Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, October 19, 2020:

COVID-19: THE NEXT 3 MONTHS

Sunday’s Meet the Press on NBC presented two different narratives about what’s coming as the U.S. heads into winter. Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar painted an optimistic picture, telling Americans to “hang in there with us” as effective treatments and vaccines are “weeks away.” The next guest, Dr. Michael Osterholm, a leading infectious disease expert, acknowledged that the medical cavalry was coming, but said: “the next six to 12 weeks are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic.” NY TIMES

CLOSING ARGUMENTS

With just two more full weeks before Election Day, President Trump and Joe Biden are setting up their closing messages to voters. The president is jetting from rally to rally where he has been delivering a version of a stump speech -- complete with “lock them up” chants -- that many Republicans worry is doing little to bring in the independent voters he needs to close his polling gap with Biden. Meanwhile, the former VP has been hammering a message that he’s the better candidate for the economy -- the one area where Trump still holds an edge. The Biden camp is keeping a low profile this week ahead of Thursday’s final debate. NBC NEWS

FRANCE TERROR ATTACK

People in France took to the streets over the weekend to pay tribute to Samuel Paty, a history teacher who was murdered outside Paris after he reportedly showed his students cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad as part of a lesson. French officials say an 18-year-old Chechen refugee beheaded Paty on Friday near the school where he taught. The attacker was then killed by police. French President Emmanuel Macron has called the murder an “assasination” and an “Islamist terror attack.” EURONEWS

JACINDA WINS IN LANDSLIDE

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been reelected in a landslide victory that she is crediting to her administration’s coronavirus response, which has been held up around the world as the gold standard. Over the weekend, New Zealand reported a single new case of community transmission after going three weeks without any new cases. AP

UNITED STATES DEBT

The federal budget deficit skyrocketed to a record $3.1 trillion for the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, with debt totaling 102 percent of the country’s GDP. That’s the first time debt has exceeded the size of the economy in at least 70 years. Government spending has soared during the pandemic, and the growing deficit is the main reason Senate Republicans have been skittish about signing on to another stimulus bill. NPR

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CRISIS

The commercial real estate industry is in serious trouble as stores, theaters and hotels struggle to make enough money to pay their rents, and property owners are increasingly unable to meet their mortgage obligations. Brick-and-mortar retailers were already hurting before the pandemic, and with more going out of business every week -- combined with empty hotels, cinemas and malls -- the $15 trillion commercial real-estate market is under enormous pressure to avoid defaults and foreclosures. POLITICO

FALL CLASSIC

The L.A. Dodgers will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series -- a matchup that will feature the two teams with the best records in their leagues. Completing a stunning comeback, the Dodgers won Game 7 against the Braves in dramatic fashion after Cody Bellinger hit a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning to break open a tied game. Game 1 of the World Series is tomorrow night in Texas. LA TIMES

LIVE FROM NEW YORK...

Adele is set to host next weekend’s Saturday Night Live, the show announced, with musical guest H.E.R. The singer wrote on Instagram, confirming the news: “...if there was ever a time for any of us to jump head first into the deep end with our eyes closed and hope for the best it’s 2020 right?” VARIETY

SAVE OUR STAGES

The Foo Fighters played an all-acoustic set of their greatest hits at the empty Troubadour nightclub in Hollywood, part of the Save Our Stages virtual festival in support of independent music venues that are at risk of closing for good: WATCH

LEFTOVERS: GOT A ZEPTOSEC?

Scientists say they have measured the shortest unit of time ever: the time it takes a particle of light to cross a hydrogen molecule. That process takes 247 zeptoseconds, give or take. A zeptosecond is a trillionth of a billionth of a second, surpassing the previous measurement of femtoseconds, which are a millionth of a billionth of a second. SCIENCE

Listen to the N2K Podcast! Looking for more context and analysis on the big stories of the day? Check out our podcast! Hosts Jill and Carlo break down the headlines, every weekday morning Listen on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!

Share:
More In Culture
Marjorie Margolies on Being the First Single American to Adopt Internationally
Marjorie Margolies, an Emmy-winning journalist and former Congressperson, was on assignment as a reporter in South Korea in 1970 when she adopted 7-year-old Lee Heh. She was the first American ever to adopt a child from another country while unmarried. Cheddar News sat down with Margolies, and her son Vu Pham, as she recounted her story.
HP Survey Examines How COVID Impacted Women Seeking Promotions
A recent survey from tech giant HP shows that while women are very interested in advancing their careers, men are still promoted at a much higher rate. Managing Director of North America at HP Stephanie Dismore joined Cheddar News to discuss the data and how changes brought on by the pandemic helped — and hurt — women in the workforce. "This whole idea of hybrid working is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity. And ideally what it can do for women is provide extreme flexibility, and it gives them an opportunity to really be very vocal about what they need and how they can contribute the best in the environment that they're in," she said. "However, at the same time, while women are applying and wanting to advance their careers. COVID actually had the reverse effect. And if you look at other studies, one in four women actually took a step back from their careers or exited the workforce altogether."
Let's Buy an Island Co-Founder Talks Crowdsourcing a Micronation
Marshall Mayer, the co-founder of the Let's Buy an Island crowdsourcing campaign, joined Cheddar News to discuss purchasing of the Coffee Caye Island off the coast of Belize, building it into its own micronation, and what challenges he's faced in this process. "First of all we recognize where we are. We know we're in Belize, we're not, you know, we have no ambitions beyond the fun of this project," he said. "When it comes to actually creating this sort of thing, most of the people that started this project myself included are dedicated world travelers. We love going to sort of the unique and strange around the world and getting to know interesting cultures and interesting areas."
Angela Lewis on the Love for Her 'Snowfall' Role, Advocating for Black Maternal Health
The hit show 'Snowfall' about the cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles returned for a fifth season in February, and Angela Lewis, who plays Aunt Louie on the show, joined Cheddar News to talk about the love that she has received for her role and her approach towards it. "I think the biggest thing that I do is I have to be confident," she said. "You cannot play a character like Louie without — you can't play her shrinking away from anything. You can't play her being insecure about whatever it is you might be insecure about." Lewis also touched on her advocacy for Black maternal health that had been sparked by her own pregnancy.
Load More