Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,004 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Ozempic gets okayed for kidney disease

• Google Maps updates

• Beetle battle wins best photo

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Big Story

Memo Frenzy

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the White House's directive to freeze federal spending.

• The freeze, if implemented, would impact about $3 trillion in federal funding that was spent in 2024 on various programs. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as a "temporary pause” to review organizations’ alignments with President Trump’s executive orders.

• The memo specifically targets programs related to DEI, gender policies, and environmental initiatives. Medicare and Social Security were exempted, but Medicaid portals had widespread issues on Tuesday. Officials denied it was related to the freeze.

• Meanwhile, the White House issued another memo Tuesday offering buyouts to all federal workers who don’t want to return to the office. Those who accept will receive pay and benefits through Sept. 30.

• Only 6% of federal employees work full-time in office. Hundreds of thousands are expected to accept the offer, eventually saving taxpayers $100 billion a year.

Big Story

Shrimp Fraud

Shrimp fraud is rampant along the US Gulf Coast.

• According to new research by SeaD Consulting, most Gulf Coast restaurants falsely advertise imported shrimp as local Gulf shrimp. Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg were the worst offenders, where 96% of restaurants tested lied about their shrimp’s origin. Other cities were similar, with Biloxi at 82% and Galveston at 59%.

• While about 90% of shrimp eaten in the United States comes from overseas, local Gulf Coast shrimpers are struggling to compete with cheaper imports from countries like India, Vietnam, and Ecuador.

• States are beginning to address this problem through new laws. Louisiana and Alabama now require restaurants to clearly state on their menus when they're serving imported shrimp and specify the country of origin.

• The enforcement is possible through a new test that can quickly identify Atlantic white shrimp species in both raw and cooked form, reducing the testing time from five days to just two hours and allowing for on-site testing at restaurants.

Big Story

Ozempic For Kidney Disease

The FDA has approved Ozempic for a new use: treating chronic kidney disease in patients who have Type 2 diabetes.

• While the drug was already approved for diabetes treatment, the expansion allows doctors to use it specifically to reduce the risk of kidney disease getting worse, kidney failure, and death from heart disease.

• About 37 million American adults have chronic kidney disease, and roughly 40% of Type 2 diabetes patients develop kidney problems.

• The approval was based on results from a large clinical trial called FLOW. The study showed that Ozempic reduced serious kidney-related problems by 24% compared to a placebo. Ozempic takers also saw their kidney function decline more slowly, had 18% fewer major heart problems, and had a 20% lower risk of death from any cause.

Quick Stories

US News

• Google Maps will rename the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali to the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley in response to a presidential executive order. (More)

• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the mysterious drones seen over New Jersey and the East Coast last year were FAA-authorized flights, according to information she received directly from President Trump. (More)

• An Indiana sheriff’s deputy fatally shot Matthew Huttle during a struggle at a traffic stop. President Trump recently pardoned Huttle for his role in the Jan. 6th Capitol riot. (More)

World

• An Air Busan Airbus caught fire at South Korea's Gimhae International Airport before its scheduled departure, leading to the evacuation of all 176 passengers and crew members. Three people suffered minor injuries. (More)

• The Louvre Museum in Paris plans to relocate the famous "Mona Lisa" painting to its own dedicated room while renovating the main entrance to enhance the viewing experience for museum visitors. (More)

• Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic has resigned in response to continued protests over a fatal train station collapse in Novi Sad. Protests have been held constantly since the accident last November. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Tuesday (S&P +0.92%, Nasdaq +2.03%, Dow +0.31%). Stocks recovered some ground after Monday’s sell-off over the emergence of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. (More)

• Elon Musk's social media platform X has partnered with Visa to launch a digital wallet and peer-to-peer payment system called X Money Account. (More)

• Workers at a Philadelphia Whole Foods store successfully voted to unionize, requiring the Amazon-owned grocery chain to now negotiate with its first union-represented location. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• A new women's basketball league called Unrivaled will host a 1-on-1 tournament Feb. 10-14, where 30 WNBA players compete for a $200,000 grand prize from a $350,000 total prize pool. (More)

• The NCAA is moving the men's basketball championship game's start time 30 minutes earlier to 8:50 PM ET, addressing fans' complaints about the traditionally late finish on Monday nights. (More)

• NBC's "Opry 100: A Live Celebration" marks the Grand Ole Opry's 100th anniversary. Host Blake Shelton and major country stars like Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire will perform live at the venue on March 19. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• A study discovered that hummingbird flower mites use electrical charges to help them quickly jump between flowers while hitchhiking on hummingbird beaks. (More)

• Scientists predict that Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano off Oregon's coast, will erupt by the end of 2025 based on observed swelling patterns beneath the ocean floor. (More)

• A Danish fossil hunter discovered ancient vomit containing sea lily fragments preserved in chalk at the Stevns Klint cliffs, dating back to the dinosaur era. (More)

Extra Credit

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 In the future, we may be able to customize our kids. 

✈️ The best times and dates to book flights. 

💰️ Beetle battle wins close-up photography challenge. 

🧪 The science behind why scrapes hurt.