What Could DOGE Do With Federal Data?
This is Atlantic Intelligence, a newsletter in which our writers help you wrap your mind around artificial intelligence and a new machine age. Sign up here.
When the Department of Government Efficiency stormed the federal government, it had a clear objective—to remake the government, one must remake the civil service. And in particular, the team of Elon Musk acolytes 'focused on accessing the terminals, uncovering the button pushers, and taking control,' Michael Scherer, Ashley Parker, Shane Harris, and I wrote this week in an investigation into the DOGE takeover. Computers, they figured, run the government.
DOGE members and new political appointees have sought access to data and IT systems across the government—at the Treasury Department, IRS, Department of Health and Human Services, and more. Government technologists have speculated that DOGE's next step will be to centralize those data and feed them into AI systems, making bureaucratic processes more efficient while also identifying fraud and waste, or perhaps simply uncovering further targets to dismantle. Musk's team has reportedly already fed Department of Education data into an AI system, and Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer recently appointed to the General Services Administration, has repeatedly spoken with staff about an AI strategy, mentioning using the technology to develop coding agents and analyze federal contracts.
No matter DOGE's goal, putting so much information in one place and under the control of a small group of people with little government experience has raised substantial security concerns. As one recently departed federal technology official wrote in draft testimony for lawmakers, which we obtained, 'DOGE is one romance scam away from a national security emergency.'
This Is What Happens When the DOGE Guys Take Over
By Michael Scherer, Ashley Parker, Matteo Wong and Shane Harris
They arrived casually dressed and extremely confident—a self-styled super force of bureaucratic disrupters, mostly young men with engineering backgrounds on a mission from the president of the United States, under the command of the world's wealthiest online troll.
On February 7, five Department of Government Efficiency representatives made it to the fourth floor of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters, where the executive suites are located. They were interrupted while trying the handles of locked office doors.
'Hey, can I help you?' asked an employee of the agency that was soon to be forced into bureaucratic limbo. The DOGE crew offered no clear answer.
What to Read Next
DOGE and new Trump appointees' access to federal data and computer systems is growing in both breadth and depth. Defense technologies, Americans' sensitive personal and health data, dangerous biological research, and more are in reach. Within at least one agency, USAID, they have achieved 'God mode,' according to an employee in senior leadership—meaning Elon Musk's team has 'total control over systems that Americans working in conflict zones rely on, the ability to see and manipulate financial systems that have historically awarded tens of billions of dollars, and perhaps much more,' Charlie Warzel, Ian Bogost, and I reported this week. With this level of control, the USAID staffer feared, DOGE could terminate federal workers in 'a conflict zone like Ukraine, Sudan, or Ethiopia.'
In the coming weeks, we reported, 'the team is expected to enter IT systems at the CDC and Federal Aviation Administration.' Just how far Musk and his team can go is uncertain; they face various lawsuits, which have thus far had varying success. The team may be trying to improve the government's inner workings, as is its stated purpose. 'But in the offices where the team is reaching internal IT systems,' Charlie, Ian, and I wrote, 'some are beginning to worry that [Musk] might prefer to destroy' the government, 'to take it over, or just to loot its vaults for himself.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Can you pass this quiz on Social Security, savings and debt? Most Americans could not.
If you think you are financially literate, then try to answer this question: How much of your healthcare expenses do Medicare and other government programs cover in retirement? Over 90%? About two-thirds? Or about half? If you chose 'about two-thirds,' you're correct, and you're in the minority. Only about one in four Americans answered that question right on a financial literacy quiz, completed online in January by 3,371 consumers. Overall, Americans got correct answers on just under half of the quiz questions. The findings come from the 2025 Personal Finance Index, published in late May by the TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center. Each of the 28 questions covers a basic concept of financial literacy: Saving and investing, borrowing and managing debt, spending money and comprehending financial risk. In a financially literate society, the quizmasters say, most of us would know most of the answers. Yet, only 16% of quiz-takers got 22 or more of the 28 questions right. The average test-taker knew about half of the answers. 'In a capitalist economy, when human beings are responsible for managing their own finances, including their own lifestyle in retirement, a certain amount of financial knowledge is assumed,' said Michael Finke, professor of wealth management at the American College of Financial Services. 'And people who don't have financial knowledge are vulnerable.' The Personal Finance Index and attendant quiz have been offered annually since 2017. The results suggest that Americans aren't making much progress in financial literacy. In the best year, 2020, quiz-takers answered 52% of the questions correctly. The results matter 'because the lack of financial awareness is what holds people back from either building wealth or getting out of a cycle of debt,' said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of Investopedia, the financial journalism site. Financial literacy runs low, according to Silver and others, because most Americans don't learn much in school about saving, investing or managing debt. The next generation may do better. More than two-thirds of states now require personal finance classes for high school graduation, compared with fewer than half of states in 2022, according to the Council for Economic Education. The Personal Finance Index quiz measures literacy in eight subjects. The share of correct answers in 2025 ranged from a high of 59%, on the subject of borrowing, to a low of 36%, in the area of comprehending risk. Test-takers showed greater knowledge on the basics of saving, and less literacy on insurance and investing. If you don't understand the basics of managing debt, then you might not know that a credit card balance with a 20% interest rate costs the borrower more over time than a balance with a 10% rate. If you aren't financially literate on investing, then you might not appreciate the power of compound interest in building retirement savings over multiple decades. 'How much of your paycheck to save for retirement: This is an incredibly important decision that can have a huge impact on the standard of living that you have in retirement,' Finke said. Nothing flummoxed the quiz-takers more than risk, a set of questions that covered uncertain financial outcomes. Here is a sample question about risk: There's a 50/50 chance that Malik's car will need engine repairs within the next six months, which would cost $600. At the same time, there is a 10% chance that he will need to replace the air conditioning unit in his house, which would cost $4,000. Which poses the greater financial risk for Malik? The air conditioning replacement? The car repair? Or is there no way to tell? To get the correct answer, you multiply the cost of each scenario by its probability. As it turns out, the A/C replacement poses the greater risk. One-third of quiz-takers figured that out. 'It's a very simple scenario, but there's a lot going on there,' said Surya Kolluri, head of the nonprofit TIAA Institute. Here are some other questions from the Personal Finance Index quiz. Test your financial literacy! Latisha plans to start saving for retirement by setting aside $2,000 this year. Her employer offers a 401(k) plan and fully matches a worker's contributions up to $5,000 each year. Under which scenario does Latisha have the largest amount in retirement savings at year-end? A) She contributes $2,000 to the 401(k) plan and invests the money in a mutual fund that earns a 5% return during the year. B) She contributes $2,000 to an IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, and invests the money in a mutual fund that earns a 5% return. C) It doesn't matter: She will have the same amount of year-end savings either way. Answer: A. Anna saves $500 each year for 10 years and then stops saving additional money. At the same time, Charlie saves nothing for 10 years but then receives a $5,000 gift, which he decides to save. If both Anna and Charlie earn a 5% return each year, who will have more savings after 20 years? A) Anna B) Charlie C) Anna and Charlie will have the same amount Answer: A. Which statement about Social Security is false? A) The amount someone receives in Social Security benefits depends upon his/her earnings during the last two years of full-time employment. B) A worker receives Social Security benefit payments if he/she becomes disabled before retiring. C) Social Security benefit payments will continue as long as an individual is alive, no matter how long he/she lives. Answer: A. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can you pass this financial literacy quiz? Most Americans could not. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
37 minutes ago
- USA Today
Can you pass this quiz on Social Security, savings and debt? Most Americans could not.
Can you pass this quiz on Social Security, savings and debt? Most Americans could not. Show Caption Hide Caption How are tariffs and your 401(k) retirement savings intertwined? Experts say a rise in tariffs can lead to several factors that impact your retirement savings. If you think you are financially literate, then try to answer this question: How much of your healthcare expenses do Medicare and other government programs cover in retirement? Over 90%? About two-thirds? Or about half? If you chose 'about two-thirds,' you're correct, and you're in the minority. Only about one in four Americans answered that question right on a financial literacy quiz, completed online in January by 3,371 consumers. Overall, Americans got correct answers on just under half of the quiz questions. The findings come from the 2025 Personal Finance Index, published in late May by the TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center. Each of the 28 questions covers a basic concept of financial literacy: Saving and investing, borrowing and managing debt, spending money and comprehending financial risk. Most Americans don't pass this financial literacy quiz In a financially literate society, the quizmasters say, most of us would know most of the answers. Yet, only 16% of quiz-takers got 22 or more of the 28 questions right. The average test-taker knew about half of the answers. 'In a capitalist economy, when human beings are responsible for managing their own finances, including their own lifestyle in retirement, a certain amount of financial knowledge is assumed,' said Michael Finke, professor of wealth management at the American College of Financial Services. 'And people who don't have financial knowledge are vulnerable.' The Personal Finance Index and attendant quiz have been offered annually since 2017. The results suggest that Americans aren't making much progress in financial literacy. In the best year, 2020, quiz-takers answered 52% of the questions correctly. The results matter 'because the lack of financial awareness is what holds people back from either building wealth or getting out of a cycle of debt,' said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of Investopedia, the financial journalism site. Financial literacy runs low, according to Silver and others, because most Americans don't learn much in school about saving, investing or managing debt. The next generation may do better. More than two-thirds of states now require personal finance classes for high school graduation, compared with fewer than half of states in 2022, according to the Council for Economic Education. Financial literacy: We know a lot about debt . . . The Personal Finance Index quiz measures literacy in eight subjects. The share of correct answers in 2025 ranged from a high of 59%, on the subject of borrowing, to a low of 36%, in the area of comprehending risk. Test-takers showed greater knowledge on the basics of saving, and less literacy on insurance and investing. If you don't understand the basics of managing debt, then you might not know that a credit card balance with a 20% interest rate costs the borrower more over time than a balance with a 10% rate. If you aren't financially literate on investing, then you might not appreciate the power of compound interest in building retirement savings over multiple decades. 'How much of your paycheck to save for retirement: This is an incredibly important decision that can have a huge impact on the standard of living that you have in retirement,' Finke said. . . . And not a lot about risk Nothing flummoxed the quiz-takers more than risk, a set of questions that covered uncertain financial outcomes. Here is a sample question about risk: There's a 50/50 chance that Malik's car will need engine repairs within the next six months, which would cost $600. At the same time, there is a 10% chance that he will need to replace the air conditioning unit in his house, which would cost $4,000. Which poses the greater financial risk for Malik? The air conditioning replacement? The car repair? Or is there no way to tell? To get the correct answer, you multiply the cost of each scenario by its probability. As it turns out, the A/C replacement poses the greater risk. One-third of quiz-takers figured that out. 'It's a very simple scenario, but there's a lot going on there,' said Surya Kolluri, head of the nonprofit TIAA Institute. Test your knowledge on these financial literacy questions Here are some other questions from the Personal Finance Index quiz. Test your financial literacy! Latisha plans to start saving for retirement by setting aside $2,000 this year. Her employer offers a 401(k) plan and fully matches a worker's contributions up to $5,000 each year. Under which scenario does Latisha have the largest amount in retirement savings at year-end? A) She contributes $2,000 to the 401(k) plan and invests the money in a mutual fund that earns a 5% return during the year. B) She contributes $2,000 to an IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, and invests the money in a mutual fund that earns a 5% return. C) It doesn't matter: She will have the same amount of year-end savings either way. Answer: A. Anna saves $500 each year for 10 years and then stops saving additional money. At the same time, Charlie saves nothing for 10 years but then receives a $5,000 gift, which he decides to save. If both Anna and Charlie earn a 5% return each year, who will have more savings after 20 years? A) Anna B) Charlie C) Anna and Charlie will have the same amount Answer: A. Which statement about Social Security is false? A) The amount someone receives in Social Security benefits depends upon his/her earnings during the last two years of full-time employment. B) A worker receives Social Security benefit payments if he/she becomes disabled before retiring. C) Social Security benefit payments will continue as long as an individual is alive, no matter how long he/she lives. Answer: A.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The 2025 primaries in N.J., Virginia and N.Y. are here: 3 things to know
Three big primary elections are coming up this month that will provide another peak into how Americans are feeling about the direction President Donald Trump is taking the country. The contests in New Jersey on June 10, Virginia on June 17 and New York City on June 24 will also provide clues into how well Democrats have picked up their party's pieces after losing to the returning president's Make America Great Again coalition, which gained him some ground in blue states and local communities. Democrats were brimming with confidence earlier in the year after beating back billionaire Elon Musk in Wisconsin's high-stakes state Supreme Court race, where the liberal-leaning candidate prevailed. Political forecasters are giving Democrats the edge in Virginia's odd-year gubernatorial race coming up this November, with both Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball, at the University of Virginia, and the Cook Political Report, saying it leans in their favor. More: Democrats prevail in Wisconsin while GOP holds the line in Florida: 3 takeaways Given it is a state next door to Washington, D.C., Trump's decisions, especially layoffs of federal workers, are expected to cast a large shadow on that contest. Over in the Garden State and the Big Apple there is a different question. Competitive Democratic primaries carry national implications about what direction is best to crawl the party's brand out of the gutter going forward. There are six Democrats seeking to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat who is term limited. This race is considered one of the best litmus tests for the type of candidate the party has an appetite for going forward. Among the contenders are Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. Polling shows Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, in the lead and her bona fides include flipping a Republican held seat in the 2018 midterms and heavy support from party groups who have get out the vote experience and resources. But experts repeatedly have warned how close −and unpredictable - this race will be. A poll conducted by Emerson College in May found Sherrill leading among registered Democratic voters with 28%, followed by a three-way tied between Fulop, Gottheimer and Baraka at 11% with Spiller holding 10% and Sweeney at 5%. But 24% of Democrats remain undecided, the survey found. Whoever prevails will tell a lot about the vibe for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Baraka, for instance, is a charismatic speaker with a long history of civic service and grassroots organizing as the son of poet and political activists Amiri Baraka. He was thrust into the national spotlight last month after he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a scuffle at the gate to a federal facility in Newark. But electability remains an issue in the primary that could hobble progressives with a more aggressive approach, and give more centrist-minded contenders an opening. Gottheimer, a former Microsoft employee, is one of Washington's most prolific fundraisers who co-founded a bipartisan group dubbed the "Problem Solvers Caucus" that tries to sniff out consensus in Congress. Many New Jersey Democrats have openly expressed concern in recent reports that their state, which tends to lean blue in presidential elections, might be turning red after Trump lost by roughly 5% in 2024 when he previously lost by about 16% in 2020. Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman, is the top dog in the GOP primary. He came within three points of winning the governor's seat in 2021 and has courted the MAGA base heavily after initially being a Trump critic. "Jack has what it takes to win. He has my complete and total endorsement," Trump said in a June 2 telephone rally. "It's being watched all over the world because New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show." There are plenty of compelling storylines coming out of the Big Apple race. It started with the future of Mayor Eric Adams, who faces serious questions about why the U.S. Department of Justice dropped corruption charges against him that were filed during the Biden administration. Critics maintain the former NYPD detective began cooperating with the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration in exchange for federal prosectors to look the other way, which Adams vehemently denies. But the embattled incumbent's 11th-hour decision to ditch the Democrats and run as an independent opened up the door for another narrative that has overtaken the race, and that is the return of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to politics. The 67-year-old heir of the Cuomo political dynasty announced in March he was running for the Democratic nomination and he quickly reemerged on the political scene as the front-runner after resigning amid his own scandals in 2021, including allegations of sexual harassment that he denies. Many thought Cuomo's career was finished but polling shows him with a healthy lead in the city's mayoral contest, which uses ranked-choice voting. He is also raking in significant endorsements from former opponents, New York members of Congress and unions that once urged him to resign, too. Progressives are now scrambling ahead of the June 24 election looking to build a working-class coalition among the remaining contenders that can keep Cuomo from the Democratic nomination. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is looked at as a face of that resistance to Cuomo. She is backing Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old assemblyman who wants a $10 billion tax hike on wealthy individuals and businesses to help pay for free childcare up to age five, no fares on city buses and no increases for rent-stabilized apartments. "I think New Yorkers are hungry for a different kind of politics," Mamdani told USA TODAY. "They're hungry for a politics that puts working people first." AOC's endorsement adds a new wrinkle to the race, and will test the congresswoman's influence as she has been criss-crossing the country building up her national party brand. Virginia may not be the national bellwether it used to be in some political experts' minds. But the national implications cannot be overlooked as one of the first elections on the heels of a presidential race. Unlike New Jersey, however, the Old Dominion State's primaries won't be competitive. They will be setting up a historic and contrasting contest for this fall. Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA agent, is running unopposed. Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the state's lieutenant governor, had a handful of challengers who failed to qualify for the ballot. Whoever wins, Virginia will have its first women governor. On the issues, the two are total opposites, especially on Trump's agenda. Virginia is home to about 152,300 federal workers, and the president's cuts to the government workforce will be a major issue. Democrats say they are also eager to make the campaign about economy-threatening tariffs, and they hope to use Earle-Sears' controversial comments on social issues against her. Republicans have pulled off an upset in Virginia before. Glenn Youngkin won the governor's mansion in 2021, which many point to as the beginning of the end for the Biden presidency. Earle-Sears, who would be the first Black women governor in U.S. history if elected, has leaned into economic populism. She's unveiled an "Axe the Tax" plan that would take end taxes on tips for food service and hospitality workers, in addition to eliminating Virginia's automobile tax and other vehicle-based property taxes. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 things to know about the N.J., Virginia and N.Y. primaries
