If you work (or worked) at the federal Education Department and are alarmed by what you’re seeing right now, this is my perennial reminder that I’m always reachable by email (zschermele@usatoday.com) or phone/Signal at (406) 836-2246.

Elon Musk's DOGE examines Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services payment and contracting systems.

Two senior agency veterans focused on policy and operations are working with DOGE to review the agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid, which provide health insurance for about 1 in 4 Americans, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman.

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Maybe the third time isn't a charm for American audiences as they prepare to watch the #KansasCityChiefs and #PatrickMahomes aim for their third consecutive championship. From ticket prices to online interest, the numbers for Sunday #SuperBowl59 are trending down. The only aspect generating more anticipation than last year: the commercials.

Last year’s Super Bowl was the most watched ever, partly because of the buzz around #TaylorSwift’s new-ish relationship with the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce. So the bar has been set pretty high. Here's how our interest in the Super Bowl has changed since 2024, based on Zeta Global's analysis of 245 million Americans’ online interactions:

Overall interest in the game: 🔻14%
Taylor Swift: 🔻20%
Halftime show: 🔻6%
Commercials: 🔺192%

https://lnkd.in/egJ6c7ru

Free coffee, anyone? ☕️

#SuperBowl59 is this Sunday, meaning millions of viewers across the country will stay up late to watch the game, whether for the football, for the halftime show, or for the commercials. Starbucks is hoping to wake fans up Monday with free coffee.

The coffee chain announced Wednesday it is offering Starbucks Rewards members free coffee on Monday, Feb. 10, in a promotion the company is calling "Starbucks Monday." If you are a member of the rewards program, you can stop in for a free tall hot or iced brewed coffee any time, the company said.

The Grammys took place Sunday night, but the moment no one can stop talking about days later actually occurred before the main ceremony even started − when Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, hit the red carpet with his wife, model Bianca Censori.

Jaws dropped when the couple stopped to pose for pictures. In videos now circulating all over social media, a stone-faced Ye stands by Censori as she drops her large fur coat to reveal a skin-tight, see-through outfit underneath − essentially exposing her entire naked body to photographers. Ye, by contrast, wears a T-shirt, pants and sunglasses.

So was Censori being on the carpet in the nude degrading or empowering? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gw75FypT