U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday.

The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1%, up from 3.7% the year before. It's the third record-breaking year in a row for the exemption rate, and the vast majority are parents withholding shots for nonmedical reasons.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/us-childhood-vaccination-rates-fall-again-exemptions-set-another-record/507-ab069523-2e81-4195-be68-21c6b17f40a3

A shift in the weather is coming just in time for the weekend, but not before Friday brings a heightened risk for flooding across the region. 

As a cold front slowly moves through, heavy downpours from slow-moving storms could lead to flash flooding in some areas. 

FULL WEATHER IMPACT FORECAST: https://www.wcnc.com/article/weather/weather-impact/weather-alert-flooding-risk-friday-august-1-2025/275-b132f118-b8fb-417b-9594-c895ff471fe3

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