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Unfinished Business: The budget cuts Musk couldn’t complete and what’s next for DOGE

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Though Elon Musk leaves behind a legacy of massive cuts to government programs which left many members of the Washington, D.C., establishment enraged, he was not able to accomplish all the lofty goals he set at the beginning of his time as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

According to a May 26 update on DOGE’s website, the initiative has saved an estimated $175 billion through asset sales, contract cancellations, fraud payment crackdowns and other spending cuts. That translates to about $1,087 in savings per taxpayer.

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Though significant, the $175 billion is a far cry from the original $2 trillion–nearly a third of the federal government’s total spending–that Musk originally set out to cut.

So, what went wrong?

Richard Stern, an economics policy expert at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that DOGE «overestimated what legal flexibility they would have, and the agencies would have, to actually make good on that.»

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PRESIDENT TRUMP TEASES ‘LAST DAY, BUT NOT REALLY’ FOR ELON MUSK AT DOGE: OVAL OFFICE PRESSER SET FOR FRIDAY

Though Elon Musk leaves behind a legacy of massive cuts to government programs which left many members of the Washington, D.C., enraged, he was not able to accomplish all the lofty goals he set out to at the beginning of his time as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.  (AP/Evan Vucci and AP Photo/Etienne Laurent, File)

From the start, DOGE was hit with not only a tsunami of negative press and outraged Democratic lawmakers, but also a series of lawsuits, which bogged it down in protracted legal battles.

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This, coupled with the reality of most of the major end cuts requiring congressional approval to carry out, relegated DOGE’s impact on cutting around the edges of the big programs and agencies it likely would have liked to eliminate entirely.

Despite Musk’s efforts, in many cases agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could only be shrunk and limited, while total elimination requires an act of Congress.

Just last week, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell blocked the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Institute of Peace, writing in a ruling that the removal of its board members and the takeover of its headquarters by members of DOGE are actions that are «null and void.» 

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Stern asserted that «at the end of the day, they were just a little overzealous about how much legal authority they would ultimately have to be able to make this many cuts themselves,» 

ELON MUSK ‘DISAPPOINTED’ BY TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL, SAYS IT UNDERMINES WHAT DOGE IS DOING

US Institute of Peace building

A federal judge has blocked DOGE efforts to dismantle the US Institute of Peace (USIP), whose building is shown in this March 2025 file photo. (Getty Images)

Where Stern believes DOGE can have the greatest impact is on focusing on the information-gathering and whistleblower aspects of its mission.

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«You can kind of break down DOGE into two very large buckets,» he posited. «The first large bucket, which is the one that’s mostly been not done, is actually making grand spending cuts themselves directly. I think the second one was identifying what cuts could be made.»

«The original plan was that DOGE could come in and do both these things that they could find specific spending to cut … and then the other part of that was identifying this information and making it public that people didn’t have that would allow for really thought-out spending cuts to come in from Congress,» he explained.

Though less flashy, Stern believes this is where DOGE, going forward, can have its greatest impact.  

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WHITE HOUSE SENDING $9.4B DOGE CUTS PACKAGE TO CONGRESS NEXT WEEK

Musk with arms stretched out

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., arrives for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. The Conservative Political Action Conference, launched in 1974, brings together conservative organizations, elected leaders, and activists. Photographer: Jason C. Andrew/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty)

«There’s a lot of think tanks, including Heritage, that have put together lists for a very long time as to policies that we don’t think are good, where you could cut spending. But I think what no one has a window into is the really deep mechanics of how a lot of these programs work. And so, because of that, it’s actually been very hard in a really robust fashion to even know what programs you could cut spending from or how you would do it or what the ramifications would be,» he explained.

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«So, DOGE, by being in the administration, has been in and continues to be in a position to actually make that public, to actually put a spotlight on that in a way that really almost nobody else was in a position to do,» Stern went on. «That can feed rescission bills and congressional cuts down the road. But some admin needed to actually do that. And DOGE is finally doing that.» 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Elon Musk,DOGE,Donald Trump,White House,Politics

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De “Hey Jude” a “Hotel California”: 40 letras de canciones que hicieron historia

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“All Apologies”, de Nirvana

Hay canciones que pasan a la historia, ya sea por su melodía, por las voces que las interpretan o sus letras. The Independent realizó un ranking de las 40 mejores letras de canciones en inglés de todos los tiempos. Bandas como Nirvana, The Beatles o Abba forman parte del listado. Según el ranking, las canciones se destacaron no solo por su música o interpretación, sino también por la fuerza de sus palabras, capaces de dejar una huella en distintas generaciones.

La lista está encabezada por ‘All Apologies’ de Nirvana. El tema está incluido en el álbum In Utero de 1993. Cobain escribió esta canción dirigiéndose tanto a Courtney Love como a su hija, Frances Bean. Para muchos, este track logra transmitir con especial nitidez el malestar interno y la rabia del músico, a la vez que se entrelaza con una profunda declaración de amor hacia su familia.

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Según The Independent, el mensaje contenido en esta canción supera la tragedia personal de Cobain y subraya la permanencia del afecto más allá de la ausencia física. Apenas seis meses después del lanzamiento, el artista se quitó la vida y dejó atrás de sí un tema que muchos consideran imprescindible para comprender el significado de su legado artístico.

Nine Inch Nails Hurt (Live) (1995)

El listado continúa con Nine Inch Nails, ‘Hurt’. El tema, escrito e interpretado por Trent Reznor, hace un retrato directo de la autodestrucción y el sufrimiento, elementos presentes desde la primera grabación. Si bien Reznor nunca precisó si el trasfondo hace referencia al consumo de heroína, el texto y la atmósfera de la canción transmiten una carga emotiva que oscila entre el dolor y una poesía sombría.

Joy Division con su hit ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ da continuidad al ranking. “¿Por qué el dormitorio está tan frío volteado de tu lado?, ¿Mi sincronización es tan imperfecta, nuestro respeto se ha agotado?“, cita la letra. El sencillo, escrito por Ian Curtis, refleja matices de su propia experiencia personal, marcada por la crisis matrimonial y una inminente tragedia.

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Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart

La canción sobresale por una combinación de melodía vibrante y una lírica de gran vulnerabilidad. La composición no transmite un mensaje sombrío en sí mismo, sino que transforma su tristeza en una pieza conmovedora, donde la humanidad del autor adquiere toda su dimensión.

Arcade Fire – Arcade Fire Presents Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Arcade Fire, ‘Sprawl II Mountains Beyond Mountains’ continúa la lista. Junto a la voz de Régine Chassagne, la canción aporta una atmósfera única. La melodía logra materializar emociones latentes y anhelos de escapar de la uniformidad.

El ranking, presentado por The Independent, sigue con Beyoncé, ‘Formation’; Laura Marling, ‘Ghosts’; LCD Soundsystem, ‘Losing My Edge’; Leonard Cohen, ‘So Long, Marianne’; The Libertines, ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’; Kate Bush, ‘Cloudbusting’; Nick Cave, ‘Into My Arms’; The Sisters of Mercy, ‘This Corrosion’ y Sultans of Ping FC con ‘Where’s Me Jumper?’

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El listado destaca temas de bandas icónicas como The Beatles, Abba, Beyonce, Joy Division y The Rolling Stones (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

Seguidamente, el medio español posicionó entre los mejores temas a ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’, de The Smiths; ‘I’m On Fire’ de Bruce Springsteen; ‘Father Lucifer’ de Tori Amos; ‘Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos’ de Public Enemy y ‘Pools (Drank)’ de Kendrick Lamar.

Mientras la comunidad afroamericana afrontaba las consecuencias de políticas conservadoras, Prince decidió abordar en su tema principal cuestiones como la violencia asociada a las pandillas, la pandemia del sida, tensiones políticas y catástrofes naturales. Con este enfoque, el cantante dejó atrás su aislamiento creativo y presentó ‘Sign O ‘The Times’, una canción donde la reflexión social y el comentario sobre realidades urgentes pasaron a primer plano.

Prince – Sign O The Times

En el listado no podían faltar los Rolling Stones. Si bien tienen grandes letras, en ‘Gimme Shelter’ recrean la atmósfera de inestabilidad y amenaza constante de la época. La composición captura el miedo y la incertidumbre de una sociedad al borde de la ruptura. Asimismo consolida el legado de Mick Jagger, Keith Richards y sus compañeros como cronistas musicales de un periodo turbulento.

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The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter (Live)

Si de turbulencias se trata, David Bowie es uno de los artistas que, durante su vida, atravesó momentos turbulentos. Estos periodos fueron de gran inspiración para el músico a la hora de componer. ‘Station to Station’ es una de las canciones grabadas en los días más oscuros de Bowie. El músico lidiaba con su adicción a las drogas en Los Ángeles mientras buscaba refugio en las letras.

Station To Station – David Bowie

El ranking continúa con ‘Supersonic’, de Oasis; ‘Born Slippy’ de Underworld; ‘Landslide’ de Fleetwood Mac; ‘Graceland’ de Paul Simon; ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ de Lou Reed; ‘Every Time the Sun Comes Up’, de Sharon Van Etten; ‘Gloria’ de Patti Smith; y ‘Hotel California’ de Eagles.

Los hermanos Gallagher forman aprte
Los hermanos Gallagher forman aprte del listado (Kevin Cummins cortesía Sony Music)

Thin Lizzy sigue el listado con ‘The Boys are Back in Town’. Le sigue Nina Simone con ‘Four Women’; St. Vincent ‘Digital Witnesses’; Frank Ocean con ‘Pink + White’. El ranking continúa con ‘Dinner at Eight’ de Rufus Wainwright; ‘It’s Alright Ma’’ de Bob Dylan; ‘The Winner Takes it All’ de Abba y ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ de The Stone Roses.

En los tres últimos puestos se encuentran ‘The World is Yours’ de Nas; ‘When I’m Sixty Four’ de The Beatles y Beck con ‘Loser’. Este último es uno de los éxitos más recordados de Beck. Surgió a partir de una autocrítica espontánea después de escuchar una versión preliminar del tema. El propio músico reconoció sentirse «el peor rapero del mundo» y se definió como “un perdedor”.

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Esta percepción no solo alimentó el concepto de la canción, sino que inspiró el famoso estribillo que acabó identificando al tema. A pesar de la aparente falta de coherencia en la letra, la composición logra crear una atmósfera singular gracias a su escritura en flujo de conciencia, un recurso que genera magnetismo incluso en lo absurdo.

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House Republicans warn anti-ICE rhetoric from Democrats is driving violent attacks on agents

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President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and deportation rollout has ignited anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests across the United States.

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House Republicans told Fox News Digital there is a parallel between Democrats’ rhetoric against federal immigration officers amid this crackdown and the surge in violence against ICE and Border Protection (CBP) officers.

«The increasingly violent attacks against law enforcement are being egged on by irresponsible Democratic politicians,» Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said in an exclusive interview. 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday blamed Democrats’ «sanctuary city policies» for the shooting of an off-duty CBP officer in New York City. 

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NOEM WARNS OF ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ THREAT LEVEL FOR ICE AGENTS, BLAMES ‘LIES’ FROM DEMOCRATS

A split image of demonstrators in New York City protesting the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to more quickly deport certain migrants from the U.S. to El Salvador, alongside a photo of U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in 2025.  (Getty Images)

A second illegal immigrant has been apprehended in connection to the shooting of the CBP officer. He was reportedly struck in the face and forearm in Manhattan’s Riverside Park on Saturday night. Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, a Dominican national who was caught by Border Patrol in April 2023, was taken into custody following the shooting. 

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GUNMAN AMBUSHES BORDER PATROL AGENTS DAYS AFTER HOUSE DEMS REJECT RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE

«Without enforcing our immigration laws, we have no immigration laws,» McClintock continued. «Without immigration laws, we have no border, and without a border we have no country. And that’s what Americans suffered for four long years with the open borders policies of the Biden administration.»

Democrat Sens. Alex Padilla and Cory Booker, two of the leading Capitol Hill critics of Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown, have introduced legislation that would require immigration enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves without masks.

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Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga, told Fox News Digital that he has «absolutely» seen an increase in violence, explaining that when a member of Congress uses «radical rhetoric,» people take it to heart. 

US soldiers take measures at the Mexican border

US soldiers seen at the US-Mexican border in New Mexico on May 8, 2025.  (Can Hasasu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

«We should be applauding them. We should be thankful to them. They are literally removing criminal aliens from our midst and making us a safer nation. And yet these radical Democrats are inflaming the public. And as a result, you’re seeing more violence against them. And it’s unconscionable that they do that,» Clyde said. 

Federal immigration law enforcement officers have been targeted since Trump signed his «big, beautiful bill» into law, which includes legislation for robust immigration reform. There were at least two ambushes in Texas, and protesters clashed with federal officers at the Portland, Oregon, ICE facility, over the Fourth of July weekend. 

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Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital that there has been «growing rhetoric by many on the Democratic side» from everyone except Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. Particularly in Los Angeles, Guest pointed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s and Mayor Karen Bass’ anti-ICE rhetoric as protests delved into riots in the West Coast city last month. 

ICE agents

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago on Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Bass has signed a series of executive orders aimed at impeding ICE deportation raids in Los Angeles, criticizing the «unconstitutional, reckless raids» and establishing a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) working group that expands resources for families impacted by Trump’s deportation rollout. 

«When we have Democrats constantly attacking our ICE agents for what they’re doing, demonizing them for enforcing the law, that is going to create more violence, and the situation is going to get worse and not better,» Guest added. 

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Rep. Mariannette Miller‑Meeks, R‑Iowa, added in an interview with Fox News Digital that it’s «unreal to me that people are attacking law enforcement agents trying to do their job.»

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She said the emphasis should be on supporting ICE and CBP agents. 

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«Keep the focus on deporting criminal illegals, people that are bad actors that should be out of the country, focusing on the influence of gangs and cartels in this country,» Miller-Meeks added, urging her fellow House Republicans to remind Americans that these deportations are necessary due to the surge of illegal immigration under the Biden administration. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.

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27 inmates from notorious Iranian prison still at large after Israeli strike: Tehran

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Iranian media reported that 27 inmates from the notorious Evin Prison remain at large following an Israeli airstrike last month.

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After Israel’s strike during the 12-day war, 75 inmates escaped from Evin prison, according to the Associated Press, which cited a news website affiliated with Iran’s judiciary. In the article, Iranian Judiciary Spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said that out of the 75 escapees, 48 were either recaptured or returned voluntarily, the Associated Press added. Jahangir also stated that the escapees had been serving time for minor offenses.

A view shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Evin Prison that took place on June 23, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 29, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

IRAN CLAIMS ITS PRESIDENT WAS INJURED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE LAST MONTH

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In June, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which was aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities. While Iranian officials said 71 were killed in the strike, local media reported that there were 80 killed, including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members, according to the Associated Press.

Sayeh Seydal, a jailed Iranian dissident who survived Israel’s strike on Evin Prison, told relatives that being in the facility was a «slow death,» according to the Associated Press, which obtained a recording of the conversation. 

«The bombing by the U.S. and Israel didn’t kill us. Then the Islamic Republic brought us to a place that will practically kill us,» Seydal said.

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On Tuesday, Amnesty International called for an investigation of Israel’s strike on the prison as a possible war crime, saying it constituted «a serious violation of international humanitarian law.»

Rescuers in red suits searching through the rubble

FILE – Rescuers search through the rubble of a damaged section of Evin Prison following an Israeli strike the day before, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mostafa Roudaki/Mizan News Agency, File) (AP Photo/Mostafa Roudaki/Mizan News Agency, File)

IRAN ACKNOWLEDGES DEATH TOLL FROM ISRAEL’S STRIKE ON NOTORIOUS EVIN PRISON

Erika Guevara Rosas, who serves as Amnesty International’s Senior Director for research, advocacy, policy and campaigns, said «the evidence establishes reasonable grounds to believe that the Israeli military brazenly and deliberately attacked civilian buildings.»

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Evin Prison is infamous for its harsh conditions and became a place for Iranian officials to throw protesters.

Rubble at Evin Prison in Iran following an Israeli airstrike

A person stands on the rubble as a view shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Evin Prison that took place on June 23, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 29, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

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In 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Iranian officials and entities responsible for a crackdown on protesters, including Evin Prison warden Hedayat Farzadi, who was known for his brutal tactics. The department said that protesters thrown in Evin Prison under Farzadi’s watch were subjected to torture and physical abuse.

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