Citizen access to public agencies is a basic public function. Why does government contract out the process of verifying identity to a for-profit monopoly company?
federal contracting
Posted inEconomic Policy
The Trump Administration Creates a Monopolization Machine
New rules could grant ‘small business’ benefits to companies with up to $5 billion in assets. Actual small businesses may have no choice but to sell.
Posted inTechnology
Anthropic (Re-)Enlists for War
The AI company is advertising for a ‘National Security Sales’ position, suggesting that its battle with the Defense Department will soon be over.
Posted inLaw and Justice
Judge Orders Monitors for Child Detention as Trump Administration Plans Expansion
The order came the day before the Office of Refugee Resettlement held an industry roundtable to discuss new detention facilities for thousands of children.
Posted inTAP
Weaponizing the Missile Shortage
Reporting on the depletion of munitions due to the Iran war could be a pretext to massively expand the military budget and accelerate contracting.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Top Defense Official Could Reap Windfall From DOD Settlement
Stephen Feinberg founded private equity giant Cerberus. A Cerberus-owned firm is poised to settle one of the largest government lawsuits ever—against the very agency Feinberg now helps lead.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Who Is Running America’s 250th Anniversary?
The private-private partnership behind the semiquincentennial celebrations.
Posted inPolitics
MAGA Hogs at the Government Trough
For the Trumpiest federal agencies, it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Posted inWorking in America
Palantir Gets an Initial $3.9 Million to Spy on Federal Workers
The contract kicks off a Trump administration plan to track workers at the Social Security Administration and Departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs.
Posted inLaw and Justice
ICE Air’s Sloppy, Dangerous Deportation Flights
Poor planning, mechanical issues, serious safety lapses, and the shutdown are taking a toll on Avelo, America’s most famous deportation airline, internal documents show.