President Trump has appointed Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff, elevating the deputy chief of staff to replace Susie Wiles in his first major personnel shake-up since Republicans suffered defeat in the midterm elections.
Miller has played a central role in crafting many of the administration's most controversial policies, particularly on immigration. Voter data suggests Democrats picked up support in part because of backlash to Trump's immigration enforcement, making the promotion a pointed choice at a politically sensitive moment.
NPR's Mara Liasson notes that Miller favors an expansive view of executive power, and that selecting him signals Trump's willingness to confront the incoming opposition Congress. Separately, Trump posted on social media that he had offered the White House press secretary job to Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, before later saying the offer was a joke. Liasson says the episode underscores a broader problem: because he is president, the public takes his words seriously, and the inability to take his statements at face value presents a challenge for the country.
On Capitol Hill, the 119th Congress is entering its final weeks before a Democrat-controlled House and Senate take over. The most pressing task is keeping the federal government funded past Dec. 11. Lawmakers are expected to rely on a short-term continuing resolution, since they have neither the time nor the political will to negotiate the customary 12 appropriations bills.
NPR's Eric McDaniel reports that attendance could become a real problem, as many Republicans who lost their seats may skip votes. With only a two-vote majority in the House, any absenteeism threatens the party's ability to leave power on its own terms. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are expected to push through as many judges and Trump appointees as they can before January, since confirmations will stall without significant White House compromises once Democrats take control.
In the corporate world, Nvidia, the giant artificial intelligence chip maker, has opened an internal investigation following reports that chief executive Jensen Huang was involved in a close relationship with a woman accused of being a Chinese spy. The New York Times reported that a Chinese intelligence operation targeted Huang in an effort to send advanced Nvidia AI chips to China. China denied the allegations at a press briefing on Monday, and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to NPR's request for comment.
NPR's John Ruwitch points out that Nvidia sits at the heart of the AI revolution and plays a crucial role in the U.S. economy. Huang has enjoyed unusual access to Trump, speaking with him frequently and even joining him on a trip to China. Asked about the matter, Trump said he thinks "Huang is a fine person." The United States restricts exports of advanced chips to China, including Nvidia's top products, though Huang has contended that letting China buy them would slow the growth of its domestic chipmaking and benefit America. Nvidia maintains that neither national security nor its own secrets have been compromised, even as the House of Representatives has requested a closed-door briefing from Huang about his contacts with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset.
Among other developments Monday, comedian Russell Brand faces what could be a significant prison sentence as a London court prepares to announce his punishment. A jury convicted him on three counts of sexual assault and one count of rape, and he has denied all the charges.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that the U.S. homeless population fell by more than 6 percent in 2025, the second straight year of decline. And Pope Leo XIV arrived in South America on Friday to begin a 12-day journey through three countries, his longest and most significant trip so far and his first major overseas visit since undergoing lung cancer surgery.
