Donald Trump will meet with Joe Biden at the White House. The latest consumer price index is expected to show a slight increase for October. And a test that uses DNA to help diagnose medical mysteries has been hailed as a “breakthrough device”.

Here’s what you need to know today.

Trump returns to the White House for a symbolic meeting

President-elect Donald Trump will meet with President Joe Biden today in a symbolic ceremony at the White House meant to signal a peaceful transfer of power. It’s a meeting Trump denied Biden in 2020, when he refused to recognize the election results and worked to delay Biden’s inauguration. It’s also Trump’s first time back in the White House since being voted out of office.

There are still a few unknowns for today, including whether Vice President-elect JD Vance will be part of the trip. Vance has yet to hear from Harris about a potential visit, a source familiar with the discussions said. In addition to Trump, the White House extended an invitation to Melania Trump, but a source familiar with the planning said she is not expected to accompany her husband. Read more about Trump’s meeting with Biden.

Before going to the White House, Trump is expected to address House Republicans and may also meet with Senate Republicans. Both chambers are scheduled to choose their leadership teams in closed-door sessions.

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In the Senate, Republicans will choose a leader to replace Mitch McConnell when he steps down. The three-way race is between Sen. John Thune, the current whip; John Cornyn, a former whip; and Rick Scott, an underdog. Thune and Cornyn are from the institutionalist wing of the GOP and both have longstanding relationships with the conference. Scott, first elected in 2018, is a more divisive figure who has drawn support from some Trump allies. All three candidates have promised to deliver on Trump’s agenda. Read more about the Senate leadership vote.

In the House, Republicans are expected to nominate Speaker Mike Johnson, though he could face a symbolic challenge as the House Freedom Caucus, under new chairman Rep. Andy Harris, considers whether to nominate someone to run against his. Read more about the House leadership vote.

Two Republican representatives who voted to impeach Trump after January 6 he won re-electionhelping to maintain the Republican lead over the Democrats in the House. The GOP declared victory in last week’s election, though NBC News has not yet projected which party will control the chamber.

More coverage:

• Trump appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to run a new “Department of Government Efficiency” – DOGE for short. Trump said the department would cut red tape and called the effort “potentially the ‘Manhattan Project’ of our time.”
• Pete Hegseth is Trump’s pick for defense secretary. Hegseth is a Fox News host and military veteran. After the announcement, several Republican senators expressed surprise at the choice.
• John Ratcliffe was chosen for CIA director. Ratcliffe is a former congressman from Texas and served as director of national intelligence in Trump’s first term.
• Mike Huckabee was appointed US ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and longtime Trump loyalist, is likely to be at the center of efforts to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in their ongoing war.
• William McGinley was chosen to serve as an advisor to the White House. McGinley served as White House Cabinet Secretary during the first Trump administration and has been a longtime presence in Republican legal circles.
• Trump plans to nominate South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to be the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, sources said. Noem will oversee a number of agencies, including the Secret Service, FEMA, ICE and TSA.
• If Senator Marco Rubio is elected Secretary of State, some believe Florida Governor Ron DeSantis they might elect Lara Trump to replace Rubio. But one big question looms: How badly does Trump want his daughter-in-law to become a US senator?
• The new Trump administration is considering new locations for immigration detention centers near major cities as part of Trump’s mass deportation plan, two sources familiar with the planning said.
• What kind of vice president will JD Vance be? A look at his time on the 2024 campaign shows a man with unwavering loyalty to Trump who will likely handle whatever Trump asks him to do.
• Republican Eric Hovde has refused to admit defeat in the Wisconsin Senate race, citing “voting inconsistencies” in the state. He trails Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin by less than 30,000 votes.

Most likely, progress on inflation has stalled for now

Consumer prices likely rose slightly in the month leading up to Trump’s election win, according to analysts’ forecasts for the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ October consumer price index. The estimated figure is a 2.6 percent increase in prices, compared with a 2.4 percent rise in September. “Core” inflation, a measure that excludes food and energy prices, is expected to remain at 3.3%.

The latest figures provide a snapshot of the climate in which voters cast their ballots. Steeper childcare and home insurance costs have left many people fed up and looking for change. But it is not yet clear whether Trump will be able to replicate the steady growth and low inflation of the period before Covid hit, and some economists fear Trump’s proposals, such as his plans for much higher tariffs and deeper tax cuts , could trigger another round of price hikes.

Cutting-edge test offers diagnoses for some medical mysteries

A diagnostic test that uses genetic sequencing to detect a variety of pathogens may help doctors solve medical mysteries, a pair of studies has revealed. The test, developed at the University of California, San Francisco, extracts DNA and RNA from a sample of blood, tissue or body fluid, then sequences the genetic material and compares the sequences to a vast database of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites to see what fits. In research published this week, the test was shown to be effective in identifying the cause of neurological infections such as meningitis and helped doctors identify the cause of a meningitis outbreak in Mexico.

The FDA has granted the test an “innovator device” designation, meaning labs can use the test even if the agency has not yet approved it. However, several limitations mean that widespread use, at least anytime soon, is unlikely. Here’s why.

Read all about it

• Two people were killed and others injured in an explosion at a factory in Louisville, Kentucky.
• Former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira he was sentenced to 15 years for sharing classified military information on the Discord social media platform.
• Homecoming festivities at Tuskegee University descended into chaos when a shooting erupted on the Alabama campus last weekend. witnesses described the bloody scene and their frustration at university afterwards.
• Prince William gave his clearest hint yet about how he thinks the British monarchy should evolve after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
• Give this Wheel of Fortune contestant “A ROUN_ OF AUSE” for his hilariously wrong answer.
• John Krasinski was crowned The People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2024.

Staff selection: The free agent that could change MLB

The 2024 baseball season may have just ended, but the most exciting drama in sports is on deck: free agency. At its center is a player who will command one of the richest contracts in sports history.

New York Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto, fresh off a World Series appearance, is now free to sign with any MLB team — and it won’t come cheap. The 26-year-old’s new venture is expected to be worth more than $600 million. Adding to the intrigue is Soto’s apparent openness to leaving the Big Apple. Whoever adds Soto will be getting one of the game’s most talented players in his prime — and may affect the balance of power in the league. — Greg Rosenstein, sports editor

NBC Select: Online shopping made easy

NBC Select editors have tested and reviewed the best bedding at every price point and from brands like Amazon and Target, Cozy Earth, Boll & Branch and more. Here were their choices. In addition, an editor reviewed the new Ruggable Washable Pet Bedwhich has become her fussy chick’s favorite place to hang out.

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