Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, November 23, 2020:

COVID-19: VAX LATEST

U.S. coronavirus cases are approaching 200,000 per day just ahead of Thanksgiving, hospitalizations are at record levels, and the daily death toll is at its highest level since May. But the cavalry is coming. The chief of Operation Warp Speed says that the government is planning for 20 million people to get vaccinated in December, then 30 million per month starting in January. That would effectively create herd immunity by May, if all goes according to plan. Another vaccine, from AstraZeneca and Oxford U., is showing an average of 70 percent efficacy, according to newly released interim trial data. GUARDIAN

BIDEN TRANSITION

President-elect Biden’s transition team says it will announce the first cabinet appointments tomorrow, moving forward with a key part of the process even though the Trump campaign is still fighting to overturn the election results. Biden is reportedly set to pick Tony Blinken, a longtime aide, as secretary of state and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a longtime diplomat, as ambassador to the UN. Meanwhile, several more Congressional Republicans, including Sen. Pat Toomey of Penn. and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyo., have broken with the president by calling for a transfer of power to begin. Chris Christie, a Trump ally, said the president’s legal team has been “a national embarrassment.” WASH POST

THANKSGIVING WEEK TRAVEL

Despite pleas from public health officials, up to 50 million people are expected to hit the roads and skies for Thanksgiving this week, according to AAA, down from 55 million last year but making this by far the busiest travel week of the year. As Dr. Fauci and other officials were dispatched to the weekend shows to beg people to be safe and avoid unnecessary travel, a viral video showed packed crowds at Phoenix Sky Harbor. More than 1 million people went through TSA checkpoints on Friday, the second-highest single-day rush since March. REUTERS

SAUDI-ISRAEL RELATIONS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to meet secretly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Israeli media. If confirmed, it would be the first known meeting between leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia and could signal warming relations between the two longtime foes. BBC

BLACK FRIDAY WEEK

Remember when Black Friday was just a day? For the retailers suffering from the pandemic, the sales event cannot come soon enough. Many deals have already started, with the biggest doorbusters this year going online-only, at staggered times. That means fewer crowds in person but way more competition for the best sales. USA TODAY

THANKSGIVING AT HOME

If you’re staying home and not planning to see family over Thanksgiving -- or even if you are and just don’t feel like cooking this year --  a number of restaurant and grocery chains, from Denny's to Kroger, are selling ready-to-eat turkey dinners with all the fixings. SEE THE LIST

NBA FREE AGENCY

With the NBA offseason shorter than ever, teams are moving fast to snatch up the league’s free agents. Over the weekend, Gordon Hayward signed with Charlotte, Marc Gasol signed with the Lakers and Jayson Tatum, Boston's rookie phenom, is reportedly set to sign a supermax extension to stay with the Celtics for $195 million over five years. That leaves Anthony Davis of the Lakers and Brandon Ingram of the Pelicans as the top free agents left on the market. TRACKER

ROYAL LOSS

Prince William and Kate Middleton say that their beloved dog, Lupo, has died. The royal couple had owned the black cocker spaniel for almost a decade. Lupo had been a regular in photos of Will and Kate and their kids over the years: SEE PICS

DOLLY PARTON CHRISTMAS

Dolly Parton, who recently put out a new album and helped fund one of the leading coronavirus vaccines (seriously), has another trick up her sleeve for the holidays: a Netflix Christmas movie that is being heralded as cheesy, cliched, formulaic, sparkly -- basically everything you want in a Christmas movie. Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square is streaming now. EW

LEFTOVERS: MEDICAL MANHATTAN PROJECT

If and when the first coronavirus vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are approved, it will mark one of the most significant medical achievements in history: a brand-new vaccine with high efficacy made from scratch in less than a year. The story of how those companies and their public and private partners got here comes down to a bit of serendipity: an extremely infectious disease rampaging around the world making it easy for clinical trials,  a new vaccine technology at the ready in mRNA, and a government in the Trump administration that was willing to spend money to eliminate risks and knock down roadblocks. Here’s the story behind the medical Manhattan Project of our time: NY TIMES

Listen to the N2K Podcast! Looking for more context and analysis on the big stories of the day? Check out our podcast! Hosts Jill and Carlo break down the headlines, every weekday morning Listen on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!

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