Severe flooding in Kentucky and 'SNL50' top moments: Morning Rundown

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17-02-2025

Elon Musk's DOGE expected to seek access to personal taxpayer data. The highlights from the 'Saturday Night Live' 50th anniversary special. And how the next generation of farmers will struggle to fit on preserved farmland.
Here's what to know today.
An IRS employee who is affiliated with the Department of Government Efficiency is expected to seek access to an IRS system that houses sensitive taxpayer information, according to an administration official.
The DOGE-affiliated person in question is an IRS employee who started after President Donald Trump's second inauguration, the administration official confirmed to NBC News. The official said the employee was carrying out the 'DOGE mission' and acting 'legally and with the appropriate security clearances.'The access would be to the Integrated Data Retrieval System, which allows IRS employees to access taxpayer accounts. An administration official originally said that the employee had been granted access but later clarified that the employee was expected to seek access and was not already in the system.
The IDRS allows employees to have 'instantaneous visual access to certain taxpayer accounts,' according to the IRS website. It contains information such as taxpayers' individual master files, taxpayer identification numbers, retirement account information and details on pending adoptions.
'Waste, fraud, and abuse have been deeply entrenched in our broken system for far too long,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said when asked about the employee's potential access to the sensitive system. 'It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it.'
Read the full story here.
The Trump administration terminated hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including fellows responsible for key public health roles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told his aides to reject Trump administration officials' proposal that would grant the United States significant access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals, a Ukrainian official close to Zelenskyy confirmed to NBC News.
Here's how Elon Musk is boosting far-right politics across the globe.
White House border czar Tom Homan denied allegations of a quid pro quo between the Trump administration and New York Mayor Eric Adams.
The Trump administration will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that ordered a government ethics watchdog reinstated to his post after he was fired by the president.
Live from New York.....it's 'Saturday Night Live 50: The Anniversary Special!'
Former hosts, cast members, and A-list celebrities joined for the three-and-a-half-hour prime-time special that was a star-studded and nostalgia-packed affair. The special was filled with reflections and a culmination of events that began on Friday with a concert.
Steve Martin, who described himself as 'SNL's' newest 'diversity hire,' delivered the opening monologue, poking fun at everything from AI to his longtime pal and fellow 'SNL' alum Martin Short. Adam Sandler sang a special original song dedicated to 'SNL.' 'Fifty years of the best times of our lives,' Sandler said at the end of the song, before thanking 'SNL' creator Lorne Michaels. John Mulaney and many celebrity guests returned to the stage to sing about New York City in a big musical number.
Some of "SNL's" famous recurring characters made appearances, including Kristen Wiig's "Dooneese," Will Ferrell's Robert Goulet, Molly Shannon's "Sally O'Malley," Pete Davidson's "Chad," Rachel Dratch's "Debbie Downer," Cecily Strong's "the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party" and Bobby Moynihan's "Drunk Uncle."
Catch up on all of the biggest moments from the anniversary special here.
Missed out on some of the fun? You can watch highlights here.
Flooding has wreaked havoc across Kentucky, leading to more than 1,000 rescues as emergency teams race to help those trapped by rising waters. At least nine fatalities have been confirmed, with officials warning the death toll will likely rise as search-and-rescue efforts continue. President Donald Trump approved disaster relief funding for the state.
'This is one of the most serious weather events we've dealt with in at least a decade,' Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. Nearly 40,000 residents were without power, 9,800 service connections lacked water and 26,000 were under a boil-water advisory, authorities said.
Severe storms also swept through parts of Florida and Georgia, where tornado watches were in effect, the National Weather Service said.
Read the full story here.
The assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks was arrested by Dallas police for an assault investigation.
Shakira said she was hospitalized for an abdominal issue.
Men say they were conned by the woman linked to the Telemundo reporter's death and went to the police, but heard nothing back.
'Conclave' won best picture at the BAFTAs and 'The Brutalist' took home directing and acting prizes.
As Roger Short lost his eyesight and came to terms with selling the farm in Washington state where he and his wife raised their six children, he turned to a longstanding practice: farmland preservation. By securing a conservation easement for the property, Short, now 82, had hoped a younger farmer could continue working the land. But today, it's owned by the area's port authority, which leases slivers to local farmers and doesn't expect to see a profit for another two years. The setup results from the fine print of farmland preservation, which reporting intern Alexandra Byrne finds hasn't always kept up with next-generation growers' needs or budgets, leaving many acres underutilized.
— Rich Bellis, senior business editor
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com