Democrats plan to run on Roe, first U.S. omicron case found, and the ‘Harvard of Santa schools’

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     Today we look at how a Supreme Court decision on Mississippi abortion rights could impact the 2022 midterm elections. Plus, the latest on the Biden administration's efforts to clamp down on the omicron variant. And how this year's batch of Santas are brushing up on their "Ho, ho, hos!" ahead of the holiday season.    Here's what we're watching this Thursday morning.     If Roe is gutted, Democrats are unlikely to make it law. But they'll run on it. If the Supreme Court overturns or guts abortion rights in a major case that was argued Wednesday, the Democratic-led Congress is unlikely to have the votes to counteract it legislatively.   The fallback plan, Democrats say, is to take the issue to voters in the 2022 elections and argue that Republican victories in Congress and states could fuel restrictions on, or even outlaw abortions.   A Supreme Court decision is not expected until the end of June — but it would land right in the heart of the midterm elections.    Oral arguments indicated that the six conservative justices on the nine-member court appeared willing to at least uphold the 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi, if not go a step further and overturn Roe v. Wade and its precedents.   Republican opponents of legal abortion expressed optimism that the case could go their way after hearing the 90 minutes of oral arguments. But Democrats are counting on backlash if the right is curtailed or ended to awaken voters in a cycle in which the GOP is historically favored to make gains. Read our full story here.    More on the Supreme Court case:  Abortion rights advocates in Mississippi strategize for a post-Roe world Justice Sotomayor suggests Supreme Court won't 'survive the stench' of overturning Roe v. Wade Thursday's Top Stories As other countries clamp down, Biden largely focuses on existing Covid measures On the heels of the first U.S. case of the omicron variant being detected in California, President Joe Biden is expected to outline his plans Thursday to combat Covid-19 this winter. They primarily focus on ramping up existing procedures and avoiding the more restrictive measures being imposed in other countries. READ MORE Michigan suspect recorded video about killing students night before shooting, officials say The 15-year-old suspect in the Oxford High School shooting was charged with four counts of first-degree murder Wednesday after prosecutors argued the shooting was "not just an impulsive act" and said investigators had uncovered a "mountain" of evidence showing that the attack was premeditated. READ MORE Russian troops mass on Ukraine's border. West worries this isn't like the last time. Officials and experts say Russian troops massing near the Ukrainian border is different from the last time and are expressing genuine concern that the current gambit by Russian President Vladimir Putin might be for real. READ MORE 'Magic dirt': How the internet fueled, and defeated, the pandemic's weirdest trend Black Oxygen Organics became a sudden hit in the fringe world of alternative medicines and supplements, where even dirt can go for $110 a bag.  READ MORE Also in the News Emotional Alec Baldwin says, 'I didn't pull the trigger' on 'Rust' set U.K. tabloid loses appeal in privacy fight over Meghan's letter to her father MLB headed to first work stoppage since '95 as collective bargaining agreement expires Top aide to Kamala Harris expected to leave White House in second high-level departure from VP's office Chris Cuomo calls his suspension from CNN 'embarrassing' Jan. 6 committee recommends contempt charge against ex-Trump DOJ official   Ebony &  Ivy: Our latest Into America podcast digs into Harvard's struggles with addressing its legacy of enslavement Editor's Pick Crude reality: One U.S. state consumes half the oil from the Amazon rainforest As oil companies carve up more of the rainforest, a new study shared exclusively with NBC News says no place in the world uses more oil from beneath the Amazon than California. READ MORE Select Keurig recently announced a new customizable option for select brewers just in time for the holiday gifting season. One Fun Thing You'd better watch out: These Santa Clauses are coming to town. Last year, going to see Santa felt risky for many families. This year, it seems, parents and kids can't wait for him to return.    "There is more of a demand," said Tom Valent, dean of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Midland, Michigan, founded in 1937. "People want Santa. They want to go back to normal. They want what Santa stands for. They want that back in their family."    For generations, Santas have enrolled annually at the "Harvard of Santa Schools" to brush up on their "Ho ho hos."     Read more about how they are doing it this year here and watch a video about the school 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