This Super Bowl Has Drama, Diss Tracks, and a QB Showdown

What's Happening

Sports

This Super Bowl Has Drama, Diss Tracks, and a QB Showdown

What's going on: If you love a good subplot, this year’s Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles has plenty. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s proposal speculation? Check. President Donald Trump in attendance? Yep. A potential stadium-wide diss track? Wouldn’t be surprised. Even if watching grown men throw a ball isn’t your thing, the off-field drama alone is worth tuning in for. Expect to see “five gigantic humans” from the Eagles — the heaviest and tallest offensive line in Super Bowl history — clearing the way for running back Saquon Barkley, who has plowed through defenses all season. Case in point: This “no-look hurdle.” The Chiefs might not carry as much weight, but they do have their game-day rituals (Brittany Mahomes’ words of wisdom and Donna Kelce’s iconic cookies) and a possible secret playbook that could be the winning strategy to securing their first Super Bowl three-peat.

Tell me more: The true winner of the night might be Kendrick Lamar, who will make history as the first solo rap artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime show. He hasn't confirmed whether he’ll perform his Grammy-winning Drake diss “Not Like Us,” but fans can expect to see “storytelling” and SZA. Also making history on Sunday is Trump, who will be the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. His visit, however, doesn’t appear to have done much for slumping ticket prices for a seat at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome (though he'll likely take credit for the crowd size). And for the millions watching from the couch, there will, of course, be celeb-packed ads — because nothing says “America’s biggest game” like a truck ad that somehow makes you cry or whatever Ben Affleck will star in this year.

Related: New Orleans Officials Promise Safety. Some Locals Aren’t Convinced (ABC)

Politics

Forget "Where's Waldo?" Where Are the Democrats?

What's going on: In between a flurry of executive orders and DOGE teenagers, many are asking: What is the Democrats’ game plan? So much so that there are reports of angry constituents calling Dem offices nonstop, demanding they “fight harder” against President Donald Trump’s actions. The party has struggled to find its footing since Trump’s return but has taken some steps in the last few days. They’ve threatened to oppose Trump’s remaining cabinet nominees…even though Republicans likely don’t need their votes. They’ve rallied outside several federal agencies, but when Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) tried to start a “We will win” chant, protesters countered with “Shut the Senate down!” Democratic committee leaders have also sent letters to Trump and his administration, demanding more information on DOGE’s actions, but there’s no guarantee they’ll get a response.

What it means: The reality is, without control of Congress, Democratic lawmakers don’t have much power to stop or slow down Trump (or his deputy, Elon Musk). The only real tool in their legislative arsenal is the court system. Several Democratic attorneys general filed challenges to some of Trump’s EOs, but these legal challenges could take years to play out and may even end up before the Supreme Court. The Dems could also take a page out of the GOP’s playbook: Leveraging a possible default on the national debt to negotiate with Trump. Democrats are also struggling to shift public perception. Polls show they’re the most unpopular they’ve been in almost two decades. To regain ground, they'll need to craft a unified message that goes beyond calling Trump’s plans “insane” and convince voters that they are up to the task.

Related: Pam Bondi Is Going After Officials Who Previously Investigated Trump (ABC)

Health

Kansas Rolled Back Health Protections — Now It's Battling a TB Outbreak

What's going on: Kansas is grappling with one of the largest tuberculosis outbreaks ever recorded in the US. Since January, health officials have reported 67 active cases across two counties — exceeding the state’s typical yearly total. Experts warn that tuberculosis outbreaks signal weaknesses in public health infrastructure. Kansas has rolled back public health powers in recent years, restricting officials from enforcing testing, isolation, or closures during outbreaks. Crowded settings like shelters and prisons can become hotbeds for tuberculosis, especially since these are places where people have limited access to quality healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health officials are working to contain the spread.

What it means: Weakening public health powers comes at a cost — making outbreaks like Kansas’s tuberculosis crisis even harder to manage. It also puts recent Trump administration policies to the test, raising urgent questions about how restrictions on the CDC and other federal health agencies will impact outbreak detection and response now and in the future. On a global level, the loss of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs could accelerate tuberculosis transmission, raising risks in the US as those exposed overseas may carry the infection back with them. Without strong coordination between state and federal agencies, experts warn outbreaks could become harder to track and control.

Related: White House Preps Order To Cut Thousands of Federal Health Workers (WSJ Gift Link)

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The Kansas City Chiefs are the betting favorites to win Sunday. Do you know who took home the first Super Bowl title in 1967?

Extra Credit

Stream

If you've been patiently waiting for the next Laverne Cox-led series, good news: Prime Video's Clean Slate has arrived. In the eight-episode series (which happens to be one of the final projects of the late Norman Lear), Cox plays Desiree Slate, an NYC art dealer who's forced to move back to Alabama and live with her gruff, old-school dad Harry (standup legend George Wallace), who's surprised to learn his estranged son has transitioned. Despite some initial hiccups, the two quickly embark on a very funny, very feel-good journey of reconnection in "a charming story that allows Cox to show off her innate magnetism."

Game Time

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