Your Morning: Are millions of dead people receiving Social Security benefits?

Social Security: Elon Musk said he might have uncovered “the biggest fraud in history” when he found millions of people over age 100 listed in a Social Security database, but that’s not what’s happening. While it’s true there are only 90,000 people over 100 living in the U.S., that doesn’t mean millions of dead beneficiaries are receiving Social Security checks. Records with incomplete death information are a well-known, long-standing challenge for the Social Security Administration, but a 2023 agency inspector general report found “almost none” of the 18.9 million people listed as 100 or older were receiving benefits. What to know >

Data request: Acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration Michelle King has stepped down from her role after the Department of Government Efficiency requested access to private information, according to reports. Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley told NewsNation, “I think she should hold her head high… I think she’s a patriot if the reports I’m hearing are true.” What’s on the horizon for Social Security? >

DOGE: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Tuesday refused the request of 14 Democratic state attorneys general to immediately impose wide-ranging restrictions on Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The coalition of states claimed Musk’s role heading DOGE is unconstitutional since he was not confirmed by the Senate, but Chutkan said they had not made the necessary showing of irreparable harm. Details >

‘Death cult’: A day after alleged “Zizian” leader Jack LaSota was arrested, investigators say radical veganism, artificial intelligence and transgender identity connected members to the so-called “death cult.” Authorities say the group is connected to the shooting death of Border Patrol agent David Maland and five others. The alleged crimes occurred in Vermont, Pennsylvania and California over the last three years. NewsNation reviewed court records in the recent arrest of the cult leader that tells the story of how the group of young, highly intelligent computer scientists met online and shared anarchist beliefs. What to know >

IVF order: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to expand access to and reduce costs of in vitro fertilization and issued a presidential memorandum calling for “radical transparency requirements” from the government. What to know about IVF >

DEI: Trump’s Education Department is giving U.S. schools and universities two weeks to eliminate diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money. Details >

‘You’re fired’: Trump said he directed the Department of Justice to fire all remaining “Biden-era” U.S. attorneys, claiming the department “has been politicized like never before.” There are 93 U.S. attorneys, each responsible for a specific judicial district. Full report >

National parks: The Trump administration fired roughly 1,000 newly hired National Park Service employees who clean parks, educate visitors and work on other functions. How staffing cuts could impact park visits >

‘Nothing is going to be off limits’: While speaking to U.S. Health and Human Services agency employees Tuesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised to investigate the child vaccine schedule. He added that antidepressants, microplastics, pesticides, food additives and electromagnetic waves emitted by cellphones would also be reviewed. Kennedy’s plan to investigate the child vaccine schedule comes after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy voted to send Kennedy’s nomination to the Senate floor after he said Kennedy gave him assurances he would not alter the federal vaccine schedule. 5 questions as RFK Jr. takes HHS reins >

Drones: To combat drug cartels, the CIA is ramping up secret drone flights over Mexico, the New York Times reported Tuesday. This “covert” drone program began under the Biden administration and has not previously been disclosed, U.S. officials told the newspaper. Now, President Donald Trump and his CIA director, John Ratliff, have increased the use of drones, the report said. What to know >

Deportations: Nearly 300 migrants deported under Trump are being detained in a Panama hotel. Authorities say more than 40% will not voluntarily return to their homeland. The latest >

Border report: An order Border Patrol agents were sent telling them to stop using body cameras has now been lifted. Border Patrol sources tell NewsNation that agents are now being directed to resume normal operations. Last week, Customs and Border Protection sent out a memo saying there was a “potential security risk” associated with the cameras. Read more >

Your money: Higher fast-food prices have led to a quiet revolution: More adult customers are opting for kids’ meals. According to data collected by FinanceBuzz, fast-food menu prices have risen between 39% and 100% over the past decade, outpacing inflation. McDonald’s prices have doubled, Popeyes is up 86% and Taco Bell prices have climbed by 81%. Read more >

Gabby Petito case: The parents of Gabby Petito say they destroyed their daughter’s white van to prevent someone from turning it into a ghoulish trophy, but they have retained at least a couple of mementos. Gabby’s Ford Transit Connect was a regular feature in the travel reports she posted online before she disappeared in 2021. Authorities believe she was murdered by her travel companion, Brian Laundrie, in Wyoming before he took his own life in Florida. “We crushed the van,” Gabby’s father, Joe, told NewsNation senior national correspondent Brian Entin. Watch the full report >