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| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Are we there yet? Could this nail-biter of an election be any more drawn out? I'm Jane Onyanga-Omara, bringing you Friday's news. |
| While you were (maybe) sleeping, Democratic nominee Joe Biden edged over President Donald Trump in Georgia, with the votes still being counted. Trump still has a narrow lead in Pennsylvania, and we're awaiting updated results from Nevada and Arizona. |
| While the march to 270 electoral votes continues, we've got our eye on Eta, which could strengthen to a tropical storm and take aim at Florida. And in hot beverage news (see what we did there), Starbucks' eggnog latte has returned. |
| And if you can't take any more of the election, my advice? Take a breath, take a break, and select a non-political movie or TV show to watch this weekend. |
| Here's today's news: |
Election 2020: All eyes on battleground states |
| Friday may be the day the election ends when most of the remaining battleground states hit the home stretch in counting and potentially, even call some races. Democratic nominee Joe Biden begins the day with 264 Electoral College votes to President Donald Trump's 214. That means Biden needs to win one of the four remaining battleground states — Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, or Nevada — to secure the presidency. North Carolina also has not been called, and Trump remains ahead there. In Georgia, Biden took a slight lead over Trump early Friday as voting continues. In Pennsylvania, major counties such as Philadelphia have been counting through the night, and Trump's lead there is also narrowing. On Thursday, Trump delivered a falsehood-laden speech that USA TODAY and other outlets decided to take down because he attacked, without evidence, the integrity and results of the election. |
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Joe Biden takes slight lead in Georgia |
| Democratic candidate Joe Biden officially took the lead in Georgia over President Donald Trump early Friday, after a new round of results were released. As of 4:30 a.m. EST, the former vice president led by 917 votes with thousands of ballots remaining to be counted. Biden caught, then passed, Trump in the traditionally red state due to an onslaught of mail-in ballots from Democratic-leaning counties. Democratic voters utilized early voting and mail-in ballots across the nation more so than Republicans. Though Democrats' chances at winning the Senate majority are diminishing, the fight may stretch into early 2021. Both of the Georgia Senate seats up for election this year could head to runoff contests on Jan. 5, based on the ballot results as of early Friday. Incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue dipped slightly below 50% of the vote Thursday evening. If that tally stays below the 50% mark, he'll face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. The other Georgia Senate seat contested between incumbent GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, already is headed to a runoff as Warnock garnered the most votes in that contest, but also didn't get the mandated 50% of the vote. |
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Eta could regain strength, move north toward Florida as a tropical storm |
| Tropical Depression Eta is on track to strengthen again into a tropical storm and head toward Cuba and Florida over the weekend. The storm was still causing heavy rains and life-threatening flooding in parts of Central America early Friday and is expected to move northeast and strengthen later in the day, the National Hurricane Center said. The National Weather Service in Miami warned residents an extended period of heavy rain and gusty winds was possible for portions of the area by the weekend. There is a chance the storm could reach hurricane strength as it moves across the Caribbean, forecasters said. Floods and landslides from the storm have already killed at least 13 people and damaged hundreds of homes in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. If Eta hits the U.S., it would be the 12th named storm to make landfall this year, an all-time record. |
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In other news: |
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Starbucks' holiday drinks are back 🥤 |
| Forget Pumpkin Spice Lattes, it's Peppermint Mocha season. Starbucks red cups and holiday drinks including Caramel Brulee Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte and Eggnog Latte are back. And if you order a handcrafted holiday beverage in any size on Friday, you can get a reusable cup for free while supplies last . "Our thought behind the cups this year was about people carrying them out in the world as messengers of joy," Jeff Wilkson, Starbucks creative director, said in a statement. Festive food items are also coming, including the new Cranberry Orange Scone. Dunkin' brought back its winter seasonal drinks Wednesday which include the Peppermint Mocha Latte and Gingerbread Latte. |
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Take a break from the election. Watch movies instead. 📺 |
| Can't bear the election any more? If you're looking for a distraction, look no further, because new streaming movies are loading during these socially distanced times. This weekend, Netflix keeps the holiday movie train humming and more. If you're feeling the itch to get back to the movies in person, and there's a drive-in or it's safe enough to return to your local theater, the new thriller "Let Him Go" teams up Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as a retired sheriff and his wife. But if you'd rather stick closer to home, here's a rundown of new movies hitting streaming and on-demand platforms this week, for every cinematic taste. |
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