Good morning!đđźââď¸ I’m Nicole Fallert. âNow is the time to be brave and stand up for your neighbors.â
Close out the week with Friday’s news:
Men’s Sweet 16 has few unexpected guests
There is a new normal in college basketball: Players at lower levels perform well, then transfer to well-funded schools in major conferences that offer the opportunity to make significant money through name, image and likeness.
No more fairy tales: Some fans are worried this trend has killed the “Cinderella” â rags-to-riches stories of underdogs soaring to victory in the annual NCAA tournament.
đ Follow Friday’s men’s and women’s Sweet 16 match-ups live with USA TODAY Sports.
Even if Signal chat wasn’t classified, federal laws could apply
When former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got in hot water for using a personal email system during the Obama administration, multiple Trump administration officials â including members of the chat â said she should have been prosecuted. Now, the Justice Department declined to comment when asked whether it is opening an investigation or considering prosecutions in the wake of an explosive report that senior Trump administration officials discussed planned military strikes in a Signal chat that included a journalist. The White House insisted the information wasn’t classified â but legal and national security experts say that wouldn’t eliminate legal questions.
More news to know now
What’s the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Here’s how RFK Jr.’s health department cuts will affect you
Federal agencies that influence or fund how Americans get health care face widespread changes under plans by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to eliminate 10,000 jobs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Targeted federal agencies oversee how the nation pays for health care for older Americans and the poor. They also research infectious diseases and public health threats. The overhaul also will bring changes to the agency that scrutinizes the safety of prescription drugs, food and medical devices. HHS said Medicaid and Medicare services wouldn’t be impacted, but Congress plans additional cuts to these programs anyway.
Meet the Amish farmer who ignited outrage over raw milk and rose to MAGA fame
Customers of Pennsylvania farmer Amos Miller, believes his dairy is so wholesome that it’s a kind of medicine, bearing little resemblance to the nutrient-poor, lifeless foods that dominate American grocery stores. Despite hailing from a historically apolitical and publicity-avoidant religious community, the Amish farmer has turned into a kind of folk hero among MAGA Republicans â and a symbol of the political rightâs growing thirst for raw milk. But Miller’s critics contend his battle against food inspections and regulation isnât about making some principled stand against government overreach. They say it’s more about money.
Today’s talkers
You can see what’s polluting your water â for now
More than 37 million Americans drink water from systems that exceed limits on toxic “forever chemicals,” according to USA TODAY’s analysis of the first update of Environmental Protection Agency data under the Trump administration. The EPA usually updates these records quarterly like clockwork, but the latest data release came more than a month later than expected, tucked amid an onslaught of cuts and changes within the agency. One program that survived, though, was the EPAâs effort to monitor public drinking water systems for almost 30 types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
Photo of the day:Â Ilia Malinin is near flawless
Ilia Malinin, 20, turned in one of the best short programs of his senior career Thursday at the 2025 world figure skating championships. His jumps â including two quads â were clean, his choreography energetic and crisp. And an incredible personal best score of 110.41 followed.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.
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