Coronavirus pandemic, President-elect Joe Biden, Masters: 5 things to know Friday
Dispute over classified briefings for Biden may come to a head
Will President-elect Joe Biden get access to classified intelligence briefings, even though President Donald Trump continues to contest the election results? Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, said earlier this week he would intervene if the Trump administration doesn't start allowing Biden to receive the briefings, which typically are given to incoming presidents so they can be prepared to deal with national security threats. “If that’s not occurring by Friday, I will step in,” said Lankford, who sits on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Trump so far has refused to allow the presidential transition to begin as he contests the election results.
- Trump campaign's challenge of election results in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona push US toward 'loss of democracy,' experts say
- Election security officials: 'No evidence voting systems compromised'
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COVID-19 killing Americans almost as quickly as the worst week of the summer surge
Bars and restaurants throughout New York City, the nation's first virus "hot spot," will be forced to close at 10 p.m. each night beginning Friday as a fall uptick in COVID-19 cases kills Americans almost as quickly as the worst week of the summer surge. In another sign the pandemic is only getting worse, California has joined Texas as states who have logged more than 1 million cases. Texas, the second-most populous state after California, hit the milestone this week. Nationwide, there have been more than 10.45 million cases and 242,000 deaths, with new cases soaring to all-time highs of well over 120,000 per day over the past week. With the holiday season fast approaching alongside colder temperatures and growing mask-fatigue, health officials are fearful cases will increase.
- U.S. coronavirus map: Tracking the outbreak, state by state
- Nearly 1 million cases, 4.2% coronavirus positivity rate force California to roll back reopening plans
- Officials expect up to 250,000 day-trippers for Saturday's SpaceX launch in Florida
Georgia's hand vote recount of the presidential election must begin
Election officials in Georgiaare undertaking a hand tally of the presidential election that stems from an audit required by state law as counties begin the recount at 9 a.m. ET Friday. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the recount of all votes in the presidential race, sending officials across the state scrambling to adjust their post-election plans. Raffensperger said a hand tally of "every single, lawfully cast legal ballot" was needed due to the slim 14,112-vote margin between President Donald Trump and President-elect Biden. The recount must be completed by Nov. 20. Raffensperger's announcement came the day after Georgia's two U.S. senators — David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler — demanded his resignation. Raffensperger is a Republican, as are Perdue and Loeffler, who each face Jan. 5 runoffs.
- 'Election workers are tired': Georgia officials brace for hand recount of tight presidential race
- Fact check: Dual language ballots create confusion in Georgia's Gwinnett County data
- From Southern lore to diverse community: Georgia's changing political makeup
- Election security officials: 'No evidence voting systems compromised'
Eta is spinning off to sea, but hurricane season isn't over yet
The former Tropical Storm Eta's fickle nature has made it a difficult to predict, but by late Friday, the unruly tempest's path should be more sure. Eta, classified as a post-tropical cyclone, unleashed heavy rain and strong gusts of wind as it buzzed across Florida on Thursday, dumping more than half a foot of rain in some areas, tearing roofs off homes and leaving thousands without power. One fatality was reported in the state, a homeowner who was electrocuted in floodwaters. The storm is expected to batter the Carolinas before continuing to weaken east of the mid-Atlantic coast. As a Category 4 hurricane, Eta hit Nicaragua first, leaving at least 120 dead in Central America and Mexico before making landfall in the Florida Keys. It was the 28th named storm of the Atlantic season, tying the 2005 record, which was broken shortly after when Theta, the 29th storm, formed.
- Historic season: When will the relentless hurricane season of 2020 finally end?
- No big deal:Massive alligator walks across Florida golf course during Hurricane Eta
Masters: Paul Casey leads but all eyes on Tiger Woods
The 2020 Masters will resume Friday after this year's patron-less tournament was shattered by thunder and pounding rain. Once the storms cleared, a host of players — including defending champion Tiger Woods — more than made the wait worthwhile as the annual rite of spring was moved to November due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chasing his first major, Paul Casey took up residence atop the leaderboard with a bogey-free, 7-under-par 65, two shots clear of Webb Simpson and Xander Schauffele. But all eyes will be squarely on Woods, who fired a 4-under-par 68 to stand three shots behind Casey. Play is scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m. ET. If there are no delays, the second round is scheduled to begin at 9:35 a.m. ET.
Contributing: The Associated Press