Axios

As the nation marks a turbulent Black History Month, the economic state of Black America has much improved over the last few decades but is still nowhere near parity.

Why it matters: Economic hardships define people, families and communities for generations; breaking those cycles is the key to broader prosperity.

"Saturday Night Live" celebrated 50 years with a three-hour anniversary special that saw A-list appearances and the return of "SNL" alums to the iconic show on Sunday night.

The big picture: Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter kicked off the celebrations with a performance of "Homeward Bound," before "SNL" alum Steve Martin delivered an opening monologue that included a joke about President Trump's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."

An Internal Revenue Service employee connected with the Elon Musk-led DOGE team is set to seek access to an IRS system that includes sensitive taxpayer data, the Washington Post first reported Sunday and Axios can confirm.

Why it matters: President Trump has given DOGE powers to oversee government agencies and the federal workforce with the goal of cutting bloat, but his administration is facing several lawsuits accusing it of violating privacy laws in regards to accessing sensitive data.

Betches Media CEO Aleen Dreksler has launched a newsletter on Substack to share advice about careers, relationships, motherhood and more.

Why it matters: Dreksler joins a growing list of media leaders and entrepreneurs sharing thoughts on leadership through a newsletter.

The three oldest players in 2025 NBA All-Star game have the largest social media following, according to data from Sprout Social.

Between the lines: Lebron James, 40, Steph Curry, 36, and Kevin Durant, 36, in that order, lead this year's crop of All-Stars in combined followers on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.