There are already some signals about which government expenses could be on the chopping block for Elon Musk's DOGE.

Musk isn’t introducing a novel idea. For years, people have advocated eliminating the penny, as pennies are rarely spent as change. And since the Covid-19 pandemic, more consumers are shopping online or avoiding physical currency altogether .

A gesture associated with the Nazis has a surprising history. But in Germany, there was little doubt about its meaning.