Good morning. It's Monday, Nov. 16, and we're covering the status of the US presidential election, a historic hire in Miami, and a crisis in Latin America. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Georgia, North Carolina Called

President-elect Joe Biden is officially projected to win the state of Georgia, media outlets reported over the weekend, while the race in North Carolina was called for President Trump. Under the current map, Biden would win the Electoral College 306-232 (see full results). For Georgia—where a pair of Jan. 5 runoffs will determine control of the Senate—it would be the first time the state voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1992. The state's ballots are currently undergoing a hand recount (Biden leads by about 14,000 votes), and are expected to be finished by Nov. 20, the deadline for election officials to certify the results. 

The president has issued a number of legal challenges in various states, along with a possible recount in Wisconsin. Pennsylvania officials said they would not order a recount—Biden leads by 1.0%, outside the margin that would trigger a mandatory recount. See the current status of legal challenges here. 

Tens of thousands of supporters of the president held a rally over the weekend in Washington, DC. Pockets of clashes between protestors and counterprotesters were reported, with at least one person injured. Twenty people were arrested. 

From a process perspective, states will spend the next four weeks certifying their results; see state-by-state timelines here. The Electoral College is scheduled to vote Dec. 14, with Congress meeting to certify the results Jan. 6. Inauguration Day is Jan. 20. 

History in Miami

Major League Baseball's Kim Ng made history over the weekend after she was named general manager of the Miami Marlins. The move makes Ng (pronounced "ang") not only the first female general manager in MLB history, but the first in any of the Big Four men's professional sports leagues—the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. She also becomes the league's first Asian American general manager.

Previously acting as the league's senior vice president of operations, many view the 51-year-old Ng's resume as being one of the most impressive in baseball. Having started her career in 1991 with the Chicago White Sox, Ng worked under the New York Yankee's Brian Cashman, winning three championships as an executive during her tenure. Her professional relationship with Yankee's legend Derek Jeter—now CEO and part owner of the Marlins—helped lure Ng down to Miami. 

Crisis in Peru

Peru's interim president, Manuel Merino, resigned yesterday, amid widespread demonstrations protesting his recent appointment. At least two people were killed and more than 100 injured during the unrest sparked after Merino was sworn in Tuesday. His predecessor, Martín Vizcarra, was impeached and ousted by Congress over unproven corruption charges, but supporters say the move was an illegitimate effort to remove Vizcarra, who led an anticorruption drive to eliminate graft from the government.

The situation has complex dynamics: Despite Merino having led an opposition Congress, Vizcarra is widely popular, and 13 of Merino's 19 cabinet ministers had resigned within one week of the new government forming. It was unclear as of this morning who would attempt to lead the country next.

In the background, Peru has the world's worst COVID-19 mortality rate and has been mired in one of South America's worst economic downturns. 

Separately, more than 900 protesters were arrested in Belarus. The country has been gripped by protests since August, when strongman President Alexander Lukashenko purportedly won by 80% of the vote.

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TRIPLE-DOUBLE

For all you basketball fanatics, you know a triple-double is a pretty exceptional achievement. But if you don't know the first thing about basketball, we've got a different breed of exceptional triple-doubles for you.

You see, Motley Fool cofounder Tom Gardner and his investment analysis team typically recommend one promising stock every month for members of the Stock Advisor service. Normally, Stock Advisor recommendations are nothing short of exceptional, with average returns of 519%. But every once in a while, Tom and his team will issue a rare "double down" report for a stock they feel deserves double the spotlight. These "double down" recommendations are where Motley Fool Stock Advisor members can see extraordinary returns, with past recommendations racking up over 10 times in returns.

And now, to close out 2020, Tom Gardner's team brings us a true triple-double. That is, three "double down" picks, all at once. Clean your glasses, rub your eyes, and pull your jaw off the floor. Sign up for The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and check them out today.

Returns as of 11/12/2020

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> World golf No. 1 Dustin Johnson cruises to victory at the Masters; Johnson’s 20-under score is lowest in the tournament’s history (More)

> Jennifer Lopez wins People’s Icon Award, Will Smith takes home Male Movie Star of the Year at 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards (More) | R&B singer Jeremih, 33, in ICU following COVID-19 diagnosis (More)

> Paul Hornung, Heisman Trophy winner and pro football Hall of Famer, dies at 84 (More) | Legendary baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, 93, hospitalized in intensive care unit (More)

Science & Technology

> SpaceX successfully launches four astronauts aboard a Dragon crew capsule to the International Space Station; CEO Elon Musk says he likely has a moderate case of COVID-19, skips launch ceremony (More)

> Meteorite study finds Earth's solar system formed in less than 200,000 years, beginning about 4.5 billion years ago (More)

> Egypt's discoveries at the ancient burial site of Saqqara continue, with officials revealing at least 100 more coffins and dozens of funeral statues (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> US stock markets up Friday (S&P 500 +1.4%, Dow +1.4%, Nasdaq +1.0%) on positive vaccine sentiment (More)

> Food delivery giant DoorDash files for IPO aiming to go public by year’s end; company posted $1.9B in revenues in the first three quarters this year, has raised $2.5B, and was last valued at $16B (More)

> US airline industry projected to see lowest employment figures since mid-1980s as pandemic decimates travel (More) | Guitar Center—largest US musical instrument retailer—files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reduce debt by $800M; approximately 300 stores to continue operations (More)

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Politics & World Affairs

> Reported daily COVID-19 cases in the US top 177,000 Friday, with more than 68,500 hospitalized (More) | Total deaths pass 246,200, with almost 11 million reported cases; see rolling averages (cases, deaths)

> Human rights groups to investigate possible war crimes in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, following government effort against opposition forces; unverified accounts of civilians being killed by machetes have emerged (More) | 101 on the conflict (More)

> China leads group of 15 countries in signing the world's biggest free trade agreement; countries include Japan, South Korea, Australia, and more (More) | Hurricane Iota set to hit Central America as a Category 4 storm (More)

'DOUBLE-DOWN' ALUMNI

In partnership with The Motley Fool

Not many stocks are identified as "Double Down" picks by Tom Gardner. But there are certainly some notable alumni:
> Netflix, up 26,366%
> Amazon, up 1,667%
> Apple, up 2,113%

There are three stocks Tom believes are must-buys to close out 2020. Sign up for The Motley Fool Stock Advisor and check them out.

Returns as of 11/12/2020

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ETCETERA

Are rogue orcas attacking ships off the coast of Spain? (w/video)

The top 10 emerging technologies of 2020.

It's getting harder to afford a home in the US.

Millions around the world celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.

Scientists are using 3D-printed tiles to revive dying coral. (w/video)

Platypuses glow under black light, but we don't know why. ($$, NYT)

Watch a section of a North Carolina bridge collapse during a live news report.

The third rule of "Fight Club"—wear a mask.

Swift pigeon fetches almost $2M at auction.

Clickbait: Five decades ago, Oregon blew up a dead whale on live TV. 

Historybook: Blues musician W.C. Handy born (1873); UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, is founded (1945); Benazir Bhutto elected prime minister of Pakistan, becomes first woman in modern history to lead Muslim-majority country (1988); RIP Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman (2006).

"Life is like a trumpet. If you don't put anything into it, you don't get anything out."

- W.C. Handy

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