Regulatory Scrutiny

In a striking power play, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has formally requested to scrutinize the work of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the federal agency that has, since the 1920s, served as Congress’s watchdog against waste, fraud and mismanagement. DOGE’s move comes amid its high-profile campaign to root out inefficiency across the executive branch, but the GAO—guarded by its status as a legislative branch entity—has flatly declined to participate. This clash not only highlights the growing reach of Musk’s budget-cutting initiative, but also ignites a broader debate over executive authority, impoundment powers and the independence of long-standing congressional oversight institutions.

A grieving Indigenous woman was forced to wait more than 500 days to receive a death benefit payment following the death of her husband due to the "poor industry practices" of an unnamed superannuation fund, according to a landmark report released by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).