## Experts: DOGE scheme doomed because of Musk and Ramaswamy's "meme-level understanding" of spending

Authored by salon.com

'Let's get rid of unauthorized spending' is the sort of thing that you might see in a Facebook meme.".

Ramaswamy and Musk expanded on that suggestion in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Wednesday, outlining the newly minted out-of-government advisory commission's plans for reducing excess spending.

The Constitution requires Congress to authorize any and all government spending, which it does through funding bills, or appropriations.

"For anything the federal government is spending, there's going to be an appropriation," Reich told Salon in a phone interview.

Still, as an out-of-government entity, DOGE can only make recommendations to Congress for ways to pare down the federal budget.

While policymakers have room to eliminate excess federal spending in bipartisan ways, Kogan said, the amount of wasteful government spending is far smaller than what Ramaswamy and Musk suggest.

Two-thirds of federal spending is mandatory, while the remaining discretionary spending largely goes toward defense. »

### Russia was likely behind poisoning of former Ukrainian President Yushchenko in 2004 – US intelligence

Authored by pravda.com.ua

The United States intelligence has declassified a document on the assassinations abroad of political opponents of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Political and opposition leaders in key former Soviet republics that are deemed a threat.

A key example is former President of Ukraine Viktor Yuschenko, who suffered a near-fatal poisoning in 2004. »

### Student is arrested on charges of spying on the US for Russia

Authored by apnews.com

OSLO, Norway (AP) — A Norwegian student in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia and Iran while working as a guard at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, authorities in Norway have said.

He runs a security company jointly with a dual national of Norway and an unspecified eastern European country, according to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

In September, the Norwegian government said it was considering a plan to build a fence along all or part of its border with Russia. »

### U.S. Will Have 'Biggest Problems' After Trump's Mass Deportations, Not Mexico, New Mexican President Says

Authored by latintimes.com

"Regarding what's been said about deportations -- who will have the biggest problems?"

Although some experts have warned that tariffs would cause Mexico to enter a recession, others caution that U.S. consumers and companies would feel the impact as well.

"Everyone who says that we're taking the arrival of President Trump lightly, we're always going to be positive with the idea that there will be a good relationship," she said. »

### I Am Your Beast's new expansion adds nine levels for free

Authored by eurogamer.net

Strange Scaffold's sublime shooter, I Am Your Beast, now has nine new levels as part of a free expansion.

Called the Support Group pack, the expansion includes an epilogue to the main story and features "tall tales from traumatised Cover Operations Initiative agents in the wake of your bloody revenge".

"With an unreliable narrator at the helm of the story, not all is what it seems," the team teases. »

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