Biden and Xi hold virtual summit, delta variant hits New England's unvaccinated and Rittenhouse jurors to begin deliberations

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally met for a face-to-face summit Monday evening. New England is not out of the Covid-19 woods yet as the delta variant hits the unvaccinated. And Kenosha, Wisconsin, is bracing itself as jurors in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial are set to begin deliberations.    Here's what we're watching this Tuesday morning.     Biden, Xi find no breakthroughs at lengthy virtual summit amid rising U.S.-China tensions President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first time this year via video conference Monday night for a three-and-a-half-hour conversation.     The White House said the meeting did not result in any breakthroughs but took a step towards managing a U.S.-China relationship that has been increasingly defined by hostility.     The two leaders discussed Taiwan at length, Beijing's crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement, as well as human rights more broadly, according to a White House statement after the meeting.    "The meeting itself was really about the two leaders discussing ways to manage the competition between the United States and China responsibly and ways to establish guardrails for that competition," said a senior administration official.  Tuesday's Top Stories New England Covid cases rise as delta hits the unvaccinated Vermont and New Hampshire have seen two of the largest increases in the U.S. in the past two weeks — a stark reminder that unvaccinated people continue to face a serious risk for infection even in areas with high vaccination rates. READ MORE 'Somebody is going to be upset': Kenosha business owners brace for Rittenhouse verdict With jurors in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial set to begin deliberations Tuesday morning, Kenosha's residents and business owners are preparing for the worst, fearing protesters, crime and vandalism may return regardless of the outcome.  READ MORE Floodwaters rush through several Pacific Northwest towns amid record rainfall  Swollen rivers, excessive rainfall, flooding and mudslides forced hundreds of rescues and cut off power to over 100,00 utility customers in the region on Monday.  READ MORE OPINION America caused tragedy in Afghanistan. In the Hollywood version, it will be the hero.  It's been only 2½ months since the last U.S. soldier left Afghanistan after a grueling two-decade war. But apparently that's enough time for Hollywood to rewrite history, writes Ahmed Twaij, a journalist, filmmaker and doctor.  READ MORE Also in the News Biden signs infrastructure bill, marking victory in hard-fought legislative battle U.S. blames Russia for endangering astronauts aboard the International Space Station with 'reckless and irresponsible' weapons test Alex Jones liable for defamation in Sandy Hook 'giant hoax' case 6 teens hospitalized after shooting near Colorado high school Woman's own immune system has possibly cured her of HIV More than 500 hospitalized from scorpion stings after storm in Egypt Holiday shoppers are stockpiling gifts to make sure there's something to unwrap Editor's Pick Parents protesting 'critical race theory' identify a new target: Mental health programs The same parents and advocates who have accused school districts of indoctrinating students with progressive ideas about race, gender and sexuality are now criticizing initiatives centered on students' mental health and emotional well-being. READ MORE Select Beyond chocolate, Advent calendars can come filled with coffee, skin care products, baking tools and more. One Fun Thing Grandmother and teen she mistakenly texted to reunite for 6th Thanksgiving Here's to a happy mishap that has spawned a sweet Thanksgiving tradition.   Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench will once again get together for the holiday, six years after she accidentally sent him a text inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner, believing she had texted her own grandson.   "We are all set for year 6!" Hinton posted Sunday on Twitter, acknowledging that it will be the sixth straight year the pair celebrate the holiday together.    Read the full story of their cross-generational friendship here.  Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Petra Cahill     FOLLOW US     Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? SIGN UP HERE Check out all of NBC Newsletters here.     Get the NBC News Mobile App   30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 View in browser | Unsubscribe | Manage Subscription | Contact | Privacy