An NBC News investigation finds that childhood vaccination rates are falling as measles cases rise. Democrats are skeptical about working with new White House chief of staff Stephen Miller. And Russia’s leading independent newspaper is closing its doors after more than two decades.
Here’s what you need to know today.
US set to lose measles-free status as cases rise
Should the United States lose its measles elimination status? That’s what public health experts expect to be the outcome of a meeting this week of an independent commission of the Pan American Health Organization. The eight-person group is made up of epidemiologists, infectious disease and vaccine experts from countries in the Americas.
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If the United States loses its elimination status, it will join Canada as the only other country in the region to have lost control of the virus, setting the stage for illness and death. The step would also mark a stunning reversal of efforts to stop the spread of the world’s most contagious disease.
In 2000, there were only about 100 confirmed cases in the entire country. This year there have been more than 5,000 confirmed cases and 43 new outbreaks across the country. Eight people, including four babies too young to be vaccinated, died.
An updated analysis from NBC News/Stanford University finds an alarming decline in childhood vaccination rates, particularly in the most vulnerable areas of the country. In hard-hit Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the proportion of kindergartners who received the MMR vaccine in 2025-2026 was 87.6%, up from 95.5% before the pandemic.
A 95% vaccination rate is necessary to prevent the spread of measles.
The country’s immunity was eroded by decades of scientifically dubious claims about the dangers of childhood vaccines, and misinformation then exploded during the pandemic.
Read the full story here.
Learn more about The Vaccine Divide:
- View vaccination rate maps in your county and where exemption rates in schools are increasing.
- Learn more about how NBC News collected and analyzed the data.
Stephen Miller’s elevation sends message to Democrats
President Donald Trump has indicated he may be willing to work with Democrats on his priorities after last week’s election results. But his decision to oust Susie Wiles and install Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff has left some Democratic lawmakers pessimistic.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become House speaker, said he had “no interest” in working with Miller, calling him a “hardcore racist.” Rep. Jamie Raskin said Miller, the face of hard-line immigration enforcement, “may not be able to commit to any course correction.”
Democrats have balked at Miller’s elevation, expecting widespread opposition to bills they pass and oversight investigations they plan to launch. Among Republicans, opinions are more divided, with some seeing his promotion as a reaffirmation of the very policies that contributed to the party’s midterm collapse. MAHA recommends, for its part, are excited about Miller’s new leadership position.
What Democratic and Republican lawmakers said about Miller.
More political news:
- The Republican-led House rejected a push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, effectively killing the effort.
- House Republicans elected Jim Jordan as the new party leader, replacing outgoing President Mike Johnson.
- Senator Bernie Sanders will not support Chuck Schumer to be the next Senate Majority Leader, saying “now is the time for change.”
- Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar was re-elected in his Miami-based congressional district after clashing with Trump over his immigration agenda.
- For subscribers: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis prepares the ground to create a think tank, thus marking his first step towards a possible presidential campaign.
- Nine members of the Kennedy family asked a judge join the legal battle to stop the construction of Trump’s “triumph” arch.
Nvidia hires top lawyer to investigate Jensen Huang case
Nvidia has hired a former federal prosecutor and a top Wall Street law firm to investigate events surrounding CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy.
Joon H. Kim, former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, prosecuted mob bosses and hedge funds worth billions of dollars during his career. His law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is among the most prestigious in the country, with a history of recruiting powerful corporate figures.
The appointment of this high-profile attorney indicates that Nvidia’s board, many of whose members have worked alongside Huang for decades, intends to conduct a serious investigation into the circumstances surrounding the CEO’s affair with Alice Huang.
How the case affected Nvidia stock.
Staff choice: Russia’s leading independent newspaper closes
Novaya Gazeta was increasingly rare in Russia: a fearlessly independent newspaper in a country where most media outlets have been brought to heel by the Kremlin. His investigations revealed abuses by Russian forces in Chechnya and offshore wealth linked to President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. Since 2000, five of its journalists and associates have been murdered and a sixth died from suspected poisoning.
This week, NBC News witnessed the grim spectacle of staff closing their offices in the center of Moscow.
Russian authorities called the newspaper a “foreign agent,” accusing it of spreading false information about authorities and citing its opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Authorities had already revoked its print and online publication licenses, and the newspaper was now also being evicted from its offices.
For the newspaper, its readers and supporters abroad, human rights organizations and Western governments, the closure is a stark example of Putin’s growing crackdown on free speech and the media.
“People say, ‘You’ve decided to close,'” the paper’s co-founder, Dmitry Muratov, told NBC News. “It’s like talking about a situation where a person was shot three times in the head and then asked, ‘Tell me, at what point did you decide to die?’”
“It was not our choice,” he added. “We were strangled.” — Alexander Smithsenior journalist based in London
Read all about it
- Three people were killed and three were injured after a vehicle struck pedestrians in Los Angeles.
- Three men were arrested after Protesters threw objects at former President Joe Biden during a demonstration outside a Dublin university, police said.
- Woman seen making racist gestures outside apartment of several Black Ole Miss students apologized for his actions and withdrew from the university.
- An 11-month-old boy allegedly taken by his father was found alive buried in a dog cage in South Carolina.
- Sofia Franklyn, co-“founding father” of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, published a memoir detailing her fallout with Alex Cooper.
- For subscribers: The price of infant formula just saw its biggest monthly increase ever – and it shows why inflation will be difficult for Democrats to control.
NBC Selected: online shopping made easy
Poppi founder Allison Ellsworth has just launched a new drinks brand. Here’s everything you need to know. Also, if you’re heading to a Christmas party this year, don’t forget to give your host a thoughtful gift. These are our choices this will make you the most valuable guest of the evening.
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