan work, particularly in global health funding like PEPFAR, was highlighted by lawmakers and advocates as critical to saving lives worldwide.

Elon Musk publicly expressed support for Marine Le Pen, a candidate for the French presidential election, but the Rassemblement National (RN) party avoided direct association with him. The party emphasized it does not solicit external support, including from figures like Musk or Donald Trump, and downplayed the significance of his endorsement. Musk has previously supported other European far-right groups and had earlier offered indirect support to Le Pen after her legal issues.

Abdul El-Sayed, a US Senate candidate, commented on cyclosporiasis. He previously served as health director for the City of Detroit and head of Wayne County HHS.

Social Security is working to stabilize after DOGE cuts by hiring workers again and focusing on improving technology to address workloads left by the departure of approximately 7,800 staff members.

Elon Musk donated $5 million to a super PAC supporting Vivek Ramaswamy's gubernatorial campaign in Ohio after their split from DOGE. Ramaswamy, who won the Republican nomination, is running against Democratic candidate Amy Acton in a close race.

D.C. is experiencing a labor market decline with 46,000 job losses, high unemployment, and challenges in attracting workers due to housing and childcare costs. The D.C. Council opposes extended National Guard deployment, citing no impact on crime, while a report highlights injuries from crowd control weapons used on protesters. CDC funding cuts have worsened cyclosporiasis outbreaks, requiring preventive measures.

DOGE used AI for housing policy, but HUD has withheld documents about this use in response to a public records request. HUD cited a privilege that does not exist to justify withholding the documents.

Native American high school graduation rates at federally funded schools rose from 50% in 2015 to 79% in 2025, attributed to career training, improved data reporting, and local innovations. The U.S. Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) standardized data collection methods to address past inaccuracies, but concerns remain about potential policy changes undermining progress.

Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and a conflict involving DOGE and U.S.A.I.D. are linked to 'public man-made death' according to the article. The piece highlights the human impact of their actions.

Federal investigators found that DOGE did not access sensitive systems and that the agency deleted records which could have shown if they had. A government report claims these actions were taken by the agency.

Elon Musk's companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, have transformed industries and generated significant wealth. His political influence includes involvement in the 2024 Trump win and the DOGE government takeover. A Galaxy Brain episode discusses his rise, ideology, and impact through a conversation with historians and writers.

The National Design Studio, staffed by Doge veterans, redesigned key federal websites with visitor-tracking software, raising concerns about legal violations and surveillance. Critics argue the changes erode trust and may breach federal law.

Federal Student Aid (FSA), the office managing U.S. student loans, has been significantly impacted by DOGE cuts, leading to operational issues and challenges for borrowers. Upcoming changes in July 2025 will impose lifetime loan caps and limit repayment options, while a report reveals 40% staff attrition at FSA, with nearly a quarter of suboffices having no remaining employees.

The FDA is accelerating hiring, with around 600 new employees in the onboarding process as it rebuilds following job cuts under DOGE. Acting officials report increased hiring activity in recent weeks.

Rep. Ro Khanna has challenged Elon Musk to a televised debate following an online conflict involving DOGE. Khanna is critical of the Department of Government Efficiency led by Musk.

Elon Musk threatened to sue Rep. Ro Khanna after Khanna accused Musk of causing deaths by dismantling USAID. Musk defended his DOGE initiative, claiming it prevents aid fraud, while Khanna cited an academic study linking USAID cuts to child deaths.

Ro Khanna argued that Elon Musk must be held accountable for 4.5 million children 'sentenced to death' due to DOGE cuts. He suggested the Democratic Party take action if they regain control of the House or Senate.

The U.S. Department of Defense reports a 1,775% increase in AI use, with 1.5 million personnel using commercial tools, but adoption remains below 50% of its 3.5 million employees. DOGE's influence and partnerships with tech firms like Google and Microsoft are highlighted, alongside mixed assessments of AI's effectiveness in government operations.

Zohran Mamdani, New York City Mayor, criticized Elon Musk's trillionaire status as a reason to tax the rich, responding to Musk's wealth increase following the SpaceX IPO. Mamdani highlighted Musk's financial milestone and aligned his remarks with progressive policies, including a new commission on government efficiency.

Bitcoin is experiencing volatile trading above $63,000 while DOGE remains unchanged. The article highlights Bitcoin's price movement and stability in DOGE's value.

The USDA eliminated a Biden-era initiative focused on increasing seed market competition, which included experts handling farmer complaints and consulting on antitrust issues. The department later announced a partnership with DOJ to address seed industry concentration, despite having fired the team just weeks earlier. The Trump administration previously approved mergers in the seed industry, now criticized for anticompetitive practices.

A whistleblower alleges that a DOGE plan aimed to mark 2.7 million living people as dead as part of an immigration enforcement initiative.

Former DOGE members and Elon Musk allies are backing a startup that uses AI to apply 'learnings' from DOGE to the private sector.

A whistleblower alleges that DOGE wanted to declare 2.7 million people 'dead' at Social Security. This is the third claim of illegal activity by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Trump's DOGE initiative has led to a sweeping order affecting 8,000 federal workers. The purge is described as a significant action targeting government employees.

Trump's DOGE purge is leading to the removal of 8,000 federal workers under a sweeping order. The action targets federal employees as part of a broad directive.

Donald Trump signed an executive order promoting voluntary safety testing for frontier AI models, but critics argue it lacks meaningful regulation and relies on collaboration with AI firms. The order was weakened after internal administration conflicts between cybersecurity experts and deregulation advocates, and it avoids imposing mandatory requirements on companies.

A whistleblower exposed issues with the cryptocurrency DOGE, leading to retaliatory actions against him. The incident highlights risks faced by individuals reporting problems in tech projects.

The article highlights major 2026 security incidents, including a massive DOGE data breach, hacking of critical energy and water systems, and a breach of an FBI surveillance system. These incidents are described as some of the most damaging security breaches to date.

A federal IT staffer filed a complaint about DOGE and went public. After Elon Musk labeled his claims false, the staffer's brake lines were cut. He is now suing for defamation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in back-to-back Capitol Hill hearings about the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts, facing criticism from a Democratic lawmaker over the impact of Elon Musk’s involvement in dismantling USAID programs. Protests occurred during his testimony, and the Senate discussed funding for immigration enforcement amid a paused $1.776 billion settlement for Trump allies.

CNN panelists debated the $13 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool under President Trump, with some criticizing the cost amid previous budget cuts and others defending it as necessary maintenance. Lydia Moynihan compared the project to Obama-era spending, while Touré highlighted economic and war-related costs to question the priority of such expenditures.