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Addresses, earnings, medical records of Americans could be in DOGEs hands soon
After aggressively seeking access to the Treasury Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has its sights set on the Social Security administration, with the SSA’s top official abruptly resigning after refusing DOGE access to the agency’s data trove on millions of Americans.
Palace intrigue at the SSA
Former SSA acting commissioner Michelle King left the agency this weekend after more than 30 years of employment there. Numerous reports, including from the New York Times, indicate King chose to leave instead of handing over the proverbial keys to the kingdom to DOGE. Her temporary replacement is Leland Dudek, who ran the agency’s anti-fraud office and, on LinkedIn, praised DOGE’s stated goals of targeting waste and fraud and said he would assist with their mission. King’s permanent replacement will likely be Frank Bisignano, the CEO of payment processing company Fiserv and former high-ranking executive at both JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup. Bisignano still needs to be confirmed by the Senate, but he faces no significant opposition there.
Why is DOGE targeting the SSA?
Social Security provides retirement funds for Americans who paid into the system via taxes taken out of their employment pay. Social Security accounts for one-fifth of federal spending, with about $1.5 trillion disbursed in 2024, according to an audit. That same audit found that between 2015 and 2022, a touch under $72 billion was wasted on fraud, mostly involving recipients receiving improper payments. That sounds like a large number, but it amounts to less than 1% of all benefit funds.
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Still, Musk has claimed there is rampant fraud at the agency, which necessitates his team gaining access to SSA data. At the White House, Musk specifically made the claim that people born 150 years ago were receiving benefits; he made the same dead-people-getting-checks claim on X (but took it even further).
President Biden’s SSA commissioner Martin O’Malley, a former Maryland governor, told the New York Times that Musk’s claims are nonsense.
Why was King hesitant to grant DOGE the data?
The DOGE team is seeking access to SSA’s internal data, with two anonymous sources telling the New York Times that the information contains “extensive” data on Americans, like addresses, banking information, medical records, earnings statements, and employment history. There is no confirmation yet on whether DOGE members successfully obtained the data and, if so, how many individuals are now in possession of it. Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, a nonprofit advocating for the expansion of Social Security, gamed out terrifying scenarios in a report in Kiplinger’s. Altman said granting access to the data could make the information susceptible to hackers and scammers, including those adept at targeting the elderly. Additionally, “if there is an intent to punish perceived enemies, someone could erase your earnings record, making it impossible to collect the Social Security and Medicare benefits you have earned,” Altman told the outlet.
Why Musk and DOGE make some people very nervous
The people powering DOGE are overwhelmingly young (most are in their 20s), and many have no prior government experience. The U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management has listed some of the “experts” advising Musk as his former interns. In his role as a special advisor, Musk himself is boiling over with conflicts of interest, since his companies, like SpaceX and Tesla, have contracts with the U.S. government worth billions. Possibly to address this conflict, White House Office of Administration director Joshua Fisher declared on Monday that Musk is not an official employee of DOGE, but instead serves as a senior advisor to the president. To compound the confusion, Fisher did not make clear who does currently serve as the official head of DOGE.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
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Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
