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Good morning!
I'm Nicole Fallert.“Now is the time to be brave and stand up for your neighbors.”
There is a new normal in college basketball: Players at lower levels perform well, the transfer portal will give them a chance to play somewhere else without sitting out a year. Then, the opportunity to make significant money through name, image and likeness will usually draw them to schools with the most money in the major conferences.
Why it matters: Some fans are worried shifts in college basketball has killed the "Cinderella" — those rags-to-riches stories of underdog teams and players that soar to victory in the annual NCAA tournament.
Follow Friday's men's and women's Sweet 16 match-ups live with USA TODAY Sports.
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 – including members of the chat – 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 quickly insisted the information wasn't classified — but legal and national security experts say that wouldn't eliminate legal questions concerning the stunning security breach.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
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. These 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.
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 — and a symbol of the political right’s growing thirst for raw milk. But Miller's critics contend, his battle against food inspections and regulation isn’t about making some principled stand against government overreach. They say it's more about money.
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 EPA’s effort to monitor public drinking water systems for almost 30 types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
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 − including two quads − 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 [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daily Briefing: Cinderella flees college basketball
Continue reading...
I'm Nicole Fallert.“Now is the time to be brave and stand up for your neighbors.”Close out the week with Friday's news:
- Changes in college basketball could mean fewer March Madness upsets.
- The White House says the Yemen strikes chat wasn't classified.
- An Amish farmer has turned into a kind of folk hero among MAGA Republicans.
Men's Sweet 16 has few unexpected guests
There is a new normal in college basketball: Players at lower levels perform well, the transfer portal will give them a chance to play somewhere else without sitting out a year. Then, the opportunity to make significant money through name, image and likeness will usually draw them to schools with the most money in the major conferences.
Why it matters: Some fans are worried shifts in college basketball has killed the "Cinderella" — those rags-to-riches stories of underdog teams and players that soar to victory in the annual NCAA tournament.
- No Cinderellas this year: Zero teams from mid-major conferences reached the Sweet 16 in 2025, the first time since tournament expansion.
- It’s possible this year is a one-off. But just two years ago, Princeton, Florida Atlantic and San Diego State all made it to the Sweet 16 and beyond. Has college basketball changed that much in such a short period of time?
- Follow the money: The financial advantages of being in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 or Big East loom large for teams from mid-major conferences — but it's not clear if the squeeze out is a permanent shift.
Follow Friday's men's and women's Sweet 16 match-ups live with USA TODAY Sports.
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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 – including members of the chat – 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 quickly insisted the information wasn't classified — but legal and national security experts say that wouldn't eliminate legal questions concerning the stunning security breach.
More news to know now
- The Vances' are set for a Greenland visit Fridayamid raised eyebrows, no dogs and few Greenlanders.
- Democrats found hope in special election wins in Pennsylvania.
- Don't get too springy yet — winter weather is coming for many Americans this weekend.
- Everyone agreed the deadly D.C. plane crashwas preventable.
- University of Michigan, longtime champion of progressive values, will close its DEI office.
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. These 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 — and a symbol of the political right’s growing thirst for raw milk. But Miller's critics contend, his battle against food inspections and regulation isn’t about making some principled stand against government overreach. They say it's more about money.
Today's talkers
- Prepare for an upswing in car prices.
- Opening Day wasn't a normal Dodgers game, it was a Hollywood premiere in LA.
- We're buying these Amazon spring deals like crazy.
- UConn's Dan Hurley regrets that postgame rant.
- Sundance Film Festivalis relocating to Colorado.
You can see what's polluting your water — 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 EPA’s effort to monitor public drinking water systems for almost 30 types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
Photo of the day: 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 − including two quads − were clean, his choreography energetic and crisp. And an incredible personal best score of 110.41 followed.
You must be registered for see images attach
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 [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daily Briefing: Cinderella flees college basketball
Continue reading...
