JUDY WOODRUFF: The availability
of COVID-19 booster shots is
expanding to 16-and 17-year-olds.

The FDA and the CDC cleared them
today to receive third doses of
Pfizer's vaccine at least six

months after their second shot.
Meanwhile, the World Health
Organization warned wealthy countries

against hoarding vaccines for
booster shots as they fight
the new Omicron variant.

The White House braced today
for more bad news on inflation.
November's numbers are expected

to show another spike. In a
statement, President Biden pointed
to a drop in gas prices and said --

quote -- "The information being
released tomorrow on energy does
not reflect today's reality."

Aides also cited a drop in
initial claims for jobless
benefits to the lowest since 1969.

The president also spoke today
with Ukraine's president,

assuring him of support in the face of a
Russian troop buildup. Earlier this week,

Mr. Biden offered U.S. diplomatic efforts
to address Russia's security concerns.

But the U.S. State Department
said today that that does not mean
bargaining away Ukrainian territory.

NED PRICE, Spokesperson, State
Department: There have been absolutely

no deals cut. There have been no
concessions made, no such elements even

discussed. What this is not, is
an effort to discuss borders,
to discuss Ukraine without

Ukraine. We are not going to do anything
with Ukraine without Ukraine, our partner.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Moscow said today that
the time for negotiations is nearly over,

and it compared the situation
to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

A federal appeals court has rejected
former President Trump's effort

to withhold records related
to the U.S. Capitol assault.

A three-judge panel ruled today
that congressional investigators
need the president's diaries, notes,

and other material. Mr. Trump is expected
to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Also today, it was widely
reported that New York state's
attorney general, Letitia James,

wants to question former President Trump
in a civil investigation. The focus is

on whether the Trump Organization
illegally manipulated the
valuations of its properties.

That news came as Attorney General
James suspended her campaign

for governor of New York. The first-term
Democrat cited ongoing investigations

and said that she would seek
reelection as attorney general instead.

The U.S. Senate has moved closer
to raising the debt ceiling and
averting a national default. A

bipartisan bill allowing for
passage by a simple majority passed
a key procedural vote today. It

would let Democrats raise the debt
limit without Republican support
in the evenly divided Senate.

Former Senate Majority Leader and
presidential candidate Bob Dole

lay in state today at the U.S. Capitol.
His casket arrived in a somber ceremony,

as lawmakers, friends, and
family gathered to pay tribute.

President Biden praised Dole as --
quote -- "a giant of our history"

and urged Americans to follow his example.

JOE BIDEN, President of the
United States: America has lost
one of our greatest patriots.

We may follow his wisdom, I
hope, and his timeless truth
that the truth of the matter is,

as divided as we are, the only
way forward for democracy is
unity, consensus, the only way.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Dole's funeral is
tomorrow at the National Cathedral

in Washington. He died on
Sunday at the age of 98.

The first lawsuits have been filed in
the Michigan school shootings that left

four students dead. The parents
of a wounded girl brought two
federal suits against school

officials, seeking $100 million each. They
argue that the killings could have been

prevented. A 15-year-old sophomore
faces murder charges in the deaths.

For the first time, workers at a U.S.
Starbucks outlet have voted to unionize.

Results from a store in Buffalo, New York,
were announced today. A second Buffalo

store rejected a union. The
coffee giant has actively
opposed unionization for decades.

And Wall Street's rally
paused today as investors took

profits. The Dow Jones industrial average
stood still, losing a fraction-of-a-point

to close at 35754. The Nasdaq
fell 269 points, 1.7 percent.
The S&P 500 dropped 33.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": the
top U.S. general in the Middle East

discusses the flash points in the
region; despite a high vaccination
rate, Vermont's health system

struggles with a rise in COVID cases; a
new book argues the focus on anti-racism

has had a negative effect on the
Black community; plus much more.