5 things you need to know this weekend

Editors

USA TODAY

President Obama waves as he walks toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Nov. 1.

Obama's last stop: Peru

President Obama completes his final world tour this weekend in Lima, Peru, with events planned around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. Obama will meet Saturday with a group of 12 nations that signed on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), before a meeting with the 21 APEC countries Sunday. The outgoing president will also meet separately with Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian President Malcolm Turnbull. White House aides say they understand Trump’s election has changed the equation on U.S. ratification of the TPP, but they maintain their stance that “these types of deals make sense.”

So many mind-blowing cars on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show

Dozens of stunning new vehicles made their debut this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Now, it's the public's turn to check them out. Saturday marks the first weekend the show is open to the public. There are more than 100 cars that can be test-driven and 1,000 that can be ogled in four exhibit halls. The L.A. Auto show is the first of the season's big U.S. auto shows. What's worth looking at? Some of the most interesting vehicles include the Mercedes-Maybach super-posh S650 Cabriolet, a $300,000 car of which only 300 will be produced. From Honda, a new Civic — the Si, which is more powerful and jazzier than the standard edition. SUVs were hot in general. The "Rogue One" from Nissan, clearly geared to Star Wars fans, was among models getting buzz. The L.A. Auto Show runs through Nov. 27.

NASCAR prepares to crown its last Sprint Cup champion

Rev it up, NASCAR fans: The Chase for the Sprint Cup concludes with Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles). The race marks the end of an era as, starting next season, the sport's premier series will no longer be sponsored by Sprint. As for the race: The final four drivers are all strong contenders, and that means it’s anyone's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET; NBC). Jimmie Johnson is going for his record-tying seventh championship, a feat that our Brant James predicts will happen. Kyle Busch is going for two in a row. Joey Logano and Carl Edwards are both championship-caliber drivers but neither has won one yet. Here's a look back at how the 12 previous champions won the Chase. We also say farewell to Tony Stewart as a driver as the three-time champion races in his final Sprint Cup race.

New satellite to give high-definition look at U.S. weather

The USA's newest weather satellite — scheduled for launch Saturday from Florida — will send back the best images we've ever seen of severe storms, blizzards, hurricanes and lightning strikes. And it's fast: The satellite can scan the entire Western Hemisphere in just five minutes. The school-bus-size satellite, called GOES-R, was designed and built by Lockheed Martin and will be run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Winter storms arrive

The first major winter storm of the season — packing blizzards, freezing temperatures and high winds — is bearing down on the northern Plains states, setting the stage for a jolt of wintry weather all the way to the East Coast over the weekend. Rain will signal the arrival of the front along with tumbling temperatures, according to forecasters. Areas from the Appalachians westward into the Ohio Valley will even see snow showers arriving later Saturday under a cold upper-level trough. On the West Coast, a front associated with a large, low pressure system will reach the coastal areas by Saturday morning. Rain is expected in the Pacific Northwest into Saturday morning, while snow is forecast to develop over the highest elevations of the Cascades and northern Sierras. The snow could create travel problems for motorists and fliers eager to make an early Thanksgiving getaway, so plan accordingly.

A Oct. 17, 2016, file photo shows snow blanketing an area near Serene Lakes in Soda Springs, Calif. The first major winter storms of the season are forecast to dump snow in the north-central and Northeast U.S.

And the essentials:

Be inspired: This cute baby is hysterically laughing at paper and we love it so much.

Weekend TV: Wondering what to watch this weekend? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Durrells in Corfu on PBS and The Affair on Showtime.

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