Let the hand-counting begin
Good morning! It's Friday the *checks watch* 13th. Great. Please avoid ladders and black cats today. We've had just about enough of 2020's antics.
As the world congratulates President-elect Joe Biden (now Pope Francis and Chinese leaders), President Donald Trump continues to obstruct a smooth transition, to diminishing effects. Coronavirus is bad, like, summer-surge bad. And whatever your job is, feel grateful it's not re-hand-counting the 5,000,000-plus Georgia ballots.
Essential reading: If you click one thing today, may it be Nathan Bomey's report on the threat of misinformation and QAnon during Biden's presidency. It's important we get to know these threats so we can do our part to combat them.
It's Lindsay. Here's the news I'll be watching out for today:
Georgia's hand vote recount of the presidential election must begin
Election officials in Georgia are 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 Joe Biden. The recount must be completed by Nov. 20.
- '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'
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, R-Okla., 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. 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'
- 'We respect the choice of the American people': China congratulates President-elect Joe Biden
- President Joe Biden? Donald Trump tweets suggest he knows that will happen
More big trending news
- The Weeknd set to perform at 2021 Super Bowl halftime show
- 'Past a point of no return': Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero still won't stop global warming, study says
- Amazon, Walmart see online grocery shopping with food stamps surge amid coronavirus, reports say
- Shorter stays, social distance:How Thanksgiving travel will look different this year
COVID-19 killing Americans almost as quickly as the worst week of the summer
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 which have logged more than 1 million cases. 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.
- 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
- Fact check: No evidence mask wearers are arriving in ICUs with pneumonia
A quirky news interlude
- Mr. Potato Head? Another botched art restoration in Spain gets flak online
- The only photo of Neil Armstrong's moonwalk and the first 'space selfie' are up for sale
- Need some romance? 'The Bachelor' mansion is now available on Airbnb for $6,000 a night
- 'This is 2020, so why wouldn't this happen?': Deer crashes through window into Indiana school classroom
- 'Defying the odds': 51-year-old woman gives birth to her own granddaughter
Eta is spinning off to sea, but hurricane season isn't over yet
The former Tropical Storm Eta's fickle nature has made it 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. The storm is expected to batter the Carolinas before continuing to weaken east of the mid-Atlantic coast.
- 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
Contributing: The Associated Press