11.9.2020

Good morning. It's Monday, Nov. 9, and after a long wait, the dust has (almost) settled on the 2020 election. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].First time reading? Sign up here.

NEED TO KNOW

Biden Declared Winner

Democratic nominee Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election Saturday, nearly four days after the final votes were cast. Fox News, The Associated Press, and other major networks called the race after Biden's lead in Pennsylvania and Nevada appeared to become insurmountable, giving the former vice president 279 electoral college votes—Fox and the AP have also called Arizona, giving him 290—surpassing the 270 required to win.Votes are still being tallied, but the decisions are a strong predictor of the final outcome. The AP in particular—which famously never called the 2000 presidential race, despite many others doing so—relies on a network of in-person stringers stationed at county clerk offices across the nation to assess vote counts. The group was 100% accurate in calling all federal races in 2016. See how the decision was made for each state here.As of this morning, Biden maintained slight leads in Arizona (0.51%) and Georgia (0.21%). Trump leads in North Carolina (1.4%) and has a wide lead in Alaska (30%), which is typically slower to report votes. See current results here. Once the tallies are complete, state officials must certify the result. Deadlines vary with each state, as do windows for contesting outcomes. The electoral college votes Dec. 14, with a joint session of Congress counting and formalizing the vote Jan. 6. See a timeline for each state.President Trump has yet to concede the race, citing anecdotal allegations of fraud and voting irregularities, including misread ballots and ballots cast by deceased voters (no evidence of widespread fraud has been uncovered as of yet). The campaign has filed at least 11 cases in battleground states since Election Day (see running list), winning at least three and losing five. Thus far, analysts say the legal challenges are unlikely to change the outcome.Recounts appear likely in Wisconsin and Georgia, and possible in Pennsylvania and Arizona. In the past 20 years, just three statewide races of any type have been altered by recounts; each had initial margins of 0.1% or less.With the win, now Vice President-elect Kamala Harris becomes the first woman—as well as the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent—elected to the White House. She and President-elect Biden spoke following the decision. Watch their remarks here. ... but Likely Faces Divided Government Control of the Senate will come down to a pair of runoffs in Georgia Jan. 8, after incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R) fell just shy of a 50% threshold against challenger Jon Ossoff (D). The second race was a crowded special election featuring incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) and 19 challengers—a runoff was anticipated and will also be held Jan. 8. In two uncalled races, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) has a wide lead in Alaska with about 60% of the votes in, while incumbent Thom Tillis (R) has a 1.7% lead in North Carolina with 3% of the vote left to count. Defending both seats would give the GOP a 50-48 advantage heading into Jan. 8, requiring Democrats to win both races in Georgia, a traditionally Republican state.Democrats appear on track to keep control of the House, but have lost at least four seats and may be on track for the thinnest majority in almost two decades. The current tally is 216-196, with 23 seats remaining.Finally, lost in the drama at the top of the ticket were battles for state legislatures. Democrats failed to flip a single legislature, leaving the GOP to determine congressional districts in states like North Carolina, Florida, and Texas for the next decade.

Alex Trebek Dies

Alex Trebek, host of the popular quiz show "Jeopardy!" passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Trebek announced he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019—an aggressive form of cancer which comes with survival rates around 20% after one year. Trebek was synonymous with the quiz show, having helmed the syndicated version since 1984. During his tenure, the show won 30 Daytime Emmys—the most for a game show—with Trebek nabbing five for best host, along with a lifetime achievement award. The show also garnered a prestigious Peabody Award in 2011. See Trebek's life in photos here, and this tribute to Trebek from contestant Burt Thakur is worth watching again. Enjoy reading? Share 1440 with your three closest friends.

THE DREAMIEST KNITS

As these words are being written, our COO is guaranteed to be sitting at his desk wearing head-to-toe Vuori. And to be honest, it’s like that most days. With super soft fabrics that double as high-performance pieces, it’s safe to say that Vuori quickly becomes a daily staple. When we heard about their new fabric, aptly called DreamKnit™, we hurried to give it a try.

To start, DreamKnit™ has four-way stretch, which means that we can get nice and comfy no matter where we’re working from—a desk, the couch, the car. It’s also moisture-wicking, so it’s the perfect fabric to take on adventures, whether on the trail or around the neighborhood. It’s comfortable, iridiculously soft, and our new favorite fabric for absolutely everything.

Made for both men and women, the DreamKnit™ line has hoodies, pullovers, shorts, and joggers (like the Men's Ponto Performance Pant and the Women's Performance Jogger), so your new uniform is pretty much set. Want to get your hands on some for yourself? We don’t blame you. Head over to Vuori and enjoy 20% off your new threads. Please support our sponsors!

IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by ButcherBox> Whitney Houston, Notorious B.I.G., Depeche Mode headline 2020’s six inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (More)> No. 4 Notre Dame tops No 1. Clemson in double overtime to end Clemson’s 36-game regular season winning streak (More) | Alabama moves to No. 1 in AP Poll, extending its streak of 13 straight seasons of at least one week atop the college football rankings (More)> Al Roker, longtime “TODAY” weather forecaster, reveals prostate cancer diagnosis (More) | Veteran English TV and film actor Geoffrey Palmer dies at 93 (More)Skip the lines for your Thanksgiving turkey. This Thanksgiving, ButcherBox is proud to give new members a free turkey—humanely raised by farmers who believe in better. ButcherBox delivers grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, heritage-breed pork, and wild-caught seafood directly to your door (and don't forget turkey!). Sign up now to get your free Thanksgiving turkey. #Ad

Science & Technology

> Antiviral nasal spray shown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in animal tests; study undergoing peer review, researchers hope to accelerate trials in humans (More)> New technique measures elusive dark matter halos around galaxies with 10 times greater precision; one of the biggest outstanding mysteries in science, more than 80% of the universe does not interact with light (More) | What could dark matter be? (More)> Scientists discover a sponge-like form of calcium carbonate, the hard natural material that makes up limestone, rocks, seashells, and more (More)

Business & Markets

> October US unemployment rate falls to 6.9% from 7.9% in previous period, but job growth slows as economy creates 638,000 jobs, down slightly from 672,000 added in September (More)> US stock markets close week up (S&P 500 +7.3%, Dow +6.9%, Nasdaq +9.0%) posting best week since April; S&P 500 sees best election week surge since 1932 (More)> Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway buys back $9B in stock in Q3, sees operating profits fall due to pandemic but net income increase due to stock positions in Apple and others (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> New US COVID-19 cases pass 120,000 per day for three days straight; see rolling averages here (cases, deaths) | White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tests positive (More)> Tropical Storm Eta hits Florida Keys, expected to strengthen to Category 1 hurricane before making landfall again along state's Gulf Coast (More) | See real-time trajectory (More)> Azerbaijan captures second-largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh; clash with Armenia over disputed land has killed more than 1,000 since September (More) | Background on conflict (More)

NAP TIME, GYM TIME, ANYTIME

In partnership with Vuori Clothing

“There is nowhere I won’t wear these.”

That’s a direct quote from our COO about his Vuori Men's Ponto Performance Pants—though the same could be said about the Women's Performance Joggers. And he’s right. Vuori’s clothing is comfortable (especially their DreamKnit™ line), but also sleek and stylish in a minimal-meets-modern way. Want to try it on? Get 20% off your first order today. Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

More than 100 of the best optical illusions (with explanations).Visualizing shifts in the 2020 election as a wind map.Long exposures and drones make Earth look like another planet.New brain implants allow mind control of computers.Fourth person—and first woman—free climbs El Capitan's Golden Gate route in a single day.Apple introduces more than 100 new emojis.San Francisco voters approve "overpaid executive" tax.November's best astronomical events.Clickbait: Scotland bans child smacking.Historybook: Napoleon Bonaparte leads coup and becomes dictator of France (1799); Actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr born (1914); Astronomer Carl Sagan born (1934); First issue of Rolling Stone published (1967).

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere."- Carl Sagan

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