Monday Sunrise Briefing: Trump, sort of, acknowledges Biden won
From Florida to Arizona, thousands of Americans clung to hope, marching in support of President Donald Trump in the 鈥淢illion MAGA March鈥� on Saturday. In Washington, D.C., Mr. Trump gave a thumbs up to supporters on his way to play golf. Later Saturday evening, pro-Trump and counter-protesters clashed violently in the nation鈥檚 capital. On Sunday, Mr. Trump the Nov. 3, election but also doubled down on unsubstantiated fraud claims and tweeted that 鈥淚 concede NOTHING!鈥� To date, most of Mr.听Trump鈥檚 campaign legal challenges in key states have been thrown out and none have included evidence that might reverse the reported outcome. On Sunday night, Mr.听Trump鈥檚 campaign removed the allegation in a federal lawsuit that hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania were illegally processed without GOP representatives watching.听
As more than 35 states now mandate mask wearing and new state and local restrictions are enacted, President-elect Joe Biden鈥檚 scientific advisers are scheduled to meet directly with vaccinemakers this week to discuss distribution plans as the White House transition remains stalled.
2. Asia鈥檚 push for freer markets. China and 14 other countries - but not the United States - agreed Sunday to set up the world鈥檚 largest trading bloc in a deal many in Asia are hoping will help hasten an economic recovery from the pandemic. The accord shows that nearly four years after President Trump launched his 鈥淎merica First" policy of forging trade deals with individual countries, Asian leaders see prosperity in committing to multi-nation efforts toward freer trade. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, will take already low tariffs on trade between member countries still lower, but it is less comprehensive than an 11-nation trans-Pacific trade deal that Mr. Trump pulled out of in 2017.
Why We Wrote This
Good morning! Welcome to your Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, sunrise briefing.
Here are three news events from this past weekend (while you may have been making cranberry sauce, jumping rope, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
3. Protesting corruption. Peru鈥檚 interim president stepped down Sunday just five days after assuming the office. Huge street protests against Manuel Merino鈥檚 leadership - representing a corrupt ruling class - left two dead Saturday and triggered his resignation.听 The South American nation is in the throws of its worst constitutional crisis in two decades. Massive youth protests were unleashed a week ago when Congress ousted the nation鈥檚 popular leader President Mart铆n Vizcarra. The legislature removed the president for 鈥減ermanent moral incapacity.鈥� Mr. Vizcarra was accused of taking $630,000 in bribes but he has not been charged and denies the accusations. It wasn鈥檛 clear Monday who would lead the nation, and attention now turns to the high court to rule on the constitutionality of the 鈥渕oral incapacity鈥� decision.听
尝辞辞办听础丑别补诲
Monday, Nov. 16
Mask mandate challenged. The Wisconsin state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging Gov. Tony Evers' mask mandate. At least .听
South Africa corruption hearing. Ex-President Jacob Zuma is scheduled to testify before an anti-graft judicial panel about during his nine years in office.
Terrorist attack thwarted. A trial opens in France for four people charged with an attempted terrorist attack on an Amsterdam-Paris train in 2015 that was thwarted by French, American, and British passengers who subdued the attacker when his rifle jammed. The three Americans later played themselves in a Clint Eastwood movie about the event.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Free speech on Facebook. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are scheduled to testify in a Senate hearing about their company's censorship role and publishing misinformation in an election year.听
Security vs. transparency.听French lawmakers are scheduled to debate a bill this week that would . The intent is to protect police from personal attacks. Detractors say it reduces transparency and makes it hard to report police wrongdoing.听
Wednesday, Nov. 18
Space rehab job. Two Russian cosmonauts are expected to outside the International Space Station. They are prepping the station for the arrival of a new Russian research lab to replace the current Pirs module.听听
Thursday, Nov. 19听
Best of Latin music. The 21st Annual are scheduled to be anchored from Miami and shown live on Univision at 8 p.m听
Friday, Nov. 20
Democracy watch.听Georgia鈥檚 secretary of state will certify the statewide election results and the slate of presidential electors no later than Nov. 20. Fox News called Democrat Joe Biden the winner in the presidential vote (by some 14,000 votes), but a manual recount is underway.听
Generosity Watch
In September, 9-year-old Reese Osterberg didn鈥檛 just lose her home to the Creek Fire in California, she lost her entire 100-piece baseball card collection. She was crushed.听But local first responders, and CalFire, put out a call for help: Baseball card donations for Reese, please.
San Jose, California, resident Kevin Ashford responded by , worth between $35,000 and $50,000, reported CNN.听听But the generosity didn鈥檛 stop there.听
Then, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey - Reese's favorite player - .听
And there鈥檚 still more.
People from all over the United States donated thousands of baseball cards - and sent the Little Leaguer notes of encouragement. The response far exceeded the need. So, Reese (and her parents) set up a website to pay it forward. She鈥檚 sharing her newfound card wealth with friends and plans to help other children. 鈥淭he cards provided a distraction from the destruction that surrounded Reese and her community. The notes showed her the love, hope, and peace that can be shared through a simple gesture,鈥� the听听website says.
She plans to start by sharing her cards with children at the nearby Children鈥檚 Hospital of Central California. And she plans to send cards and encouraging notes to more children. According to her website, she also wants to share her favorite Bible verse too, from Philippians听4:13: "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."
Hidden gem听
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
A pollution solution where the rubber meets the road
Sneak preview
In tonight鈥檚 Daily Edition, watch for our 10 best books of November.
Finally, check out the Monitor鈥檚 selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
- It鈥檚 not just an election that divides America, it鈥檚 where to go for facts
- US, China, Taiwan: Why the tense status quo may stick 鈥� for now
- On college campuses, one surprising relief from pandemic stress: friends
- Black, trans, and hopeful. Meet Jevon Martin (video)
- Bank shot: A sports writer and a superfan bond over Knicks basketball
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