>> the fda, thanks for the question first. the fda authorization was the trigger that would allow -- that allowed for the beginning of the packing and shipping process and that started immediately within minutes of the fda decision. people have been working 20 47. we expect that several million doses are in route to sites around the country. across the next week or so, 15 million doses will be around the country at convenient and trusted sites. that is why we are planning on some vaccinations toward the end of this week. the program for kids ages five to 11, really hitting full strength of the week of november 8. next question, please. >> thanks. on kids, i'm wondering if you can tell us your thoughts about the need for younger kids. we asked the fda about this on friday and dr. marks suggested it would be a few months off, mainly because of the kids in the trial. but also the risk benefit is different, there is less risk of severe disease. i am wondering about the sense of urgency for vaccination among kids under five. >> dr.

on friday following a vigorous review, the fda authorized the vaccine for kids ages five through 11 and this is an important step forward in the nation fight against the virus. as doctor wilensky will discuss the cdc will make the clinical recommendations on vaccinations for this age group. as we await the cdc decision we are not waiting on the operations and logistics in fact we have been preparing for weeks thanks to the president's actions we have secured enough vaccine for all 28 million kids ages five to 11 governors and leaders ofdo tribes and territories working with their teams to ensure doses are distributed efficiently and equitably across the jurisdiction to arrange channels pediatrician family doctors offices to community-based sites. overall more than 20000 pediatricians and family doctors and pharmacies and other providers parents know and trust are getting ready to administer vaccines vaccines for kids ages five through 11 are formulated for younger children which means none of them already in the field can be used to vaccinate kids in this age group the fda authorization

at the fda only learned about earlier this year . nearly a decade later tin media reports. mckinsey's work for purdue pharma was made public in a major news story last year and mckinsey issued a public apology for its actions last year as well. so why wasn't the fda aware of mckinsey's work last year was on page news that mckinseywas speaking publicly . >> speaking for myself i wasn't aware of that. and at that time mckinsey was only doing consulting work of a administrative nature for the fda. so there was nothing that had to do with any product or any standard or anything like that. >> i'm sorry to interrupt but f animals out of time. i want to point out that they were consulting on a track and trace system to monitor dangerous prescription drugs. that your response to my letter also says that since finding out about mckinsey's work for purdue quote, no additional contract reviews or outreach tomckinsey has occurred . i will because my time is about to or has expired i will follow up with you and the fda. it seems to me we have a m

and if the tests meet the fda performance and quality standards the fda will hopefully then give emergency use authorization. in providing data for the companies to extradite those tests that are rapid, efficient and point of care. >> thank you. senator burr. >> this question is directed dr. fauci and walensky. in january study found 95% of people who had recovered from covid had at least 3 out of 5 components needed to recognize the virus up to 8 months after infection. in august israelry researchers found natural immunity can confer longer lasting --. and hospital resulting from the delta variant. rockefeller university found while vaccination induces memory b cells to evolve over the course of a few weeks, natural infection produces memory b cells that improve for up to one year after infection. this is likely because remnants of the virus remain in the body for longer than a vaccine would, which gives the body more time to adapt to it. i understand that it is not all black and white. uk researchers released studies results suggesting fully vaccinated individual who is had covid-19 have

this is why the fda advisory committee did not want to approve it. they did not want people to have adverse effects if they were fine with their immune system. if you have a high immune reaction, you may have side effects for a couple days. kristen: vivian wants to know, should my 17-year-old diabetics type one get a booster? he is at school in person and it has been more than six months. dr. gandhi: this is only approved for over 18 because there is an increasing risk of adverse effects with young males. this is not going to be improved -- approved for 12-year-olds to 17-year-olds yet. kristen: gretchen wants to know, i need the flu shot and the booster. which is more important to get first? dr. gandhi: a study in the u.k. said it is fine to get both. that was on adverse effects and antibodies. if i had to choose, i would get the flu vaccine, instead of the booster, if you are not over 65. the flu is coming back. there was a big flu outbreak at the university of michigan. you are likely already protected from covid. kristen: we are hearing a lot of

abc news learning tonight that the fda is expected to approve them this week by friday. tonight, about a half dozen states have moved forward already with boosters for 18 and older. and the news on that new covid pill, pfizer requesting the fda authorize its anti-viral pill that pfizer says is 89% effective at preventing hospitalization and death. and big news tonight on new year's eve in times square. here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: tonight, we're learning the fda is planning to authorize pfizer booster shots for all adults by friday. a cdc panel is scheduled to meet at the end of the week, with a new wave of vaccines going into arms as soon as this weekend. to slow a winter surge, a growing number of states have already gotten ahead of cdc guidelines and made boosters available to all adults. but even in those states, some people say the mixed messages haven't made it easy to book a shot. >> they're like, "yeah, we don't care what santa clara county says, we only care what the cdc says." i'm not going to lie. i'm a very honest person. >> reporter: some healt

fda authorize od. theor data suggested the effectiveness of the initialti doses started to wab, meaning use of a booster dose would be important in bolstering protection for these populations. and the agency also authorized the use of mix and match booster doses for covid-19, using data from naid as was mentioned. this means eligible individuals can getli any of the three authorized vaccines as the booster dose and really simplifies availability for the public. also fda authorized the pfizer vaccine forhi use in children as 5 through s11. i know because i've had many messages on this. manyre parents have been waitin impatiently for c months for th authorization. and i'm happy to say as we speak here today, young children across the country are starting to get vaccinated against covid-19. and to be clear, fda is confident in the safety and effectivenesseh data behind the decisions. the american public can and should feel confident in receiving any of these vaccines. they will help bring this pandemic to

abc news learning tonight that the fda is expected to approve them this week by friday. tonight, about a half dozen states have moved forward already with boosters for 18 and older. and the news on that new covid pill, pfizer requesting the fda authorize the pill that pfizer says is 89% effective at preventing hospitalization and death. and big news tonight on new year's eve in times square. here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: tonight, we're learning the fda is planning to authorize pfizer booster shots for all adults on friday. a cdc panel is scheduled to meet at the end of the week, with a new wave of vaccines going into arms as soon as this weekend, to slow a winter surge. a growing number of states have already gotten ahead of cdc guidelines and made boosters available to all adults. but even if those states, some people say, the mixed messages haven't made it easy to book a shot. >> they're like, "yeah, we don't care what santa clara county says, we only care what the cdc says." i'm not going to lie. i'm a very honest person. >> reporter: some health experts

i called the fda. them saying we need to give the shots to get the information seems like a double edged sword because we are going to give them the vaccine and then get the data. that is confusing to me. host: michelle, you're from new york. then your times today taking a look at -- the new york times today taking a look at comparisons of those who are vaccinated and unvaccinated at the rate at which they were infected by the delta variant and at which people died of the delta variant. among those fully vaccinated people, they were six times less likely to catch the delta variant. among unvaccinated people, they were 12 times as likely to die of the coronavirus as a fully vaccinated person as well, some of the comparisons there. it was 12 deaths per 100,000 among the unvaccinated at one point in august. guest: you have answer the question beautifully. the truth is vaccination is not a bulletproof shield. you do have some breakthrough infections and some people who are particularly immune compromised,

on friday, within minutes of fda -- f.d.a.'s authorization, we began the process of moving 15 million doses from pfizer's freezers and facilities to distribution centers. there, millions of doses were being packed with dry ice and tracking labels before they're being loaded into small, specialized shipping containers. these containers are then placed on trucks and airplanes and shipped to vaccination sites across the country. over the next couple of days, several million doses will start arriving at local pediatricians and family doctors' offices, pharmacies, children's hospitals, community health centers, rural health clinics in other locations. more doses will be packed and shipped and delivered, each and every day, over the next week or so. more and more sites will come online as we ramp up. since fda's authorization last friday, there has not been a moment that teams have not been picking, packing and shipping vaccines. they have been working 24/7 and will continue to do so. i want to be clear about what this means for pare

first is the fda has authorized three covid-19 vaccines and approved a one vaccine. you submit fda's expectations for safety and effectiveness appropriate either for authorization or approval and preventing covid-19. in the last few weeks addition no decisions about the use of these vaccines. fda authorizes booster doses are used in certain populations for all three authorized vaccines as you just heard from our otherer witnesses. di was more data available to data suggested the effectiveness of the initial doses i'd started t to point meaning use off a booster dose to be important in bolstering protection for the population. the agency authorizing mix and match for covid-19 using data as was just mentioned. eligible individuals can get any of the three authorized vaccines as there booster dose. i really simplifiesif availability for the public. author authorized the advisor i've had many messages on the side parents waiting impatiently for months waiting for thisat authorization. i'm happy to sit through speaker today young children across the country starting to ge

the fda is actively reviewing data. and we are in close touch with them. as soon as the fda reviews those data and authorizations, we at the cdc will act swiftly. we will review the epidemiologic data, the effectiveness data as well as the safety data and we will provide our recommendations as soon as we can. >>

the fda is actively reviewing data. and we are in close touch with them. as soon as the fda reviews those data and authorizations, we at the cdc will act swiftly. we will review the epidemiologic data, the effectiveness data as well as the safety data and we will provide our recommendations as soon as we can. >> thank you for today's briefing, we look forward to the next one. then q everybody. >> -- thank you everybody. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government, we are funded by these television companies and more, including cox. >> cox is committed to providing eligible families access to affordable internet through our program. connected and engaged. cox, bringing us closer. >> cox support c-span as a public service along with these other television providers giving you a front row seat to democracy. ♪ ♪ >> you can be part of the national conversation participating in c-span's student cam video competition. your opinion matters so if you are a middle or high school student we are asking you to create a five to six minute document ray that there

but tonight, we are waiting for official word from the fda. david? >> stephanie ramos leading us off tonight from nng new jersew >>> one more headline involving coe have and vaccines. nfl star aaron rodgers, in recent days, confirming he was unvaccinated, tonight, rodgers now saying he takes full responsibility to anybody who felt misled. here's abc's trevor ault. >> reporter: mvp quarterback aaron rodgers is playing defense tonight. >> i made some comments that people may have felt were misleading, and to anybody who felt misled by those comments, i take full responsibility for those comments. >> reporter: after testing positive for covid last week, the nfl superstar igniting a firestorm friday when he confirmed he was unvaccinated, claiming to be "in the crosshairs of the woke mob," and saying when he was asked about his vaccine status in august, this answer wasn't a lie. >> are you vaccinated, and what's your status on vaccinations? >> yeah, i've been immunized. >> reporter: in the fallout, health care company prevea ending its partnership with ro

pero cada vez más estados se adelantan a la fda y promueven el refuerzo para todos. lourdes hurtado amplía. >> como millones de vacunados contra la covid-19 en estados unidos, cynthia quiere sentirse bien protegida con una dosis de refuerzo, pero tiene dudas. >> no me queda claro si están impulsando la tercera dosis, no me queda claro cuál marca agarrar, pfizer o mezclarla con otra. >> la regulación federal establece que por ahora únicamente mayores de 65 años, personas inmunocomprometida, y que vivan o trabajen en áreasde riesgo. pero estados están ofreciendo esta dosis adicional seis meses después del segundo pinchazo. el doctor anthony fauci dice que las auridades deben enviar un mensaje claro. >> (habla en inglés). >> asegura también que la fda revisa precisamente ahora estos parámetros. >> la inmunidad de anticuerpos va decayendo, incluso en personas con un sistema inmunológico robusto como los jóvenes. eventualmente a los seis meses van a necesitar un refuerzo. >> para los que nos vacunamos con johnson y johnson no hay ninguna confusión, la recom

but tonight, we are waiting for official word from the fda. david? >> stephanie ramos leading us off tonight from new jersey. stephanie, thank you. >>> and one more headline involved covid and vaccines. nfl star aaron rodgers, who in recent days came down with covid after saying he was immunized, confirming now he was unvaccinated. tonight, rodgers now saying he realizes he is a role model and takes full responsibility to anybody who felt misled. here's abc's trevor ault. >> reporter: mvp quarterback aaron rodgers is playing defense tonight. >> i made some comments that people might have felt were misleading and, you know, to aybody who felt misled by those comments, i take full responsibility. >> reporter: after testing positive for covid last week, the nfl superstar igniting a firestorm friday when he confirmed he was unvaccinated, claiming to be "in the crosshairs of the woke mob" and saying when he was asked about his vaccine status in august, this answer wasn't a lie. >> are you vaccinated and what's your status on vaccinations? >> yeah, i've be

but right now we're going by fda guidelines. and as you point out here, the fda looking and considering the idea of boosters for all coming up at a policy meeting tomorrow, the cdc looking at the same thing as well, do you think sort of broadly speaking, we have so much confusion about. who can get a booster shot who can't get a booster shot? you know, did did we make the guidelines from the outset for these boosters too narrow and too complicated so that not enough people are getting them? you know, i think we should have either done it for all or not. and i will say that if you listen to the september 17th vaccine advisory committee meeting on the first discussion of boosters, they have really good reasons not to recommend it for everyone. 74 studies around the world showing the two does vaccines are preventing severe disease and death by 90% persistent. it's even there was new york city data new york state data that showed only those over 65 were having any waning effectiveness. so they we've made their decisions for reason o

it wasn't right to tweet at fda. that wasn't a good way to reform the fda but a diagnosis wasn't completely wrong. there was recently frustrated with the performs of the agency. when the biden administration -- >> with the experts and the scientists. >> and the function of the agency and information the white house was getting. >> they didn't trust the experts. that's not going help. >> now they have a harder time exerting control over the agencies, like they did with these boosters which they had a good rationale to do with it did but it looked like they were now anything with the scientific and agencies. i don't think either approach is optimal. you've got to be able to politically appointed officials have to be able to reform government. i think there any harder position. >> they are learning. don't just something in an interview on the book a couple people are in cbcf now let because they're being pushed by the politicals? is that what you think is happening? >> i don't know why the exact reason, they were senior

>>> the fda expected within hours to green light boosters for all adults will the definition of fully vaccinated change >>> just hours before an oklahoma inmate was set to be executed, the governor commuting his sentence the celebration at the state capitol. >>> after 56 years, two men convicted of killing malcolm x exonerated. >>> the massive storm threatening thanksgiving travel. al roker timing it out for us. >>> days after his summit with china's leader, what president biden said today about a potential diplomatic boycott of the beijing olympics. >>> nbc news investigates the covid horrors in a nursing home one worker who made a grim discovery breaking his silence. >>> and serena williams joining the chorus of concern over a missing chinese tennis star. the mystery e-mail raising more questions. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. the three georgia men accused of confronting and murdering ahmaud arbery as he ran through their neighborhood last year rested their cases tonight, but not before the defendant who fired the fatal shot, travis mcmichael, adm

administration then was the fda commissioner. then, after he left the trump administration he has spent the last couple of years helping our country get through this crisis weis face. with solid, empirical, direct, honest, straightforward guidance and advice. on top of all of that he's nominated for an emmy for his performance on cbs "face the nation". i think he set the record for the most consecutive appearances on sunday morning. and because of his outstanding guidance in those interviews and i also think because of a really nice chemistry between him and margaret saw that remind us us of spencer tracy and katharine hepburn. i know a lot of people do not know what i'm referring to, a lot of younger people is been nominated for an emmy and i got very worried about this. the emmys were at last night and i did not see the announcement i thought oh my god he did not win. but then i was informed the daytime emmys or the news emmys were not until next week. i want you to all know i have a serious bet that scott and marketable went f

. >>> booster shots for everyone, pfizer is asking the fda to authorize a third shot for anyone under the age of 18 >>> the nfl drops punishment on aaron rodgers for breaking safety protocol. >>> the children that fought with their own >>> plus the list of hardest-to-find items on store shelves right now. a busy wednesday ahead, "early today" starts right now. >> i'm frances rivera. >> i'm phillip mena. >> a federal judge is refusing to drop documents on behalf of former president trump they investigated the january 6th riots, ruling to keep trump records out of the hand of lawmakers. nbc news' chris pollone joins us from washington, d.c good morning tell us more about what this warning means. >> reporter: it means simply that january 6th committee could see those documents very soon. it indicates the national archives should turn them over on friday. in a bligstering opinion, they said he is not a king and it was not peaceful donald trump's legal team appealed a. spokesperson says the former president remains committed to defending the presidency and the constitution. they issued ten

the fda still does not have a full-time commissioner they have an acting. with the stroke of a pen they could make testing widely available, cheap so your kids, everybody's kids >> it is hard to get hold of those rapid tests. >> i went to rural virginia where my parents live and they are everywhere >> they are not flying off the shelves. >> no. but in new jersey people wait for the truck. >>> closing bell will be right back on a friday growing up in a little red house, on the edge of a forest in norway, there were three things my family encouraged: kindness, honesty and hard work. over time, i've come to add a fourth: be curious. be curious about the world around us, and then go. go with an open heart, and you will find inspiration anew. viking. exploring the world in comfort. thanks for coming. now when it comes to a financial plan this broker is your man. let's open your binders to page 188... uh carl, are there different planning options in here? options? plans we can build on our own, or with help from a financial consultant? like schwab does. uhhh... c

a decision from the fda may be right around the corner, but a larger message this morning from health experts on how to stay safest. this is "today in the bay." >>> a good wednesday morning to you. thank you for joining us. i am laura garcia. >> i am marcus washington. we have breaking news for you right now. >> that's right, just into our news room, a planned strike across nine uc campuses have just been called off. thousands of lecturers were planning to walk off the jobs pf the new deal involves improvements in job stability, workload and compensation. celebratory rallies across campuses are expected today. we will bring you more information if any comes in. >>> kari hall is tracking the forecast. what can we expect for today? >> starting out with fog in the north bay, but it has been clear for much of the rest of the bay area except the south county where in morgan hill there's zero visibility. there's chilly temperatures right now, in the mid-40s. heading out the door right now, we have chilly temperatures but once the fog clears out we will have a nice afternoon. oakland headed

the fda at any moment expected to make news on boosters for all adults. and that thanks giving week storm now taking shape. but we are going to begin tonight with that unexpected move from the defense in the ahmaud arbery case. the defense tonight resting its case in the trial of three georgia men in the shooting death of ahmaud arbery. the prosecution had already finished. outside the courtroom, a prayer vigil by supporters of arbery's family led by hundreds of black pastors. inside, that move by the defense to put one of the defendants, travis mcmichael, on the stand. today, cross examination from the prosecution. mcmichael acknowledging arbery never pulled out any weapon and that arbery never said anything to him. mcmichael said of arbery at one point, he was just running. the incident ending in the firing of those fatal shots. tonight, the jury has now been sent home before closing arguments and abc's steve osunsami leading us off now from georgia. >> >> reporter: outside the glynn county courthouse in georgia today, hundreds of black pastors and peop

well, to be clear, the pfizer vaccine does have a full approval from the fda. that vaccine is fully approved, and if you compare that with some of the relatively more experimental therapies that are being used, monoclonal antibodies, for example, while they have received off throughout station from the fda, they have not been given to his many people as the vaccines. we have now seen billions doses of vaccines given to people around the world. this is really not experimental vaccines. that fda full approval has a lot to deal with making expectations of manufacturing facilities another set extra layers. the authorization really should be seen as look, the vaccines are safe and effective. >> if the subject comes up, have them. cami let's talk about the state of vermont, which we have correctly, talked about as a leader in mitigation. they've done so well. 70% of vermont's are vaccinated, and they are having a spike. is there a larger lesson in this to you? again, they are a small population. small land mess state. was the takeaway here that the shots may not be e

the fda expected to authorize pfizer's booster shot for all adults this week. it is an amendment to the emergency-use authorization already granted, which allows boosters for people 65 and older, people at high risk, or people who work in high-risk environments. several states, though, including california chose not to wait for the fda's official signoff. instead, move on their own to allow boosters. >>> just in, a major decision in san jose about a major piece of land. the city council voting late tonight to approve zoning changes to coyote valley. this will protect the rural land from development. the 314 acres that sprawls along santa theresa boulevard in south san jose has been a battleground between developers and environmentalists for decades. recently, a texas-based developer wanted to build warehouses on this open land, which the company said would create jobs. the mayor tweeting san jose remains committed to safeguarding our most precious resources for future generations. >>> we also have a major decision in oakland. the city council decided on who sho

so when the fda meets about it, they are supposed to give us a recommendation anytime now. c is tragic and heartbreaking and infuriating. 100,000 people have died in the past year. that is a record in the u.s.. the majority were driven by synthetic opioids including fentanyl. the reason i want to bring this up is anyone can tell you mental illness and substance abuse and everything associated in the horrific web has only been amplified during the pandemic. i am hoping we can finally move past awareness to intervention once we get out of here. >> thank you. dr. fauci today said hospitalizations are up for the vaccinated. that got my attention. is that on boosted people? -- >> i do believe that. the immunity that has been given from the vaccine is waning overtime. there are a you important things to flesh out here. -- a few important things to flesh out here. evidences on a state-by-state level. we are seeing breakthrough cases above 65. that might be those who are immuno compromised or have underlying conditions. also, the vaccines were never 100% effective against patching

two fda officials at the highest level left in disgust over political interference from the fda. under the last administration that would have been a two month story. this does threaten the public trust in the public health officials's message. arthel: what you're talking about in terms of vaccinations, you're talking about the booster shot right now. you're still on board -- >> that's right. arthel: and approve us getting our first two shots of pfizer and moderna to fight against covid? >> that's right. now, in young folks, in kids who are healthy, maybe one dose, maybe the recommendation of pediatricians, some are recommending that because, remember, you're talking of a low baseline starting risk. anyone who has not had covid already should get vaccinated. no one should be dying of covid right now. between vaccinations and the therapeutics out there, not the controversial ones but ones with randomized control trials, nobody should be dying of covid with rather exceptions. >> you said anyone who hasn't had covid should get vaccinated. >> that's right. arthel: what about those th

all these fda vaccine advisers are in the spotlight. it's odd. in terms of the armchair epidemiologist or virologist, i get a lot of emails from people telling me how awfully wrong i am about whatever it is i most recently said. >> yeah. there's a lot of people in that club. what do you wish that the armchair virologists out there knew? what do they most often get wrong? >> i think the thing that's hardest for people to grasp, you sort of alluded to tirlier, is the notion of relative risk. i don't think we get that. it's hard to communicate risk. so for example, the risk of myocarditis is 1 in 50,000. the risk of severe clotting is 1 in 500,000. these are extraordinarily rare events. nonetheless, you can see people sort of making up policy decisions based on these rare risks. there's not a vaccine i can think of that doesn't have a rare serious risk. they all do. i mean, measles vaccine caused a lowering of platelets. the polio vaccine, a rare cause of polio that occurred in 1 per 2 million doses. we don't make policy based on that. i think that'

pfizer booster, fda can be making the final decision today. it is expected to approve pfizer's vaccine booster for all adults by end of the week. some states have authorized it so it is already going on. this move would expand number of americans eligible for additional shots by tens of millions. once it goes through fda, it needs to go through the cdc. that is also expected to pass. they have a meeting scheduled for friday. any adult who received second dose of the vaccine at least six months earlier would be eligible to get a booster as soon as this weekend. moderna has also put in an application with the feds to approve its booster. we'll be following both of these. >>> amid protests from parents, teachers, students, hayward unified school board has voted w close these four schools and five other facilities because of a big budget short call and declining enrollment. the board decided to close stro bridge and bowman elementaries and for now they are going to wait on fate of the other schools. >> reporter: dozens of teachers, parents, studen

and they've actually already applied to the fda. they already have an fda adviser's meeting set up for review november 30th. that one would likely come out first. >> elizabeth cohen, thank you. >>> joining us, dr. jennifer connell, an associate professor at rohan university. this new experimental pill sounds promising. so significant they stopped the trial early. >> it looked really good. honestly, i'm so excited about this. i'm excited about this one as well as merck's. as a family doctor, the concept of having an antiviral to treat conditions is not unusual. we have antivirals for hepatitis, for hiv, for other conditions, even the flu. so to have an antiviral for covid actually is very exciting. it would really open up the landscape for how we're able to treat patients, treat them more effic unitly and save more lives. this is very exciting and, yes, according to elizabeth's report and what we're seeing, this pill is looking very effective. >> i want to play a sound bite from dr. carlos del rio with a great reminder on cnn this mo

. >>> also tonight, the fda and cdc advisers green lighting both pfizer and moderna boosters for all adults can it stave off a holiday surge? >>> busy airports as the thanksgiving rush gets underway. the severe storms threatening travel plans for millions al roker is timing it out for us. >>> after months of gridlock, house democrats passing president biden's massive build back better spending bill the hurdles it now faces in the senate. >>> the results just in from the president's physical today. the health issues his doctor says warrants detailed investigation. and why this was a history-making moment for vp kamala harris. >>> after 46 years, is there a break in the jimmy hoffa mystery? >>> and adele is back. her emotional return with her first album in six years. >>> this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening not guilty the words repeated five times in the kenosha, wisconsin courtroom today as kyle rittenhouse walked free. acquitted of homicide charges in the deaths of two men he shot and killed during a night of protest and unrest in the streets the now 18-year

>> a new drug that the fda approved in june, targets plaques. >> dr. aaron kesselheem is. he was on the fda panel until he quit in protest when the agency gave the drug a green light. a move he calls probably the worst drug approval decision in recent u.s. history. >> but how can you say definitively that it doesn't work any more than the fda can say definitively that it does. >> you can't say definitively that it does or doesn't work. in that circumstance you need to do more testing. the system in our country is in in order for a drug to be approved by the fda, it has to show substantial evidence that the drug actually does work. and in this case, there isn't good evidence that drug works. >> but the fda made aduhelm available while studies continue. citing the unmet neorpatsinthis die andcluditis reasonably likely that reduction in aduhelm plaque will be clinical benefit. reasonably likely sounds pretty good to patients like joe montmini. >> it's a major, major breakthrough that taken us from drug that is not the no only deal with the symptoms but root causes of the dise

an fda advisory panel will consider that treatment for the u.s. later this month >> yeah! >> reporter: still, public health experts stress that vaccines remain the best protection against the virus. seven-year-old theodore just got his. what is this going to mean for you >> it means that i can -- i can just like have more sleepovers and play dates, and i can feel more better going to big, giant parties. >> reporter: but not everyone is celebrating after the biden administration announced companies with 100 or more employees have to ensure they're vaccinated by january 4th or get tested weekly at least 27 states now say they filed or plan to join lawsuits challenging the rule. >> the federal government can't just unilaterally impose medical policy under the guise of workplace regulation >> reporter: as for that covid pill, pfizer says it has about 50 million treatments at the ready. lester >> gabe gutierrez tonight. thank you. >>> an emotional day in a georgia courtroom as the trial of three white men accused of killing ahmaud arbery, a black man whose family says he was ou

. >> there are reports the fda can authorize fires or for all adults as early as thursday. according to the current federal guidelines, pfizer and moderna boosters are available if you are over 65 or a higher risk of covid complications. the cdc advisory committee set to meet friday to discuss expanding booster eligibility. if the fda and cdc committee support the plan, the cdc director must sign off for it to become official. >> california officials have expanded boosters to people 18 and older as long is it has been six months since your initial doses or two months since your one shot of johnson & johnson. governor newsom said booster shots are in abundance. but some people have found it challenging to get appointments in part because of the federal guidelines, saying you must be 65 or older, have an underlying medical condition, or work in a high-risk setting. they are following the state. >> especially as we are going into the holidays and we are concerned about the winter surge, get a booster, we will not turn anyone away who wants a booster. >> san francisco and santa

why more states are offering covid vaccine boosters to all adults even though the fda hasn't signed off. >>> caught on camera, a bear breaks into a 7-eleven while a deer takes a tour inside this church. >>> and from the bad news about heated seats in your car to the surprising news about your daily deodorant to the big news for reese's peanut butter fans, it's tuesday, november 16th. >>> good tuesday morning, everyone. i'm andrew dymburt. >> and i'm trevor ault. mona is off, but we begin with some breaking news this morning. a flood emergency in the northwest. >> rescues have been under way overnight with hundreds of people forced to evacuate their homes while dozens of others have been stranded on highways blocked by mudslides. >> and these storms are also thnia weat cic rthw blowing ove extensive flooding forcing people to flee their homes. in washington, emergency officials in whatcom county say at least 500 people have been displaced, the flooding being called the worst the area has seen in 30 years. >> the water came in fast, way faster than we were expecting. so our house is in ab

>> to be clear, the pfizer vaccine does have a full approval from the fda. so that vaccine is fully approved. if you compare that with some of the relatively more experimental therapies that are being used, monoclonal antibodies, for example, while they've received authorization from the fda, they have not been given to nearly as many people as the vaccines. we've seen billions of doses of the vaccine given around the world. and so these are really not experimental vaccines. the fda full approval has a lot to do with making inspections of the manufactuing facilities and other extra layers. but the authorization should be seen as, look, the vaccines are safe and effective. >> let's talk about the state of vermont. which we have correctly talked about as a leader in mitigation. they had done so well, 70% of vermonters are vaccinated, and they're having a spike. is there a larger lesson in this to you, again, they're a small population, small land mass state. is the takeaway that the shots may not be effective for as long as we thought? >> not at all. what we'r

. >> are good, the fda could approve this drug and that would happen in late 2021, if it works. so it's fairly far along and, of course, easier when you're starting with a drug that is known and you don't have to go through all of this testing to, you know, determine if it's safe or not. and i want to come back at some point and i expect there might be some interest in -- in the issue of how the fda decides to approve treatments. let me ask you, i mean, at this point, i don't -- both membrane and going back to analogy. you know, i wouldn't say that we've written the book on how memory works. you can contradict me. you know more about this. what causes are triggers or fully plays roles in memory loss either. yes? >> you are absolutely right. we have not written the book on either of those things. you know, there's no hammer of truth and every finding comes with asterisks and it's always incomplete. >> that's one of the reasons why i love the stories of scientists who recognize the importance of the henryses and the owens and the all of these different case studies which remind be

. >> i've been very frustrated with the convoluted messaging out of the cdc and the fda. everybody should get the booster after six months. >> two. >> reporter: some states are expending efforts to get shots in arms, especially children. outside sacramento, eager parents brought their kids to a drive-through clinic. >> it is very important. well want to keep them safe. >> reporter: but today brazil, once a pandemic hot spot edged past the united states in vaccinations. 60% of brazilians are fully vaccinated compared to 59% of americans. and in nebraska's lincoln zoo, covid is being blamed in the deaths of three rare snow leopards. two infected tigers did recover. experts say those boosters are important because they could increase the effectiveness of an older vaccine from 50% to 95%. jericka? >> lilia luciano, thank you. >>> with infections surging in europe again, austria today took a drastic measure and imposed a nationwide lockdown on unvaccinated citizens. the restrictions sparked protests in vienna. people without shots can only leave home for work or to buy food. i

pfizer tonight making its case to the fda that booster shots of its vaccine are 95% effective and that they are safe for all fully vaccinated adults over 25 million americans have received boosters since the cdc signed off on them for all three vaccines, but largely for certain age and risk groups. pfizer asking federal regulators to amend its emergency use authorization and allow it to expand booster availability to virtually everyone. but some experts worry the case for healthy people to get boosters hasn't fully been made miguel almaguer has details. >> reporter: today's submission from pfizer is a major step toward providing a booster shot for any american adult who wants one, seeking emergency use authorization from the fda. if approved by the agency and the cdc, those 18 and over who have been fully vaccinated with pfizer for six months would qualify. but if americans can mix and match boosters as currently allowed, soon 156 million could be eligible. pfizer's request comes less than two months after a panel of experts rejected a similar one. >> i think what the fda is going to l

. >>> vaccination boosters for all adults pfizer officially asks for the green light from the fda, the impact on millions and millions, if the move is approved. >>> and the race for governor in new jersey was much closer than the polls predicted. meet the pollster apologizing to both candidates for getting it so wrong this is called momentum. and there's no off-season. just work that builds on itself over and over and over again... becuase the only way is through. meet chef clem, owner of doughn't be sour, a sourdough doughnut company. she was flying back from a conference, when she got a text: she needed a bigger fridge asap if she was going to fulfill her orders. so she used her american express business platinum card® to earn more points on the big-ticket purchase. she got the new fridge, fulfilled the orders, and with her extra points, she got new equipment that allowed her to expand her business by rolling out a new product. get the card built for business. by american express. healthier is on-demand covid testing to help you return safely. even if it's still... a little awkward.

the company is asking fda for emergency use authorization. now, president joe biden announcing his support. >> while it is still under fda approval, i am announcing today that we have purchased 10 million treatment courses, with delivery starting late this year and all across 2022. >> morgan norwood, abc news, los angeles. >> oakland unified school district began a major effort tonight in hopes of avoiding a post thanksgiving covid surge. they will hold 21 pop up vaccination clinics at different schools. tonight's was at markham elementary, where children and their parents showed up ready to roll up their sleeves. a state epidemiologist was there to help administer shots. >> i was really -- it was really important that access not be a barrier to getting our kids vaccinated, so we really focused on communities that had been hit the hardest and have the least resources to bring vaccines to the kids. >> the plan is to get students and families vaccinated and tested before, during, and after the thanksgiving break. students we spoke to were not h