Matt Gaetz ethics report released and whooping cough cases rise: Morning Rundown

Immigrants are preparing for the possibility of mass deportations once Donald Trump comes to power. Whooping cough cases are at their highest level in ten years. And a look back at the internet trends and memes that defined 2024.

Here’s what you need to know today.

Immigrants prepare action plans as Trump promises mass deportations

In some immigrant households in the US, families are faced with a heartbreaking thought: “Many of us honestly celebrate Christmas together and think, ‘Oh my God, is this the last time we get to spend Christmas with our relatives?’ said Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, who heads a Florida nonprofit that advocates for immigrants and other underserved communities.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to implement “the largest deportation program in American history” when he takes office next month. The new administration reportedly plans to reverse policies that limit immigration enforcement actions in places like schools, churches and hospitals, as well as surrounding areas.

As a result, immigrant families spend the holidays having difficult conversations.

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NBC News spoke with nearly a half-dozen immigrant rights advocates in four states, and they all said they have received an increasing number of calls from immigrants asking about their rights. In response, the advocates and groups are providing know-your-rights training and helping vulnerable families create action plans in the event an undocumented family member is suddenly detained or deported.

For example, Hope CommUnity Center, the nonprofit organization outside Orlando that Sousa-Lazaballet heads, helps immigrant families with a “dignity plan” that includes legal plans for who will care for children left behind if an undocumented parent is arrested. by authorities.

In Los Angeles, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights has offered 93 know-your-right presentations to local schools, businesses and community service organizations.

They aren’t the only groups working to ensure people are prepared for any eventuality, even if it takes an emotional toll.

Read the full story here.

Gaetz is accused of paying women for sex in Congress

The House Ethics Committee released its final report on its investigation into Matt Gaetz, finding that the former Florida representative engaged in a long list of conduct that violated House rules and some actions that could constitute criminal offenses at the state level . In the 42-page report, the committee says it tracked more than $90,000 paid to 12 women over a four-year period, from 2017 to 2020, while Gaetz was a member of Congress, and concluded that the payments were most likely related involved sexual activity or drug use. Gaetz has repeatedly denied ever paying for sex.

In addition to prostitution, the committee said in the report that Gaetz “violated House rules and other standards of conduct” that prohibited “statutory rape, illegal drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”

Gaetz left his seat in Congress last month, days before the report was expected to be made public and after President-elect Donald Trump announced him as his pick for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew his bid after more details emerged about the Ethics Commission investigation and other allegations. reported. He tried unsuccessfully to block the report’s publication yesterday morning. Here’s what else you need to know.

Read more political news:

• Former President Bill Clinton, 78, has been admitted to hospital in Washington after he developed a fever. A source close to Clinton said the situation is “not urgent.”

• President Joe Biden signed a defense bill That increases total military spending to $895 billion, despite his objections to the language of reporting on transgender medical treatments for children in military families.

• Democrats are already looking to the 2026 midterm elections, in which they hope to regain the majority in the Senate. These are the most important races and battlefields to look at.

The number of whooping cough cases is increasing explosively

Whooping cough cases in the U.S. have reached the highest annual total in a decade, according to CDC data. By mid-September, around 14,500 cases had been recorded nationally since the start of the year. That number rose to more than 32,000 on December 14, meaning as many cases have been counted in the past twelve weeks as in the entire rest of the year. In comparison, more than 5,100 cases were recorded during the same period in 2023, and the total number of cases in 2022 was approximately 3,000.

There are a few possible reasons for the dramatic rise in cases, experts said. Vaccine protection is likely to decrease as vaccination rates among children decrease. Improved testing has also likely led to more cases being diagnosed.

Here’s what you need to know about the symptoms and who is most at risk.

Read all about it

• Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to the New York State indictment for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

• The IRS plans to issue automatic “special payments” of up to $1,400 to 1 million taxpayers. Here you can see who is eligible.

• Three people fallen into the ocean when Santa Cruz Wharf in California partially collapsed. Two people were rescued and the third was able to get out of the water on his own, an official said.

2024 in memes, from ‘snot summer’ to ‘underconsumption core’

This year, Charli XCX and her fans have redefined the word “brat.” The ‘Hawk Tuah girl’ took the internet by surprise – and walked away with her new-found fame. And the “core of underconsumption” encouraged people to rethink micro trends.

Read more about the best viral memes and moments of the year. Please note: we cannot promise that you will not experience brain rot.

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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com