Good morning, NBC News readers.
On this Thanksgiving eve, we are looking at the dilemma facing doctors as new Covid-19 treatments become available, President-elect Joe Biden's new team and a revelation from Meghan Markle.
Here is what's happening this Wednesday morning.
Scarcity of new Covid drug poses dilemma for doctors over who to treat
Two authorized Covid-19 antibody treatments that may help keep high-risk patients out of the hospital are in such short supply that doctors are facing a daunting question as cases surge in the United States: Which patients should be first in line?
The antibody treatments must be given shortly after a patient tests positive, before severe symptoms begin. The hourlong IV infusions are considered to be among the more promising treatments for the disease.
But doses of the drugs, one made by Regeneron and the other by Eli Lilly, are extremely limited. Both companies received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in recent weeks.
It's just one of the many challenges the U.S. medical system is facing with the soaring number of coronavirus cases across the country.
Earlier in the pandemic, hospitals were competing for ventilators, Covid-19 tests and personal protective equipment; now they are competing for nurses.
In nursing homes, Covid-19 outbreaks are hitting a record high.
"It's an out-of-control fire. You stamp it out in one place, then it pops up somewhere else," said Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP, which has urged Congress to pass more funding for testing, personal protective equipment and staffing for the country’s 15,000 nursing homes.
And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finalizing plans to shorten the recommended length of quarantine for those exposed to Covid-19.
Follow our live blog for all the latest Covid-19 developments.
Biden says outreach from Trump admin has been 'sincere' as transition begins
President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that the Trump administration has already begun to reach out to his transition team, and he described the effort as "sincere," a day after a federal agency released a letter to formally begin the transition of power.
"Immediately, we've gotten outreach from the national security shop to just across the board," Biden said in an exclusive interview with NBC News' Lester Holt.
"And I must say the outreach has been sincere — it has not been begrudging so far, and I don't expect it to be," Biden added.
Biden's first batch of administration picks, introduced at an event Tuesday in Wilmington, Delaware, gives competing wings of the Democratic Party something to celebrate, and sends a signal to the United States that he plans to govern as an institutionalist.
So far, he's giving everybody from progressive activists to centrist Democrats something to be happy about and little to fight over, writes NBC News' Sahil Kapur.
"The president-elect understands that he has to continue this balancing act in constituting his presidency," said William Galston, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution. "Biden is a unifier, and he's picked a team of fellow unifiers. These are not people who go out of their way to pick fights, especially with other Democrats."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average seemed to agree with the news that the Trump administration had finally green-lighted the transition process for Biden. The Dow closed above 30,000 for the first time in history on Tuesday.
Wall Street is also optimistic about Biden picking former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to head the Treasury Department. If approved by the Senate, Yellen, 74, would be the first woman to hold the Cabinet-level position of secretary of the Treasury.
Meghan Markle reveals she suffered a miscarriage
Meghan Markle said on Wednesday that she suffered a miscarriage, writing in an article about her "unbearable grief" and calling for individuals to show more empathy toward one another during this difficult year.
The Duchess of Sussex, and wife of Britain's Prince Harry, revealed that her miscarriage occurred in July in a New York Times opinion piece.
The disclosure was part of a wider discussion the Duchess of Sussex was trying to spark this Thanksgiving on the importance of asking each other "Are you OK?" during these troubled times brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, political divisiveness and societal reckonings over race.
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Plus
- Netflix pulled "Chappelle's Show" at the comedian's request.
- The parents of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich reached a settlement with Fox News over allegations the cable news company exploited their son's death in stories and commentary.
- Listen to our podcast Into America. In the latest episode, host Trymaine Lee examines how the Rainbow Sign, a Black cultural center in Berkeley, California, helped shape a young Kamala Harris.
THINK about it
Americans worry about their grocery stores running out of toilet paper. Imagine how much more worried they'll be if their hospitals run out of nurses, former ICU nurse Janet Campbell-Vincent writes in an opinion piece.
Live BETTER
You still have one day left to prepare. Here are recipes, strategies and tips for a different, more low-key kind of Thanksgiving feast this year.
Shopping
Many retailers, including Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond have put out holiday hubs to simplify gift-giving this year.
Quote of the day
"America is back, multilateralism is back, diplomacy is back."
— Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Biden's U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations nominee, said during remarks Tuesday.
One fun thing
Officials in Chickasha, Oklahoma, were looking for ideas to draw visitors to the city.
They decided a giant 40-foot inflatable lamp, like the one in the movie "A Christmas Story," would be just the thing to give them a leg up over the competition to attract tourists.
Just for fun, check out the moment when Ralphie's parents open up the "'Fra-gil-e!' It must be Italian" incredible new piece of home decor.
We know this holiday season is going to be different, but we still hope it's full of joyful surprises.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.
We will be sending the newsletter tomorrow morning, but in case you are busy cooking away, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving. No matter how you choose to celebrate, have a happy and safe day.
If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com
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Thanks, Petra
