Coronavirus pandemic, Boeing 737 Max, NBA draft: 5 things to know Wednesday
Coronavirus controls take effect across the country
As COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths rise nationwide, some states are halting phased reopening plans or imposing new coronavirus-related restrictions starting Wednesday. Under rules announced by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in-person high school and college classes are suspended for three weeks along with eat-in dining at restaurants and bars. Casinos, movie theaters and some other businesses will temporarily close. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear intends to unveil measures aimed to curb the explosive rise of coronavirus infections in the commonwealth. Thirty-six states — plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico — now require people to wear face coverings in public statewide, according to a list maintained by AARP. Iowa, Utah and North Dakota joined the list in recent days, and Maine, Ohio and West Virginia strengthened their mandates last week.
- Fact check: What's true and what's false about coronavirus?
- Over 1 million children have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, new report finds
- Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak in your state.
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Election 2020: Trump's election fraud claims to take another turn?
As states prepare to finish certifying their vote counts, all eyes will be on President Donald Trump Wednesday after the firing of Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity chief Christopher Krebs. Trump announced Krebs' dismissal on Twitter Tuesday night, which the social media giant flagged with labels stating: "This claim about election fraud is disputed." Krebs' ouster follows the agency's declaration that the general election was the most secure in U.S. history. Trump continues to make unsubstantiated allegations of voting fraud while Trump's legal team pursues multiple legal challenges in battleground states. "There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised," the agency reported last week in an assessment joined by a coalition of election security groups, including the National Association of State Election Directors.
- Trump stays mostly out of view after election but is working, taking steps to, in part, poke Biden
- Election updates: In reversal, canvassers in Michigan county certify election
- Fact check: What's true and what's false about the 2020 election
FAA poised to clear Boeing 737 Max to fly again
The Federal Aviation Administration is expected on Wednesday to clear Boeing's 737 Max to fly again after grounding the jet for nearly two years due to a pair of crashes that killed 346 people. Agency Administrator Steve Dickson said last week the FAA was in the final stages of reviewing changes to the Max that would make it safe to return to the skies. False assumptions, mismanagement, rushed deadlines, miscommunication and outright deception led to the failure to catch the design flaws of the 737 Max that led to the crashes, a 238-page report from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released in September found. Regulators around the world grounded the Max in March 2019, after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet. That happened less than five months after another Max, flown by Indonesia's Lion Air, plunged into the Java Sea. All passengers and crew members on both planes were killed.
- Unions speak out: Southwest, American pilots say new Boeing 737 Max manual may lead to errors in emergencies
- Previous coverage: American Airlines will put 737 Max back on schedule Dec. 29. But are passengers ready to fly on it?
- Deeper job cuts at Boeing: Company reports $449M loss as the pandemic throttles air travel
Iota pounds Central America as onslaught of storms continues
Tropical Depression Iota is expected to continue on its destructive path through Central America Wednesday, a day after it blasted ashore in Nicaragua as a hurricane with sustained winds of 155 mph – just two 2 mph below Category 5 status. By late Tuesday, Iota had diminished, but forecasters warned that its heavy rains still posed a threat. Portions of Honduras, Guatemala, southern Belize could see 4 to 8 inches with isolated maximum totals of 12 inches through Thursday. This rainfall will lead to "significant, life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain," according to a National Hurricane Center advisory released early Wednesday morning. Iota is the record 30th named storm of this year's extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season and comes just two weeks after Hurricane Eta ravaged the region.
- Eta, Theta and now Iota:Another new storm on the move
- Previous coverage: When will this relentless Atlantic hurricane season finally end?
- 2020 stands out: Why are we having such an active hurricane season?
The Timberwolves are on the clock... It's time for the NBA draft!
After being delayed five months because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 NBA draft will take place Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) — virtually — as it takes a page from the NFL, WNBA and NHL drafts. The No. 1 pick is held by the Minnesota Timberwolves, projected to select Georgia guard Anthony Edwards after a long offseason to ponder their potentially franchise-altering choice. There's a chance for a trade to shake things up as several teams have their eyes on polarizing prospect LaMelo Ball. Memphis big man James Wiseman appears to be a lock for the No. 2 pick to the Golden State Warriors, as NBA team evaluators will have plenty of last-minute assessments heading into the draft.
- Future NBA superstar?: Anthony Edwards on working out in front of Michael Jordan, best advice he got from Warriors
- How LaMelo Ball went from misunderstood to can't-miss NBA draft pick
- Most pressurized pick: Selecting No. 1 overall, Minnesota's Gersson Rosas explains why the team isn't 'desperate'
Contributing: The Associated Press