Friday, November 13th, 2020
‘Most Secure’ Election, Local Vaccine Plans & Super Bowl Halftime Show
All the news you need in around 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by HelloFresh.com/NEWSWORTHY90 and ButcherBox.com/NEWSWORTHY
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want reading the latest happenings...
“Most Secure” Election in History
Top government officials say they found no evidence of compromised or altered votes in the 2020 presidential election. A coalition called it the “most secure” election in American history. The group said there are "many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections," but they "can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too." They cited pre-election testing, certification of voting equipment, paper records, and more.
Read More: AP, NY Times, Axios, Reuters, CISA
Highest Voter Turnout in 100 Years
More Americans cast ballots this year than they have in any election over the last century. The Washington Post says so far, it looks like about 64% of eligible voters cast ballots in last weeks’ election. All those votes aren’t even counted yet. In the swing states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the turnout came close to 80%. When all is said and done, election officials say they expect this year’s turnout percentage to be the highest since the election of 1900.
Read More: WaPo
PA Court Tosses Some Ballots
President Trump won an election challenge in a Pennsylvania court, but it won’t have much of an impact on the presidential race. The lawsuit was over ballots that were submitted on time but needed voters’ proof of ID before being certified. Pennsylvania’s secretary of state tried to give people more time. Trump’s campaign said she didn’t have that authority, and a judge agreed. The ballots that weren’t ready to go by the original deadline will get tossed. However, those ballots already weren’t counted, so the vote tally doesn’t change.
Read More: Bloomberg, FOX News, Forbes
Disputed Claims about Fraud
On Twitter, President Trump has mentioned that thousands of votes were stolen from him in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and other states. For example, he claims certain election technology software “deleted,” or “switched” Trump votes to count for Biden. However, organizations like Politifact, AP, CISA, and more say these claims aren’t true. One expert told AP a “small handful” of issues were a result of human error, not software, and even those issues would not have impacted election results.
Read More: AP, PolitiFact, NY Times, Twitter
GOP Senators Urge White House Transition
Several more Republican senators are now pushing for President-elect Biden to get more White House access so he’s prepared to run the country. Reporters spoke to some key Trump allies about this, like Senators Chuck Grassley, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio, to name a few. Most of them said Trump is right to challenge election results in court, but they also said the Biden transition team should get resources, like access to classified briefings and federal funding.
Read More: WSJ, WaPo, Reuters, CNN
Cities, States Set New COVID-19 Restrictions
New COVID-19 cases are on the rise in 46 out of 50 states and overall, the U.S. is breaking records almost every day. Now, several cities and states are imposing tougher restrictions. Chicago’s mayor issued a 30-day stay-at-home advisory. She’s asking people to only leave home for work, school, and essentials. New York’s governor had a similar message last week and he banned all indoor gatherings of 10 people or more. New measures were also introduced this week in Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa, Utah, New Jersey, and more.
Read More: WSJ, Axios, ABC News, USA Today
U.S. Prepares Vaccine Distribution
The U.S. is gearing up for the biggest vaccination effort in American history. The first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine could be available as soon as next month. However, the first batch would only go to high-risk groups, like healthcare workers. Some health departments are now counting how many people will be first in line. State officials are preparing systems to track supplies and patients too. They also need to make sure doctors’ offices and pharmacies have the storage capacity. More government funding may be needed to get it all done.
Read More: AP, NY Times, Reuters, Axios
SpaceX Crewed Launch
SpaceX plans to launch four astronauts into orbit tomorrow from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. This is the private space company’s second crewed launch. The first was back in May. Tomorrow’s launch is part of an official mission to the International Space Station. Three Americans and one Japanese astronaut will be onboard. They’ll all spend six months aboard the ISS doing research. Tomorrow’s launch is set for 7:49 p.m. ET, as long as the weather cooperates.
Read More: CBS News, Cnet, Fox News, SpaceX
Nintendo 35th Anniversary Game and Watch
Starting today, Nintendo is re-releasing the first handheld gaming device it ever made: Game and Watch. It was sold in the 1980s. Back then, users could play one or two simple games on it. The device also doubled as a clock. Nintendo says it’s bringing back a new, modernized version of it to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the iconic franchise Super Mario Bros. This time, Game and Watch will come with a full-color LCD and you can charge it with a USB cable.
Read More: The Verge, TechCrunch, Nintendo
Peloton Deal with Beyoncé
Beyoncé is partnering with the fitness company Peloton. The singer is working with the brand to create a series of workouts people can stream online. Her music and style will be featured in exercises like cycling, running, strength training, boot camp, yoga, and more. The first Beyoncé-themed workout class is live now. More will reportedly be rolling out in the coming weeks. On top of that, students at 10 historically Black colleges and universities will get free, two-year digital memberships.
Read More: Business Insider, CNBC, Variety, CNN, Peloton
Super Bowl Halftime Show Headliner
The star of the next Super Bowl halftime show will be The Weeknd. The pop star is most known for songs like “Blinding Lights,” “Starboy,” and “Can’t Feel my Face.” He’s already won three Grammy Awards, but this will be another huge moment for the singer. The Weeknd says he’s humbled, honored, and ecstatic for this opportunity. Super Bowl 55 is set for February 7th in Tampa, Florida.
Read More: USA Today, NBC News, CBS News, NFL
Diwali 2020
Tomorrow is Diwali, or what’s also known as the Hindu festival of lights. More than a billion people celebrate the holiday around the world. To commemorate the holiday, people light candles, firecrackers, and clay lamps. It’s meant to signify the triumph of light over darkness, or good over evil. People usually gather for festivities too, but don’t expect to see many large celebrations this year because of COVID-19. Many people are opting for a virtual holiday instead.
Read More: NY Times, USA Today, BBC
Feel Good Friday: Air Force Veteran Creates Healing Farm
An Air Force veteran is spreading joy through the Veterans Healing Farm. He told People magazine he got the idea after struggling with mental health issues. He battled feelings of loneliness and isolation but found that volunteering made him feel better. So he turned nine acres of land in North Carolina into a farm where other veterans can volunteer and learn how to work the land. In the last six years, the farm has donated more than 35,000 pounds of produce and flowers to other local vets and their caregivers.
Read More: PEOPLE, Healing Farm