News Wrap: Pfizer says its COVID-19 pill cuts hospitalization, death risk by 90%

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• Judy Woodruff:

  In the day's other news: The October jobs report showed a new surge of hiring, after the latest COVID-19 surge. Employers added a net 531,000 workers, and unemployment dropped to 4.6 percent.

  President Biden hailed the numbers and touted his policies.

• President Joe Biden:

  Forecasters said it would take until the end of 2023, until the end of 2023, to get to 4.6 unemployment rate. Today, we have reached that rate two years before forecasters thought it was possible. I would humbly suggest this is a significant improvement from when I took office.

• Judy Woodruff:

  We will take a closer look at all this after the news summary.

  Pfizer announced strong results today for an oral medication to treat COVID. Trials show the pill cuts infections and deaths by nearly 90 percent in high-risk adults. Pfizer said it will apply soon for FDA authorization. Also today, at least 26 states, nearly all of them led by Republicans, sued to block a federal vaccine requirement for federal vaccine requirement for large companies.

  Three white man accused of murdering a black man, Ahmaud Arbery, formally went on trial today in Brunswick, Georgia. The prosecutor charged they jumped to conclusions that Arbery was a burglar before chasing after him. The defense argued that they were defending their neighborhood.

  They spoke in opening statements.

• Linda Dunikoski, Cobb County, Georgia, Assistant District Attorney:

  All three of these defendants did everything they did based on assumptions. And they made decisions in their driveways based on those assumptions that took a young man's life.

• Robert Rubin, Defense Attorney:

  There was probable cause to believe a felony had been committed, and that this man was attempting to escape or flee. That's why citizen's arrest is in this case.

• Judy Woodruff:

  The case is being heard by a nearly all-white jury.

  Authorities in Mexico are condemning a new eruption of drug violence along their Caribbean coast. Fifteen gunmen stormed ashore Thursday near a luxury resort just South of Cancun, and killed two rival gang members. Tourists and resort staff took refuge in a hotel and waited for the shoot-out to end. The attackers escaped by boat.

  Thousands of young people demanded stronger action on climate change today outside the ongoing global climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The protesters marched, carrying signs and calling for world leaders to do more. They warned that the summit is falling far short of what is needed.

  The U.S. State Department is moving to heed appeals that it do more on so-called Havana Syndrome. American diplomats and intelligence officers have reported hundreds of cases, starting in Cuba in 2016. No one has identified a cause.

  Today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new coordinator of the investigations.

  Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: These incidents have left our colleagues with profound harm. They have experienced serious physical consequences, including persistent headaches and hearing loss. They have also experienced psychological harm, including trauma, anxiety, depression.

• Judy Woodruff:

  This month, President Biden signed a bill to improve medical care for those reporting symptoms.

  Boeing has agreed to pay nearly $238 million to settle a shareholders lawsuit over safety oversight of the 737 MAX. The settlement also calls for a new director with safety expertise and an ombudsman program. The 736 (sic) MAX planes were grounded for 20 months after two fatal crashes.

  And on Wall Street today, stocks reached more record closes after the October jobs report. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 203 points to finish at 36328. The Nasdaq rose 31 points. The S&P 500 added 17.