By Asuka Koda, CNN

(CNN) — For the second year in a row, the US has surpassed 25,000 whooping cough cases — another sign of the risks of falling vaccination levels.

Often called the “100-day cough,” whooping cough or pertussis begins with cold-like symptoms such as runny nose, fever or cough that can progress to coughing fits that last weeks or months, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A “whoop” sound when coughing may appear in the second phase of illness.

The infection can lead to severe illness or death, especially in young children: About 1 in 3 babies younger than 1 who have whooping cough requires care in a hospital. Still, experts believe that much of the disease goes unrecognized and unreported, the CDC says.

The CDC reported nearly 28,000 cases this year, an elevated level after a peak last year, when the agency reported 35,493 cases. One year earlier, in 2023, there were only 7,063 cases reported.

The last time numbers were similarly high was 2014, when there were 32,971 cases.

Thirteen deaths from pertussis have been reported in the US this year, according to the Pan American Health Organization, most of them children under 1 year old.

The rise in whooping cough is not unique to the US, according to the Pan American Health Organization, which serves as the World Health Organization’s office for the Americas region. Last year, 977,000 cases of pertussis were reported to WHO, a five-fold increase over 2023.

Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at the Yale School of Medicine, believes the US rise is driven by falling vaccination rates along with a loss of population-wide immunity during the Covid-19 pandemic, among other factors.

“I worry vaccine hesitancy is playing a role. This is a vaccine-preventable illness, and any decline in vaccine rates will lead to increases in pertussis,” he said.

Vaccines prevent whooping cough

The CDC recommends routine diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccination for all infants and children under 7 through a five-dose series beginning at 2 months of age. Children who get all five doses of the DTaP vaccine on schedule are 98% protected from illness within the year after the last dose. About 70% of children are fully protected five years after getting the last dose, according to the CDC.

Adults and adolescents are urged to get a booster Td or Tdap vaccination every 10 years, starting at the age of 11 or 12, to maintain protection. Roberts recommends choosing the version that protects against pertussis — Tdap — when possible.

“Last year, we had a lot of college outbreaks. What happens is, a lot of people get their childhood vaccine series, and then they don’t get the booster series,” Roberts said. He noted that many of those outbreaks were driven by students who had lost their immunity and were living in group settings where the disease spreads easily.

A return to shared indoor spaces after the pandemic may have also contributed to the increase, he said.

There had been limited exposure to routine pathogens because of Covid-19 mitigation measures, he said, but now “a greater proportion of people are getting exposed to the pathogen, all at the same time. I wonder if there is some degree of loss of population immunity that we’re still recovering from, and maybe things will [stabilize] over the next few years.”

Additionally, the PAHO Read more

By Gloria Pazmino, CNN

(CNN) — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration will feature Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the two most prominent leaders of the Democratic Party’s progressive movement.

Mamdani, who will be publicly sworn in at a City Hall inauguration ceremony on New Year’s Day, will be introduced by fellow New Yorker Ocasio-Cortez, his transition team told CNN.

“For the many New Yorkers who have long felt betrayed by a broken status quo, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez embodies a new kind of politics that puts working people at the heart of it,” Mamdani said in a statement. “I’ve been so proud to count her as a partner across the many stages of our people-powered movement—from the primary campaign to our Forest Hills rally in October to the very first day of the transition—and I’m honored that she’ll be a part of our historic City Hall inauguration.”

Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Mamdani early in the primary and campaigned alongside him on several occasions, is expected to deliver opening remarks at the ceremony, which is open to 4,000 ticketed guests.

Mamdani’s transition is also organizing a “watch party” set to take place alongside Broadway, part of an effort to make the celebration accessible to any New Yorker who wants to attend.

Sanders will administer Mamdani’s oath of office during the City Hall ceremony. Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, will technically take office at midnight on New Year’s Day.

As thousands of revelers usher in the new year in Times Square, Mamdani and his family will be in Lower Manhattan where a private swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at an old, now defunct subway station underneath City Hall Plaza.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to introduce Zohran Mamdani at New Year’s Day inauguration appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

CNN

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

The next presidential election is not until 2028, but speculation is already swirling about who might make a run for the Oval Office. Take a closer look at the names beginning to come into focus.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1⃣ CIA drone strike

The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility along Venezuela’s coast, sources told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside the country. Analysts say it could signal a major escalation of Trump’s military campaign in the region and further inflame tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who the US has been pressuring to step down. Separately, the US military on Monday struck another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. At least 107 people have died in strikes on suspected drug boats as part of an operation the Trump administration has said is aimed at curbing narcotics trafficking.

2⃣ Store closings

The year 2025 proved to be a brutal one for some US retailers as familiar brands and neighborhood favorites shuttered locations across the country. Forever 21, Party City and Rite Aid were among the well-known brands to close their doors this year. Overall, roughly 8,200 stores closed in 2025 — about 12% more than in 2024, according to Coresight Research. Industry analysts say a combination of slumping consumer confidence, poor finances and shifts in shopping habits has left many aging chains struggling. Some other companies are heading toward bankruptcy as Americans cut back on discretionary spending amid persistent inflation.

3⃣ Trump-Netanyahu meeting

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Florida on Monday but announced no progress on the next phase of the Gaza peace plan. The second phase of the deal includes Hamas’ disarmament, the beginning of reconstruction in Gaza and the establishment of post-war governance. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump said Hamas will be given “a very short period of time” to disarm, warning that if it does not, other countries backing the ceasefire “will go and wipe them out.” Also on Monday, Netanyahu announced Trump will receive the Israel Prize for Peace, marking the first time the country’s highest civilian excellence honor will be awarded to a non-Israeli citizen.

4⃣ Kennedy Center

A growing number of artists are cancelling performances at the Kennedy Center after its board of trustees voted to add President Trump’s name to the building. Earlier this month, the board approved renaming the venue from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. In response, several performers have called off their shows: the long

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

The next presidential election is not until 2028, but speculation is already swirling about who might make a run for the Oval Office. Take a closer look at the names beginning to come into focus.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1⃣ CIA drone strike

The CIA carried out a drone strike earlier this month on a port facility along Venezuela’s coast, sources told CNN, marking the first known US attack on a target inside the country. Analysts say it could signal a major escalation of Trump’s military campaign in the region and further inflame tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who the US has been pressuring to step down. Separately, the US military on Monday struck another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. At least 107 people have died in strikes on suspected drug boats as part of an operation the Trump administration has said is aimed at curbing narcotics trafficking.

2⃣ Store closings

The year 2025 proved to be a brutal one for some US retailers as familiar brands and neighborhood favorites shuttered locations across the country. Forever 21, Party City and Rite Aid were among the well-known brands to close their doors this year. Overall, roughly 8,200 stores closed in 2025 — about 12% more than in 2024, according to Coresight Research. Industry analysts say a combination of slumping consumer confidence, poor finances and shifts in shopping habits has left many aging chains struggling. Some other companies are heading toward bankruptcy as Americans cut back on discretionary spending amid persistent inflation.

3⃣ Trump-Netanyahu meeting

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Florida on Monday but announced no progress on the next phase of the Gaza peace plan. The second phase of the deal includes Hamas’ disarmament, the beginning of reconstruction in Gaza and the establishment of post-war governance. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump said Hamas will be given “a very short period of time” to disarm, warning that if it does not, other countries backing the ceasefire “will go and wipe them out.” Also on Monday, Netanyahu announced Trump will receive the Israel Prize for Peace, marking the first time the country’s highest civilian excellence honor will be awarded to a non-Israeli citizen.

4⃣ Kennedy Center

A growing number of artists are cancelling performances at the Kennedy Center after its board of trustees voted to add President Trump’s name to the building. Earlier this month, the board approved renaming the venue from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. In response, several performers have called off their shows: the longtime host of the Kennedy Center’s annual Christmas Eve jazz performance cancelled the gig, and a dance company called off two April performances, among others. The center’s president, Richard Grenell, dismissed the cancellations as “a form of derangement syndrome” in a post to X on Monday.

5&#

By Mostafa Salem, CNN

(CNN) — Saudi Arabia publicly accused close ally the United Arab Emirates of “highly dangerous” actions in Yemen as it led “limited” airstrikes on the country’s Mukalla port Tuesday morning following accusations that two ships from the UAE had delivered weapons and combat vehicles to separatist forces.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign ministry called the “steps” taken by the UAE a threat to its national security in an escalation that highlights a deepening rift between the region’s tightest partners.

The Saudi statement was issued moments after a speech by the head of Yemen’s Presidential Council Rashad Al Olimi, a body backed by Saudi Arabia, who accused the UAE of “directing” forces to “rebel against the state authority” and “escalating militarily” in the country.

“The Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize any such threat,” the statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

CNN has reached out to the UAE’s Foreign Ministry for comment.

Earlier this month, UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched an offensive taking control of key provinces in Yemen – a move that infuriated the Saudi-backed government, who say the military action fragmented a battle with the Iran-backed Houthi forces in the north.

Groups allied to the STC had pushed into the oil-rich province of Hadramout, claiming a total of eight governorates and renewing calls for southern Yemen to secede as an independent state.

Meanwhile, Saudi-backed groups in Yemen called on all Emirati forces to leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours and ended a defense pact with the UAE.

It’s unclear what UAE forces, in any, are currently in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE – both neighboring oil giants – are two close allies and are key United States partners controlling trillions in global assets.

Before the escalation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for diplomacy and restraint last week.

“The United States is concerned by recent events in southeastern Yemen. We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution. We are grateful for the diplomatic leadership of our partners, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and remain supportive of all efforts to advance our shared security interests,” he said on X.

The two countries were united, along with Bahrain and Egypt, in imposing blockade on fellow Gulf nation Qatar that lasted over three years, marking the most severe recent crisis within the Arab bloc. The UAE had also supported Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen, before withdrawing in 2019.

More than a decade of war in Yemen has turned the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The years of fighting have compounded the country’s economic crisis and shattered social services.

CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Saudi Arabia accuses Abu Dhabi of ‘dangerous’ Yemen actions, strikes port over UAE weapons shipment appeared first on News Channel 3-12.