JUDY WOODRUFF: In the day's other news: AstraZeneca became the third
major company to report promising results on a COVID-19 vaccine. Its formula does not have
to be stored at very cold temperatures, giving it a potential advantage over other vaccines.
Meanwhile, more officials across the U.S. warned
that Thanksgiving gatherings will fuel new infections.
New Jersey's Governor Phil Murphy appealed for restraint.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): Please, we urge you one last time to think beyond this holiday
and past yourself to the days yet to come, and to doing to all you can to make sure that
everyone you love will be able to see those celebrations. Let's be safe. Let's be smart.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Some three million people traveled by air in the U.S. over the
weekend. That was the most since mid-March, but it was also down more than half from last year.
We will discuss all this with infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci after the news summary.
The world's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen during the pandemic, but not enough to
reduce record levels in the atmosphere. The U.N.'s world Meteorological Organization reported those
findings today. It said the emissions drop amounts to -- quote -- "a tiny blip" over the long term.
General Motors is abandoning a legal challenge to California's clean air standards.
The automaker said today that it no longer backs the Trump administration's lawsuit
against letting the state adopt its own rules. Instead, CEO Mary Barra said that
GM agrees with president-elect Biden's plan to expand use of electric vehicles.
In Ethiopia, the military began encircling the capital of the rebel Tigray region today.
Federal troops were surrounding the city of Mekelle after the government gave the
Tigray People's Liberation Front 72 hours to surrender.
REDWAN HUSSEIN, Ethiopian Government Spokesman: The beginning of the end is within reach
and that our defense forces have now effectively encircled Mekelle.
And now it is easy to target any military installations.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Ethiopian state broadcasting showed government troops moving in. Nearly three
weeks of fighting has left an unknown number of people dead and displaced thousands more.
Israel was rife with rumors today that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
met on Sunday with Saudi Arabia's crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It would be the first
confirmed meeting ever between Israeli and Saudi leaders. Netanyahu declined to confirm the report,
but his education minister did confirm it. The Saudis denied that the meeting happened.
China has taken a major new step in space, launching a mission to bring moon rocks and
soil back to Earth. An unmanned craft blasted off early Tuesday morning, Chinese time. No
other nation has brought back lunar material since U.S. and Russian flights of the 1960s and '70s.
Back in this country, California Senator Dianne Feinstein is stepping down as ranking Democrat
on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Feinstein is 87. She said she wants to focus more on wildfires
and drought in California. Progressives had criticized her for not being more
aggressive at the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today ordered a recall of seven million GM
pickup trucks and SUVs. They have air bag inflators made by Takata that can explode
and spew bits of metal shrapnel. The problem is blamed for at least 27 deaths worldwide.
And on Wall Street, stocks rallied on news of another potential COVID vaccine.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 327 points
to close at 29591. The Nasdaq rose 25 points, and the S&P 500 added 20.
Still to come on the "NewsHour": we talk with Dr. Anthony Fauci about the perils of
holiday travel and gatherings; Nicaragua faces a difficult recovery following two devastating
hurricanes; Tamara Keith and Amy Walter examine the latest political news; and much more.