Good afternoon,

Before we get to the news, here’s a taste of what’s ahead for all of us this weekend in our ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section:

What We’re Watching:

• Mosh: Finishing Your Friends and Neighbors ~Apple TV and starting Adults ~FX/Hulu

• Jill: Sirens ~Netflix

• Lauren: Ana de Armas ~Hot Ones

• Sam: Buena Vista Social Club ~Broadway

What We’re Reading:

• Mosh: The Gunfighter: How Texas Made The West Wild by Bryan Burrough

• Jill: “The Perilous Spread of the Wellness Craze” ~The Atlantic

• Lauren: The Women by Kristin Hannah

• Sam: “They Built a Friendship Fighting for Peace. The Friendship Is Over.” ~NYT

What We’re Eating:

• Mosh: Cereal ice cream from Milkbar ~SoHo, Manhattan

• Jill: Tommy Tacos ~Long Island

• Lauren: Call Your Mother Deli ~DC

• Sam: Smorgasburg ~Brooklyn

See you in June!

The Mo News Team

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Elon Musk’s Federal Cost Cutting Initiative Had Big Promises, Mixed Results

Elon Musk said goodbye Friday to the White House and leading his federal cost-cutting initiative, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In his parting message, the world’s richest man compared the group’s work to Buddhism, calling DOGE “a way of life” that will “permeate” the federal government.

The Tesla CEO capped his 130-day federal government stint netting $160 billion in DOGE savings, though experts say the true figure is significantly lower. The number falls short of the $2 trillion Musk sought to cut from federal spending, though Musk and President Trump from Oval Office Friday vowed that DOGE will continue to look for more potential cuts over the next year.

THE LEGACY HE LEAVES
The future of DOGE is uncertain without Musk as the face of it, though several of his top allies will continue the effort. The DOGE mandate is set to expire in just over 13 months — on July 4, 2026.

• The memories: Musk wielded a chainsaw from Argentina’s president, helped turn the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom, wore a giant cheesehead, and did that questionable salute…

  • It comes as a new New York Times report details Musk’s drug use on the campaign trail.

• Reshaping the federal workforce: DOGE claims it has eliminated over 26,000 federal grants and contracts worth $73 billion, and reduced the workforce by more than 260,000 through buyouts, early retirements, and firings.

  • The nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service estimates that DOGE’s moves will cost $270 billion in expanded paid leave and declines in productivity. That means, DOGE’s efforts have cost taxpayers more than it’s saved.

  • DOGE also faces multiple lawsuits to questions about whether their approach to cutting personnel and entire agencies is constitutional.

Bottom line: The cost savings Musk hoped to achieve did not come to fruition. And, as Musk noted in a CBS “Sunday Morning” interview this week, the massive spending and tax cut package the House passed, under pressure from Trump, “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.” Plus, the federal government’s spending is up 10% in Trump’s first months in office compared to the same time period last year.

DIVIDE OVER MUSK’S EXIT
On the right, Musk is largely being praised for his cost-cutting efforts and the personal sacrifices he made during his time in the White House, including a significant decline in his stock holdings.

Over on the left, Democrats are not feeling the love… Michelle Goldberg wrote from the Times opinion section: “Elon Musk’s Legacy Is Disease, Starvation and Death.” Some Democrats on Capitol Hill still want him to testify on his role in reshaping the federal government.

What’s next: Musk said he will remain a “friend and adviser” to the president, whose campaign he supported with more than $250 million. It’s unclear whether Musk’s foray into politics will have staying power — but for now, he’s left a polarizing mark that has impacted his net worth by tens of billions and one that’s unlikely to fade quietly.

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🚨 ONE THING FOR THE SWIFTIES

Taylor Swift Buys Back Rights To First Six Albums

It’s a big day for Taylor Swift, who announced Friday that she regained ownership of the master recordings for her first six studio albums — a battle she’s been fighting for six years. She paid an undisclosed 9-figure sum to Shamrock Capital.

• How we got here: Back in 2019, Swift’s former label sold them to music manager Scooter Braun, allegedly without her consent. The original deal, estimated to be than $300 million, was part of a larger acquisition of the Nashville record company Big Machine.

  • In 2020, Braun then sold the catalog to a private equity company, Shamrock, for $300 million after Swift reportedly would not sign an NDA and did not want Braun to continue to profit from her work.

Now, Swift has bought back her albums “Taylor Swift” (2006), “Fearless” (2008), “Speak Now” (2010), “Red” (2012), “1989” (2014)” and “Reputation” (2017) from Shamrock, along with videos and unreleased material from that time.

HOW WE GOT HERE
After Braun’s acquisition, Swift responded by re-recording four of the albums as “Taylor’s Version” and releasing them. She has claimed the Braun deal “stripped me of my life’s work,” and left her catalog “in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”

• In a letter posted Friday, Swift noted that her record-breaking $2 billion Eras Tour "is why I was able to buy back my music.”

Who’s not getting the love? Braun. A source close to the negotiations told Variety, “Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him.” As for Braun — who stepped away from music management last year — he said in 2021 that he felt “regret” over the situation.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING: In Partnership With BuzzRX

GLP-1 Shots: How Much Weight Can You Lose, And Will It Stay Off?

A new era of weight loss is here — and drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy are at the center of it. But long-term success depends on more than just the shot. Plus, a common frustration for many Americans WITH insurance is repeated denials for claims that should be covered.

Dr. Cedric Jamie Rutland, a critical care physician and BuzzRx Medical Advisor, spoke with Mo News to share both personal experience and clinical insights on semaglutide (or GLP-1) drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, and how to navigate coverage.

GETTING THE MOST OUT A GLP-1
Rutland says he now recommends semaglutide drugs as a first resort as opposed to a last resort for a number of patients. That’s because his patients typically lose around 15% of their body weight over the course of a year, and some lose even more. He’s seen weight loss reverse diabetes, eliminate sleep apnea, reduce joint pain, and help with other ailments.

• But, when it comes to keeping the weight off, Rutland emphasizes that long-term success with GLP-1 weight-loss drugs depends on lifestyle changes.

  • "The people that are the most successful, who keep the weight off, are the people who completely change their lifestyle," Rutland notes, stressing that lasting results depend on building new habits, not just taking the medication.

THE $$ OF IT
Unfortunately, affordability is a big challenge. Rutland notes insurance denials often come down to how clinical notes are written or patients not fully understanding their insurance plans. His advice? Go back to your doctor and ask them to rewrite or resubmit the request with better documentation if you were denied.

• Some of the newer GLP-1 medications can cost over $1,000+ per month without insurance.

  • Even with coverage, many insurance plans place them in higher-cost tiers or require prior authorization.

• This is where BuzzRx can help by offering discounts; in fact, customers have saved over $4.5 million on semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) alone from January 2023 to the present. They save an average of $170 per month on the medication!

BuzzRx, a prescription drug discount card and app service, saves users hundreds of dollars each month and has partnered with Mo News for a series focused on America's health and the prescription drug industry.

Mo News Special: BuzzRx is offering the Mo News community up to $5 off your first prescription fill at BuzzRx.com/MoNews

🎧 Listen to the full conversation on the Mo News The Interview podcast, wherever you get your podcasts, for more on health insurance costs, the role of pharmacy benefit managers, and the impact of the Affordable Care Act over the last decade.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Supreme court allows Trump to revoke 500K Migrants’ legal status, for now (MO NEWS)

📌 Michigan Gov. Whitmer says Trump agreed not to pardon kidnapping plotters (CNN)

📌 White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.'s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report (AP)

📌 CDC now says kids "may receive" COVID-19 vaccines, replacing broad recommendation (CBS)

📌 Ernst draws groans at Iowa town hall after retort on Medicaid cuts, saying ‘we all are going to die’ (AP)

📌 PEW Research Center releases report on LGBTQ Americans today (PEW)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Ukraine says it wants to see Russian proposals before agreeing to more peace talks (NBC)

📌 Hamas discussing U.S. ceasefire plan with other Palestinian factions (FOREIGN POLICY); Israel approves biggest expansion of West Bank settlements in decades (CNN)

📌 At least 111 people dead after floods submerge a market town in Nigeria (AP)

📌 A dachshund has survived 17 months in the Australian wilderness (NPR)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Trump: China ‘totally violated’ preliminary U.S. trade deal (MO NEWS)

📌 A wrongful death lawsuit says Big Oil contributed to heat wave and woman’s death (AP)

📌 CDC steps up measles travel warning after spread in airplane (CBS)

📌 Google’s Gemini will now automatically summarize your long emails unless you opt out (TECH CRUNCH)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Loretta Swit, ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on ‘MASH,’ dies at 87 (VARIETY)

📌 Nathan Fielder calls the FAA “dumb” in CNN interview about his show on airline safety (MO NEWS)

📌 Teen from Allen,Texas wins Scripps National Spelling Bee with 'eclaircissement' (FOX)

📌 Ryan Coogler hosts ‘Sinners’ screening in Mississippi town where film is set (AP)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Sydney Sweeney (of Euphoria fame) is partnering with Dr. Squatch to launch a bar of soap 🧼 made with drops of her own bathwater.

There will be 5,000 limited-edition bars of “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss” sold on the Dr. Squatch website beginning June 6. One Instagram commenter put it bluntly: “this the only way we gonna get dudes to shower.”