Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, October 14, 2020:
SCOTUS CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
Judge Amy Coney Barrett sat for a marathon 12-hour day of questioning from senators, in which she spoke in broad terms about Supreme Court precedent but avoided answering questions about how she might rule in landmark cases related to abortion, healthcare or the election. She declined to pledge to recuse herself should the upcoming election get kicked to the Court and would not answer a question about whether the president should commit to a peaceful transfer of power. The judge, who sat for the entire hearing without any pre-written notes, will be back on the Hill today for the final day of questioning. NBC NEWS
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Eli Lilly has paused its monoclonal antibody trials due to a potential safety concern, the latest clinical trial to temporarily halt as scientists review the data. With cases skyrocketing across Europe, the EU has agreed on a “traffic light” system with color-coded zones based on risk levels that will be instituted across the Eurozone. Cases in the U.S. continue on an upward trajectory, with the Plans, Mountain West, Midwest and Northeast seeing the most worrisome trends. BLOOMBERG
GET OUT THE VOTE
A day after early voting kicked off in Georgia with hours-long waits to cast a ballot, Texas voters lined up in droves as early-voting opened in the Lone Star State. Lines were especially long in Texas’ largest counties, where residents who want to vote by mail have just one ballot box to access due to an order by the governor. In Virginia, the voter registration system was knocked offline for hours on the final day to register after a fiber optic cable was cut -- reportedly by accident -- sparking accusations of voter disenfranchisement. TEXAS TRIB
CENSUS HALTED
In a major win for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court has allowed the 2020 census to be halted ahead of schedule. The White House had asked the Court to suspend a lower court’s ruling that extended the count through the end of the month because of pandemic-related delays. The once-a-decade count of the population is typically a nonpartisan affair meant to determine how many congressional seats each state gets. But the ruling means that the administration, rather than the Census Bureau, may retain control of the process. AP
THEATRES ON THE BRINK
AMC is warning investors that it is at risk of running out of cash by the end of the year, with attendance levels down some 75 percent in 2020. The largest theater chain in the U.S. is trying to find new ways to tap liquidity to keep it from collapsing given that there are just four major films on the schedule for the rest of the year, and even that’s optimistic. CNN
NEW IPHONES
Apple unveiled a new line of iPhones that will be priced at $700 and up for the entry model, and $1,000 and up for the high-end model -- an unchanged pricing structure from its most recent releases. The iPhone 12 models have new screen technology, faster chips and come with 5G capability. They’re also thinner, lighter and smaller than the iPhone 11. Apple also dropped a new entry-level smaller HomePod smart speaker for $100. Here are the highlights from the big event: WATCH
COVID IN 'THE SWAMP'
The big Florida-LSU game this weekend is in jeopardy after the Gators paused all football activities over a COVID outbreak on the team. The University of Florida says there have been five positive tests, but the AP reports the number has spiked to 19. Last week, Florida head coach Dan Mullen had asked the school to allow 90,000 fans to pack the stands for the game to give the team a better shot of winning. GAINESVILLE SUN
SPOTTED...
...Six-year-old Zhuri James, daughter of LeBron, playing in her new fully built-out, freestanding backyard playhouse that resembles a mini version of the Laker star’s L.A. mansion: SEE PICS
‘BTS’ CHINA FIRESTORM
The South Korean boy-band phenomenon BTS is in hot water in China after one of its members thanked Korean War veterans as part of a speech promoting U.S.-Korea relations. Chinese state media immediately went into overdrive, framing those comments as an affront to China, which fought alongside North Korea in the 1950s. The dust-up is another example of Beijing’s hard turn toward nationalism in recent years, as China’s ruling party looks to use propaganda to foment anger and distrust of foreigners. BBC
LEFTOVERS: TRIP OF A LIFETIME
Jesse Takayama traveled from his home in Japan to Peru back in March with the intent of seeing Machu Picchu in person. Then the pandemic hit, and everything shut down. Instead of evacuating, Takayama decided to stay in a town on the slopes of the Andes mountains for the last seven months, holding on to his entry ticket for the UNESCO World Heritage site. Finally, last weekend, the Peruvian government awarded his patience by letting him in to tour the ancient Incan citadel -- all by himself: SEE PICS
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