In today's newsletter: Donald Trump’s influence over Senate Republicans is being tested by his Cabinet picks. Why the number of abortions didn’t fall as sharply as anticipated after Roe v. Wade was overturned. And former racing champ Mario Andretti shares early ideas for his new Formula 1 team.

Here's what to know today.

After Donald Trump won the presidential election and Republicans regained the Senate majority, there were questions about whether his allies and those in his party would simply agree with his decisions or put up some resistance.

With former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the answer was no. The president-elect’s pick to lead the Justice Department apparently faced enough opposition from Senate Republicans that Gaetz withdrew from consideration. Now, another question emerges: Will any of Trump’s other Cabinet picks face the same scrutiny — or pushback? 

Senators are getting a brief Thanksgiving reprieve, but next week they’ll return to Washington and consider the president-elect’s other picks. Three in particular have raised alarm.

Tulsi Gabbard, who Trump picked for director of national intelligence, has faced scrutiny for making positive comments about Russia and taking a meeting with Syria’s president. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, is facing questions about alleged sexual assault in 2017. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump wants to become health and human services secretary, has made many false or misleading claims about vaccines, fluoride, raw milk and more.

Republicans will control 53 seats in the new Senate, meaning they can only afford three GOP defections on any vote to confirm a nominee. They’ll have Vice President-elect JD Vance on their side to serve as the tie-breaker.

Read the full story here.

Already, a few senators’ outspokenness has made them people to watch when the nominations are voted on next month. Sen. Susan Collins, a five-term centrist Republican from Maine, has been willing to buck her party at times. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who is slated to be the next Senate majority leader, will have to walk a line between advancing the Trump agenda while sticking with the institutionalist instincts that have earned him respect on both sides of the aisle. And now that Sen. Mitch McConnell is no longer the Senate Republican leader, how will he use his clout?

Read more about these senators and others to keep an eye on during the confirmation process. 

More Trump transition and politics coverage:

Why abortions rose after Roe v. Wade was overturned

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, it seemed only logical that abortion rates would go down. Instead, the opposite happened. More than 1 million abortions were recorded in the U.S. in 2023, the highest in a decade, according to the Guttmacher Institute, and so far this year, abortion rates have remained about the same as in the last six months of 2023. So what happened to keep abortion rates from falling? 

Health reporter Aria Bendix sought out the people and systems behind the trend — spending a day at an Illinois Planned Parenthood clinic, meeting with a Dutch doctor whose work was crucial to preserving access to abortion pills in the U.S., and speaking with key players from all corners of the abortion rights landscape. Much of the story, it turns out, comes down to a small network of medical producers who found ways to prescribe and ship abortion pills around the country from places where they’re still legal.

Mario Andretti's plans for his new Formula 1 team

Formula 1 is getting a new team — and with it, two new drivers. The organization announced yesterday that it has approved the entry of GM and Cadillac as a new team, starting in 2026. The much-anticipated decision comes after a yearlong saga marked by drama and bitter tensions between F1 and Andretti Global, led by former world champion Mario Andretti.

Sahil Kapur, an NBC News senior politics reporter and F1 enthusiast, spoke exclusively to Mario Andretti about his ambitions for the new team. He explains what the sport and automaker GM have to gain:

🏎️ You broke news about the drama surrounding F1's opposition to team Andretti. What changed to allow this new team? It’s hard to pinpoint one thing. This evolved from a controversial decision to a tense battle to a high-stakes political saga with the Justice Department launching an investigation. It was a nearly yearlong standoff where Andretti’s allies on Capitol Hill accused F1 of “cartel”-esque behavior to protect the largely European teams from U.S. competition. There was real bad blood.

In the end, two things helped break the logjam: Andretti Global’s operations were taken over by the investor Dan Towriss, effectively sidelining Mario’s son Michael Andretti from this project. (Mario told me everyone is happy, and Michael tweeted positively about the news.) And GM beefed up its commitment to the project.

🏎️ How significant is it for F1 to have a new team on the grid? It’s huge, for several reasons. First, admitting a renowned U.S. car maker unlocks news doors to the fast-growing American market, which is F1’s commercial priority. The brand value upside for GM is substantial — it’s no mystery why lawmakers from Michigan got involved — so this could be mutually beneficial.

Also, Americans haven’t had much on the home front to root for. The Haas team is technically U.S.-owned, but it isn’t well-known or successful, uses an Italian engine and conducts many of its operations in Europe. The only full-time American driver in nearly two decades, Logan Sargeant, was fired earlier this year.

But Cadillac-Andretti could change that. Mario told me he wants an American driver in at least one of the team’s two seats. Which brings me to another significant thing: an eleventh team means the grid goes from 20 to 22 drivers. That’s great news for talented up-and-comers in F1, who despite their talents have struggled to break into the sport.

🏎️ What advantages does this new team have with Andretti in their corner? Andretti Global knows how to build fast racecars! The organization has built six Indy 500 winners, won four IndyCar championships and scored a Formula E championship. Of course, Formula 1 is the Mount Everest of racing, so we’ll see how they do in this sport. The one thing Mario, America’s last former F1 champion, hasn’t done is build an F1 team. He’s been preparing for this moment for a long time.

Read more about Sahil’s exclusive interview with Mario Andretti. 

Work goes on among the devastation in Lebanon's ancient groves

The rhythm of the harvest must go on for farmers on Lebanon’s ancient olive groves, despite the interruptions of bombs falling on all sides.

NBC News spoke to farmers and workers who find their lives and livelihood threatened by Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, who shed new light on one more consequence of the conflict consuming the region.

— Annie Hill, platforms editor

The best gifts are ones they'll actually use. Check out this guide to practical holiday gifts. Plus, these hand warmers will help you stay warm while doing activities outside this winter.

Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. 

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