President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on July 4. The 870-page spending legislation directs $157 billion to the already-bloated military-industrial complex. The following are a few of the most egregious examples of wasteful defense spending in the OBBBA.  1. Over $5 Billion for Shipbuilding The OBBBA appropriates […]
Consumer spending on 2025 Fourth of July celebrations is expected to reach $8.9 billion, according to the National Retail Federation—a slight decrease from previous years, but still well above pre-pandemic level spending. Next year, taxpayers can expect to pay even more for Independence Day festivities, albeit indirectly. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed the One […]
As the U.S. grapples with ballooning federal budgets and increasingly necessary spending cuts, the military remains ripe for austerity. In February, the Pentagon suggested cutting $50 billion per year from its budget over the next five years—a good start but nowhere near enough, considering the Trump administration is floating a defense budget of nearly $1 […]
As military parades go, the celebration in Washington, D.C. turned out to be an innocuous affair and not the triumph of fascist pageantry its loudest critics feared. Soldiers paraded in period uniforms and old and modern equipment rumbled through the streets (and roared overhead) in sufficient quantity to satisfy most history buffs. Nary a uniformed […]