Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic developed into a three-time NBA MVP and champion from a second-round pick out of Serbia.

The Nuggets’ selection of Jokic in the 2014 draft out of Serbia was famously announced as the ESPN broadcast showed a Taco Bell commercial. As Jokic rose to prominence in the last few years, NBA fans couldn’t believe that someone like the star center’s selection was seemingly passed over.

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He said in an interview with the Nuggets’ social media team he never ate at the fast-food chain ever again.

"I think I’ve never had Taco Bell just because of that," he said.

Jokic didn’t come to the NBA until the 2015-16 season and developed into a player who could contend for the starting role. He started in 55 games in his first season and 59 games in his next season. He then started 73 out of 75 appearances in the 2017-18 season.

MAVERICKS LEGEND DIRK NOWITZKI CALLS SEEING LUKA DONCIC PLAY FOR LAKERS 'WEIRD'

The Nuggets star earned his first All-Star appearance in 2019 and his status grew from there. He was a back-to-back MVP in 2021 and 2022 and then again during the 2023-24 seasons. Denver also won the NBA title in 2023.

He’s one of the best players in the league and potentially one of the best international players the NBA has ever seen.

This year, Jokic is averaging 29.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists for the Nuggets. He’ll be in contention for the NBA MVP once again.

Denver is 37-20 as of Sunday and third in the Western Conference.

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Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk announced that federal employees must report their accomplishments from the last week or face losing their jobs, which has roiled the federal workforce as some Democratic lawmakers and unions call on employees to flout the directive. 

"This is a good opportunity for mass civil disobedience. Musk has no authority to do this. Encourage all federal employees to report to work, prepare GFY letters and continue to demonstrate the public service and patriotism he lacks," Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten posted to X on Saturday evening. 

The acronym GFY is internet slang typically meaning "go f--- yourself."

"It takes a remarkable combination of arrogance and stupidity to think that this is the best use of time for our intelligence officers, VA workers, air traffic controllers, and everyone else we depend on to do their job well," he continued. 

Musk said on Saturday that federal employees would receive an email directing them to list their accomplishments from the week prior, with the DOGE leader adding later that day that the assignment should take less than five minutes to accomplish. Employees have until 11:59 pm on Monday to send the list or lose their employment, according to emails regarding Musk's directive that were sent by the Office of Personnel Management.

TRUMP RATTLES OFF ‘FLAGRANT SCAMS’ UNCOVERED BY DOGE, TAKES AIM AT FORT KNOX IN CPAC SPEECH

"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk wrote on X. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."

"To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write," Musk added. 

Musk's message followed President Donald Trump remarking that he's been pleased with Musk and DOGE's work investigating various federal agencies for government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, but that he would like to see Musk "get more aggressive." 

Musk responded on X: "Will do, Mr. President!"

CPAC STRAW POLL REVEALS WHO CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE WILL BE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE

Unions lambasted Musk's directive that federal employees detail their work accomplishments to DOGE, with a chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents FDA employees, telling members they "strongly" encourage them to flout the order. 

"We work for HHS/FDA, not OPM: OPM directives that have not been formally adopted or communicated by our employer, the FDA, do not create an obligation for you to respond," the NTEU chapter's guidance stated. The chapter's website states in bolded, all-capitalized letters: "NTEU ADVISES YOU NOT TO SIGN THAT EMAIL... UNTIL WE GET MORE INFO." 

ELON MUSK SAYS 'BAR IS VERY LOW' AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

The chapter noted in a comment to Fox News Digital that it is only one chapter of hundreds under the national NTEU's umbrella, and only represents FDA employees in five states, as well as Washington, D.C. Fox Digital reached out to the national NTEU's press office on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

The national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, also released a statement on Saturday evening, arguing that Musk and the Trump administration were showing "their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people."

"It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life," Kelley said in a statement. 

"AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country."

ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

Trump joined the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday afternoon, where he took a victory lap for the breakneck pace of work his administration has accomplished in his first month back in the Oval Office, while lauding Musk for his DOGE efforts. 

"I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency – you probably haven't heard of it – which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job," Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation's capital. "He's doing a great job."

WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS

Trump also touted that his administration is gutting the government of "corrupt" and "incompetent" federal employees. 

"We have a very corrupt group of people in this country, and we're finding them out," Trump said during his speech. "We're removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce."

The Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new director of the FBI last week, and he reportedly told staffers on Saturday that his office will handle reviewing their productivity. 

"FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel reportedly told employees. "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses."

The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials "will respond on behalf of the Department," according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management. 

The NSA told its employees that "NSA and CYBERCOM are awaiting further guidance" from the Defense Department, the Washington Post reported. 

Musk doubled down on X on Sunday that the initiative is important due to an alleged swath of government employees who accomplish such little work that they are not even checking their government email accounts. 

"The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all! In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud," Musk posted to X on Sunday. 

• Germany's center-right alliance looks set to win the country's latest federal election.
• The CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, are set to win about 29% of the vote, exit polls say.
• The far-right Alternative for Germany party is set to take second place.

Germany's center-right alliance looks set to win the country's latest federal election, which comes at a critical moment for Europe's largest economy.

Early exit polls show the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, at about 29%, with the Elon Musk-backed Alternative for Germany in second at about 19.5%.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democratic Party is set to come in third, the polls showed.

Single parties rarely win majorities in German elections, so Friedrich Merz's CDU will need the support of one or more parties to secure a majority in government. His most likely options are the SDP and/or the Green Party.

The snap election followed the collapse of Germany's governing three-party coalition in November after Scholz fired then-Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the chair of the Free Democratic Party, after Lindner rejected Scholz's demand to suspend Germany's debt brake, which requires the federal government to limit annual net borrowing to 0.35% of GDP.

Scholz called a vote of confidence which he then lost in December, paving the way for early national elections.

The CDU/CSU bloc had been projected to win the vote, polling at around 30% in the run-up to the election.

The CDU's popularity seems to have been boosted by its harder line on major policy issues such as migration, pledging to enforce stricter border controls and accelerate asylum proceedings.

It also wants to retain Germany's debt brake, cut corporate tax rates to a maximum of 25%, and "eliminate unnecessary red tape."

The CDU has also pledged continued support to Ukraine.

The vote comes at a pivotal time for Berlin, which faces an increasingly assertive Trump administration that has threatened tariffs on the EU and looked to sideline Europe on negotiations with Russia over the Ukraine war.

Germany is a leading NATO member and a key provider of military aid to Ukraine — and it will play an important role in carving out Europe's future relations with the Trump administration.

After several historic regional election results and strong support from Musk, the AfD came into the elections in a jubilant mood.

Musk — who appeared virtually at a party campaign event alongside AfD leader Alice Weidel in January — has praised the group's staunchly anti-immigration stance.

"Only the AfD can save Germany," Musk posted on X in December.

Lily Collins and husband Charlie McDowell were over the moon after becoming parents in January 2025.

The couple, who tied the knot in September 2021, welcomed their first baby via surrogate three years into their marriage. “Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell,” Collins and McDowell captioned a joint baby announcement via Instagram in January 2025.

That same day, McDowell responded to criticism about their “path to having a baby,” writing via Instagram, “It’s OK to not be an expert on surrogacy.”

He added, “It’s OK to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s OK to not know the motivations of a surrogate regardless of what you assume. And it’s OK to spend less time spewing hateful words into the world, especially in regard to a beautiful baby girl who has brought a lot of love into people’s lives.”

Lily Collins and Husband Charlie McDowell’s Relationship Timeline

McDowell ended on a funny note, writing, “That’s all for now because she just pooped, and I need to change her diaper.”

Scroll down to see Collins and McDowell’s sweetest family moments:

President Trump's firings of Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr. and other top military leaders sends a "dangerous message" to service members about how the administration regards political loyalty, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said Sunday.

Why it matters: The controversial dismissals, which also hit Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, come as the U.S. stares down instability abroad and amid tensions with some international allies.

• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had in the past questioned whether Brown — a four-star fighter pilot who served as the first Black chief of staff of the Air Force and the second Black general to serve as chairman — was named to the post because of his race.
• Hegseth said in a Sunday interview with "Fox News Sunday" that while he has "a lot of respect" for Brown, he's "not the right man for the moment."
• Franchetti, whom CNN reports Hegseth once described as a "DEI hire," was the first woman to serve as the chief of naval operations.

Driving the news: Democrats and some former military officials decried Trump's move to boot respected leaders, characterizing the decision as a signal from the administration that partisan loyalties outweighed expertise and experience.

• The Joint Chiefs chair "should be independent of politics," Booker said on NBC's "Meet the Press Sunday," noting Brown was "supported overwhelmingly" on both sides of the political aisle.
• But Trump, Booker said, "has thrown that out the window and is sending a dangerous message to the military: 'It's not about your independent expertise. It's not about your years of service. It's about your personal political loyalty to me.'"

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on ABC's "This Week" that the firings were "completely unjustified" and mark "the beginning of a very, very serious degradation of the military and politicization of the military."

• Reed highlighted Hegseth's decision to fire the top Army, Navy and Air Force lawyers — judge advocates general, commonly known as JAGs — saying, "If you're going to break the law, the first thing you do is you get rid of the lawyers."

The other side: Hegseth slammed Reed's criticism as "a total mischaracterization."

• He continued, "This is a reflection of the president wanting the right people around him to execute the national security approach we want to take."

Zoom in: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told ABC's Martha Raddatz in a Sunday interview that he doesn't know whether the firings were "about DEI," contending, "bottom line here to me is the Department of Defense needed a complete overhaul."

• Trump has for years railed against "woke" generals and "wokeness" he says weakened the military, such as through diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) denied Rep. James Clyburn's (D-S.C.) contention that Trump may have fired Brown because he is Black, arguing to NBC's Kristen Welker Sunday that Clyburn "constantly pulls the race card out."
• "This had zero, absolutely zero to do with race," Mullin said.

Go deeper: Trump orders purge of military academy visitor boards

As school districts struggle to support the mental health of their students, a startup called Sonar Mental Health has built a “wellbeing companion” called Sonny to help. As described in the Wall Street Journal, Sonny is a chatbot that relies on a combination of human staff and AI. When students text their questions to Sonny, […]

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President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, and a number of other top military officers over the weekend in a dramatic shakeup of Pentagon leadership.

Trump announced on social media Friday that he was replacing Brown and planned on nominating retired Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine to fill his role as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the military’s top officer.

A report from Reuters noted Trump’s move was "unprecedented," becoming the first time a president has pulled a military officer out of retirement to head the Joint Chiefs. 

The move was just one of many changes Trump announced to top military brass in recent days, including plans to replace the U.S. Navy's top officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead one of the military branches. Trump is also removing the Air Force vice chief of staff, Gen. Jim Slife, and the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

OBAMA FIRED TOP MILITARY OFFICERS TO ALIGN PENTAGON WITH HIS POLICY VISION, NOW TRUMP SET TO DO THE SAME

"I want to thank General Charles 'CQ' Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family," Trump wrote in a social media post.

Trump campaigned heavily on the idea of removing "woke" generals from the top of the military, especially those he believed were responsible for botching the U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021.

Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also made it a point to root out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, going so far as to question whether Brown was given the nod as the nation’s top military officer as a result of his race.

"Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We'll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn't really much matter," Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book.

OFFICIALS PUSH BACK ON CLAIMS OF 'LIST' OF GENERALS HEGSETH PLANS TO FIRE AT PENTAGON

The decision to move on from Franchetti also reverses a 2023 decision by former President Joe Biden, who surprised Pentagon leaders by tapping Franchetti over Adm. Samuel Paparo, who at the time led the Navy’s Pacific Command and was widely expected to be in line for the service’s top job.

But Trump’s decision has also caused "upheaval" at the Pentagon, according to the Reuters report, where the Defense Department was already bracing for mass cuts to its civilian staff.

The moves were also condemned by the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, of Rhode Island, who called the firings "political."

"Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions," Reed told Reuters.

The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.