Today's Top Stories from NBC News

WEDENSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2025

In today's newsletter: White House chief of staff Susie Wiles reveals her thoughts on key administration players and policies in a Vanity Fair profile. House Republican leaders fail to reach an ACA deal. And, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman who became the NBA's brightest talent — and its most interesting star.

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▼ The Lead

White House chief of staff's Vanity Fair interview causes a stir

(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles reflected on Donald Trump's second term in a series of interviews for a two-part profile published by Vanity Fair, speaking candidly about key players in the administration who have influence over the president and some of the administration's more controversial policies.

Wiles, 68, told Vanity Fair writer Chris Whipple, an expert on White House chiefs of staff, that Trump "has an alcoholic's personality" and called Vice President JD Vance a "conspiracy theorist." Trump, she said, "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle," she said, referring to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

After the interviews were published, Wiles denounced the story on X as "a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history." Trump defended her comments in an interview with the New York Post, saying she has "done a fantastic job."

In the interview, Wiles said she has read what she calls "the Epstein file" and said while Trump is in it, he's "not doing anything awful." Wiles also said she thought Attorney General Pam Bondi initially erred in her handling of the files amid calls among Trump's base for their release.

Wiles also spoke about billionaire Elon Musk and his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency. "The challenge with Elon is keeping up with him," Wiles said. "He's an avowed ketamine [user]."

Read the full story and responses to her interview.

More politics news:

Trump ramped up pressure on Venezuela by announcing that he is ordering a blockade of all "sanctioned oil tankers" entering and leaving the South American country.

Instead of recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns, the CDC now officially advises women who test negative for the virus to consult health care providers about whether their babies should get their first doses within 24 hours of birth.

A deeper look at the latest employment data reveals several trends that could spell trouble for the U.S. labor market if they maintain their current trajectories.

A federal judge allowed construction of the White House ballroom to continue, rejecting a request to temporarily halt Trump's $300 million project.

Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would fast-track the reclassification of cannabis and acknowledge its medical benefits for the first time at the federal level.

A pair of senators raised the alarm about toys powered by artificial intelligence in a new series of letters, demanding information from six toy manufacturers.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he won't call a vote to extend enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, effectively guaranteeing they will expire at the end of this month.

That means higher insurance premiums will go into effect for millions of Americans who get coverage through Obamacare next year.

The speaker made the announcement after a closed-door Republican caucus meeting, saying that leadership failed to reach a deal with centrist members to bring up an ACA amendment on a health care bill set for a vote today.

Read the full story.

Surveillance video shows the moment Nick Reiner was arrested

The moment Nick Reiner was arrested on suspicion of killing his parents was captured on newly released surveillance camera footage from a Los Angeles gas station.

The footage shows Reiner, 32, being confronted by four police vehicles at around 5 a.m. Monday as he walked across a street near the intersection of Exposition Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, about 15 miles from his parents' home.

The youngest son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer was charged with two counts of murder on Tuesday, two days after his parents were found dead with apparent stab wounds. He is being held in jail without bail and is due to be arraigned in court later on Wednesday.

Read the full story.

Murder convictions involving shaken baby syndrome are now being questioned

For decades, Russell Maze has denied abusing his son. He had been home alone with Alex in May 1999 when the baby suddenly stopped breathing. At the hospital, a pediatrician who specialized in identifying child abuse found what she said were clear signs that Alex was the victim of shaken baby syndrome. The medical examiner, Dr. Bruce Levy later agreed.

Levy's testimony was critical in helping Nashville prosecutors secure a murder conviction against Alex's father, who was sentenced to life in prison. Decades later, Levy says he believes Maze is innocent.

Read the full story.

▼ Read All About It

Australian authorities on Wednesday charged the surviving suspect in the Bondi Beach shooting with 59 offenses, including terrorism and 15 counts of murder.

Rhode Island officials released new images of a person of interest as the search continued for the shooter who killed two Brown University students and injured nine others.

A former California doctor was sentenced to 8 months of home detention and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to ketamine distribution in connection with the fatal overdose of "Friends" star Matthew Perry.

Several levees have failed, more than a dozen highways are shuttered and one person is dead in Washington state as atmospheric river storms pound the region.

New York City prosecutors accused R&B artist Trey Songz of being involved in two altercations at Manhattan night spots, court documents revealed.

▼ Staff Pick

Head and shoulders above his peers

At 7-foot-4 and a former No. 1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama has long been considered the NBA's next big thing. But this season, the 21-year-old Frenchman has arrived as the league's biggest attraction — drawing huge audiences and equal amounts of praise from scouts and coaches across the league.

His breakout season has as much to do with the changes he has made to his game on the court as his wild offseason away from basketball, from training with Chinese monks to deep conversations with NBA luminaries.

— Andrew Greif, sports reporter

▼ NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

The NBC Select team pulled together the best last-minute presents that ship fast and feel thoughtful. Plus, the top gifts under $50 and the real rules of gift giving from our FWIW podcast.