Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, November 3, 2020:
N2K PSA: Today is Election Day. Haven’t voted yet? Here’s when the polls close in your state. Here’s how to see what your ballot will look like. And here’s how to stay calm tonight.
ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA
On Inauguration Day 2017, President Trump officially filed the paperwork to run for a second term, far earlier than any of his predecessors. Now, some 47 months later and in the middle of a resurgent pandemic that has killed a quarter-million Americans, voters have their say in whether he gets that chance. The presidency, both chambers of Congress and 80 percent of state legislative seats are up for grabs. Nearly 100 million have already voted. Tensions are running high across the country, with business districts in major cities like NYC and D.C. boarded up ahead of potential unrest. Cheddar’s final pre-election poll shows Joe Biden’s national lead has tightened a bit to 8 points. He remains all but assured to win the popular vote. As for the vote that matters... the first polls close at 7 p.m. ET. 538, REALCLEAR, CHEDDAR
PENNSYLVANIA, PENNSYLVANIA, PENNSYLVANIA
The clearest electoral path for Joe Biden runs right through Pennsylvania. But if President Trump wins the Keystone State and its 20 electoral votes, all bets are off. That’s why both candidates spent the waning hours of the campaign in the state; President Trump said that “cheating” in Pennsylvania would lead to violence in the streets, an unsubstantiated claim that was flagged by Twitter, and promised to go to court over absentee ballots. Joe Biden stumped alongside Lady Gaga outside Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, asking voters to “put an end” to the Trump presidency. Pennsylvania is unlikely to be called tonight because the state has to count 2.4 million mailed-in ballots. PENNLIVE.
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force wrote an internal memo on the eve of the election that the U.S. is entering “the most concerning and most deadly phase” of the pandemic, pleading for “much more aggressive action” from the federal government. Massachusetts will institute a new stay-home order starting Friday: residents are ordered to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., non-essential businesses must close by 9:30 p.m. and masks are now mandatory in public. A fourth mobile morgue has arrived in El Paso, Tex., where area hospitals are at capacity. The country’s 7-day average of cases has jumped nearly 100 percent over the last month. WASH POST
VIENNA TERROR
At least four people have been killed in a terrorist attack in central Vienna. One gunman was killed by police; he was wearing a fake explosive vest and was described by officials as an ISIS “sympathizer.” A massive manhunt is underway across the Austrian capital as police look for possible accomplices. The area where shots were first reported was a bustling neighborhood near the city’s main synagogue. SKY
HURRICANE ETA
One of the strongest November hurricanes ever is about to make a catastrophic landfall along the northern coast of Nicaragua. Over the last 24 hours, Hurricane Eta has exploded into a Cat 4 storm, nearing Cat 5 status as it approaches Central America. Eta has strengthened faster than any storm on record this late in the season. Eta will track slowly over Central America this week, bringing potentially life-threatening flooding, storm surge and landslides to Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. TRACK
WALMART SCRAPS ROBOTS
For the last few years, one of the biggest innovations in retail was supposed to be the advent of robots that constantly rove the aisles of stores, keeping track of inventory and ensuring shelves remained stocked. Given that the retail sector employs some 29 million Americans, the push to automate inventory had a lot of workers worried for their jobs. They may not have to be. Walmart is ending its partnership with a leading robotics firm, reportedly after realizing during the pandemic that humans tend to be better -- and faster -- at doing the tasks than the robots. WSJ
'ONE MORE THING'
Apple’s not done yet. The company has sent out an invite for a “One More Thing” special event on Nov. 10. There’s no details on what’s being announced, but the word on the street is that Apple will debut its first MacBooks that run on Apple’s own chips, rather than Intel processors. APPLE INSIDER
'BABY SHARK' ON TOP
Baby Shark, the earworm of a nursery rhyme that’s the bane of any parent’s life, is now the most-viewed video ever on YouTube. The catchy kid’s tune hit 7.04 billion views, eclipsing Despacito, the former reigning champion. ALLKPOP
SPOTTED...
… a metro train in Rotterdam, Netherlands, dangling precariously from a sculpture of a whale’s tail. The train derailed and crashed through a barrier on a bridge before it was somehow caught by the sculpture. No one was injured: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: WHAT COMES AFTER?
Mitch Albom, the renowned best-selling author, delivers a harsh -- but probably necessary -- scolding of the American people in his latest newspaper column, an unsparing critique of our political and media landscape. Albom writes: “We have all been behaving badly...and it must change, no matter what happens” in the election. “The truth is, our future won’t be determined by who we choose to lead us this week. It will be determined by how we act after we do.” READ IT
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