A CDC advisory panel weighs reversing a decades-old vaccine recommendation for newborns. Republicans hold a deep-red district in a special election, but results show a slight gain by Democrats. And, a Cabinet meeting ends with the president berating Somalian immigrants and Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Here's what to know today.
What could a reversal of hepatitis B vaccine recommendations mean?
A group of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing to vote on whether the agency should dismiss its long-standing recommendation that every baby get a hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign uphereto get it in your inbox.
The shot is credited with driving down cases of acute hepatitis B infections in kids by 99%. It has been universally recommended for newborns in the U.S since the early 1990s.
The virus, which can be passed from mother to baby during childbirth, can lead to liver disease and early death. There is no cure. Despite its success, the hepatitis B vaccine has become the latest target of skeptics who question whether the benefits of the shot outweigh potential risks.
A review of more than 400 studies found no evidence that the birth dose of the vaccines causes any short- or long-term health problems. On the contrary, the review of research, published by the Vaccine Integrity Project, an independent group of experts led by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, found that giving newborns a vaccine has prevented more than 6 million infections and nearly 1 million hospitalizations. The paper was not published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to meet tomorrow and Friday. The committee makes recommendations to the CDC director, who can then choose whether to adopt them.
While a vote against newborn vaccination does not prohibit doctors from administering the shot, the panel's recommendations influence insurance coverage.
Read the full story.
More health news:
The HPV vaccine is very safe and highly effective at preventing cervical cancer, according to two large reviews that support routinely vaccinating adolescents against human papillomavirus.
Congress has less than a month before health insurance premiums are set to spike for millions of Americans, and hopes of a deal to mitigate the pain are fizzling.
The city of San Francisco sued 10 major food companies, alleging that they marketed and sold ultraprocessed foods that they knew were harmful to human health.
Van Epps holds deep-red House district in Tennessee special election
Republican Matt Van Epps won a hotly contested special election for a deep-red congressional seat in Tennessee, NBC News projected, halting a Democratic challenge for the longtime GOP district.
Though Donald Trump carried the 7th Congressional District by 22 points in 2024, Republican super PACs poured millions into defending the seat as Van Epps faced off against Aftyn Behn, a Democratic state representative. Democrats spent almost as much trying to capture it, as the president's political standing has taken a hit this year and the party made gains in November elections in New Jersey, Virginia and other states.
Still, this red district remained Republican. Van Epps, an Army veteran and former state official, ran on MAGA themes and promised to continue the legacy of former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from the seat earlier this year.
Read the full story.
More politics news:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pointed to what he called "the fog of war" in defending a follow-up military strike on an alleged drug boat in September.
Hegseth was given a final copy of the completed report that examined his sharing of sensitive military information on a Signal group chat back in March.
The Trump administration indicated that it will begin withholding SNAP benefits from recipients in most Democratic-led states after they refused to provide the Agriculture Department with data including recipients' immigration statuses.
The Justice Department is weighing whether to re-indict former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Tech billionaires Michael and Susan Dell announced that they are pledging $6.25 billion to create some 25 million additional "Trump Accounts" for children across the country.
Pop star Sabrina Carpenter slammed the White House after it posted a video using her song "Juno."
Trump's tirade over Minnesota's Somali population
Trump ripped Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., as "garbage" and said Somalis should "go back to where they came from," in disparaging remarks that have been strongly criticized by local leaders in Minnesota.
"I don't want them in our country. Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks," Trump, who has a history of disparaging African people and migrant communities, said in reference to Minnesota's Somali population. He later added, "Let them go back to where they came from and fix it."
Trump's remarks come as a senior law enforcement official told NBC News that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning an operation in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area this week. The official said ICE officers are not specifically targeting the Somali community, but may be arresting some Somalis who are in violation of immigration laws.
Read the full story.
Read All About It
Illinois state officials have given national rental car companies official notice that ICE agents are not allowed to swap the rental's assigned license plates for other plates to disguise the vehicles.
The man accused of shooting two National Guardsmen, killing one, pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in a virtual appearance in D.C. Superior Court.
Here are some of the key moments from the four-part documentary on embattled hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Luigi Mangione seemed "nervous" and claimed he was homeless when a police officer confronted him in a McDonald's last December, the law enforcement officer testified.
Camp Mystic announced its plan to reopen next summer with new safety measures after more than two dozen people were killed in floods at an all-girls Texas summer camp earlier this year.
The multi-gold and platinum-selling rapper Toosii will step out of the recording studio and onto the gridiron in hopes of suiting up for Syracuse University's football team.
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump's envoy and his son-in-law ended without clear progress toward ending the war in Ukraine.
Staff Pick: A gruesome search history
Prosecutors trying a Massachusetts man in the murder and dismemberment of his wife traced his gruesome online tracks in court through dozens of internet searches conducted after Ana Walshe disappeared three years ago.
The searches, which authorities extracted from Brian Walshe's laptop, are key pieces of evidence in a case with no body. Ana Walshe has never been found.
Reporter Tim Stellohhighlighted some of the searchespresented in court, which included "How to saw a body" and "Can a body decompose in a plastic bag."—Christian Orozco,newsletter and platforms editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Holiday shopping is in full swing, and the NBC Select team pulled together the100 best gifts of the season. Plus, the strongestCyber Monday holdover dealson Amazon (yes, they're still happening) and howtariffs may impact prices this month. And, thebest lip balmsto keep in every coat pocket.
Sign up to The Selectionnewsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading today's Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Christian Orozco. If you're a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign uphere.
