National News, Monday, Nov. 9 – Joe Biden Wins Presidential Election; Gives Speech To Hopefully Unite America

News stories from across the U.S. from WillametteValleyMagazine.com, the digital home of Eugene-Springfield.

Monday, November 9, 2020

It was announced on Saturday that Democrat candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden is the projected winner and has defeated President Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States.

At the same time, Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, was elected the first female vice president of the United States.

Ms. Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, will also be the first Black vice president and first of Indian descent when the pair is inaugurated in January.  Ms. Harris becomes the highest-ranking woman ever in the line of presidential succession, ahead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Mr. Biden held a quick evening rally and said he will lead the nation beginning on January 20, 2021 and will seek not to divide but to unity America once again.   The U.S. continues to deal with the daily historic Coronavirus pandemic and an economy in turmoil.  Social turmoil and unrest also will need to heal, which may prove to be incredibly difficult.

“I sought this office to restore the soul of America,” Biden said in a prime-time victory speech not far from his Delaware home, “and to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.”

Biden crossed the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes with an apparent win in Pennsylvania while other states are still counting or getting ready to recount votes.

His victory came after more than three days of uncertainty as election officials sorted through a surge of mail-in votes that delayed processing.

President Trump refused to concede the election, and his lawyers are threatening further legal action on ballot counting.

But Biden used his acceptance speech as an olive branch to those who did not vote for him, telling Trump voters that he understood their disappointment but adding, “Let’s give each other a chance.”

“It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, to lower the temperature, to see each other again, to listen to each other again, to make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy,” he said. “We are not enemies. We are Americans.”

Biden, who will turn 78 on November 20th, will try to appeal to Americans fatigued by President Trump’s style, disruptions and tweets, and a country wanting a return to a more traditional presidency.

Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy dies of pancreatic cancer.

Alex Trebek, Host of ‘Jeopardy’ for Nearly 37 Seasons, Dies at 80

Alex Trebek, the great quizmaster who stumped generations of trivia fanatics as host of the long-running syndicated game show “Jeopardy!,” died Sunday morning, show officials said in a statement.  Alex was 80 years old.

Mr. Trebek had been receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer.  Show representatives of “Jeopardy!” said it had no immediate plans to announce a new host. Episodes hosted by Mr. Trebek will continue to air through Dec. 25.

On Sunday, prominent figures paid tribute to Mr. Trebek who was born in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the world had “lost an icon.” Bob Iger, executive chairman of Walt Disney Co., said that Mr. Trebek graced viewers “with his kindness, warmth, wit and pure elegance.”

Over the years, the mild-mannered host—became a cultural icon with a great wit as he read from the wide-ranging categories.  Trebek make the show a fixture on local TV stations across the U.S., making Mr. Trebek a household name and drawing big audiences and profits for its producer, Sony Pictures Television.

The show catapulted Mr. Trebek to fame far beyond his regular time slots, earning the host guest-spots in more than 150 movies, TV shows and games.  Some of the most memorable were in the movie “White Men Can’t Jump,” where Trebek rattled off answers in categories like “natural disasters,” “sports” and “foods that start with the letter Q” during a pivotal scene.  He was also occasionally a subject of parody, including on shows such as “Family Guy” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Mr. Trebek announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis on social media in March 2019, battling it every day.  Looking unflinchingly into the camera, Mr. Trebek joked that he had to survive because he still had three years left on his “Jeopardy!” contract.   The video drew a deluge of support from well-wishers. Within 24 hours, Mr. Trebek’s video was retweeted more than 150,000 times and garnered more than 200,000 reactions from viewers on Facebook.

Mr. Trebek is survived by his wife, Jean Currivan Trebek, and his three children, Matthew Trebek, Emily Trebek and Nicky Trebek.

On Capitol Hill, things are expected to heat up as Republican and Democratic lawmakers get ready for a volatile lame-duck session until the January 20th, 2021 inauguration of Mr. Biden.

The clash will be brewing over coronavirus aid and the recounts and court cases for the full outcome of the race for the White House, as well as some key Senate and House contests, still up in the air until the early days of January.

Each party logged victories in this week’s results, leaving neither side ready to make dramatic concessions in the long-running deliberations over another coronavirus relief bill.

Democrats pointed to the likely path for their presidential nominee, Joe Biden, winning the White House, while Republicans said their unexpected gains in the House and victories in many contested Senate seats should compel new compromises from Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) is expected to assume a larger role in negotiations that he had largely ceded to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Mr. Mnuchin failed to strike an agreement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) during weeks of talks leading up to the election, and White House negotiators were often out of sync with Senate Republicans.

Mr. McConnell moved swiftly to plant markers this week, urging lawmakers to reach an agreement around a new Covid-19 relief deal before the end of the year.

CHAMP AND MAJOR ARE READY TO MOVE IN 
For the first time in four years, and in a move that restores a centuries-old tradition, the White House is set to gain a First Pet. Actually, two. Joe and Jill Biden have two German Shepherds, Champ and Major — and Major is set to become the first rescue dog to live at the White House.

In November 2018, the Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association.

ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE IN FLORIDA FOR HISTORIC LAUNCH THIS SATURDAY
Four astronauts arrived in Florida on Sunday afternoon in anticipation of the first launch of four people in a space capsule. SpaceX’s Dragon space capsule, named Resilience, is expected to lift off Saturday night from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The mission is important as the first routine flight of the Dragon to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. That means Elon Musk’s SpaceX owns the capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket on which it will launch.

… NASA is watching the weather closely because Eta is forecast to strengthen briefly into a hurricane in the next few days and possibly head to Florida’s west coast by Friday.

WHEN TO DUMP THEM, CHANGE THEM, GET RID OF THEM 
We’re supposed to change our internet and social media passwords at least every 90 days. But what about real-world expiration dates?

• Vitamins should be tossed after 3 years if there’s no expiration date on the bottle
• Pillows should be trashed every year
• Get a new toothbrush every 3 months

MICHIGAN COUPLE WITH 14 SONS WELCOME THEIR FIRST DAUGHTER 
A Michigan couple with 14 sons has welcomed their first daughter nearly three decades after the birth of their first child. Kateri Schwandt gave birth Thursday to Maggie Jayne. Jay Schwandt said he and his wife, both 45, “are overjoyed and beyond excited to add Maggie Jayne to our family.” The Schwandts have been featured for years in local and national news as their family has grown. The couple have a livestreaming program called “14 Outdoorsmen” that may now need a name change.

41% OF US HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL 
A study (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) reveals 41 percent of drivers admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel, and drowsy driving accounts for about 17 percent of all crashes, and 2 percent of vehicular fatalities.

… One tip to avoid drowsy driving: Drinking a good quantity of water helps as it prevents dehydration that can cause drowsiness. It also requires you to pull over regularly and stretch your legs for a bathroom break.

TOY HALL OF FAME NAMES 2020 ENTRIES 
Baby Nancy, the first Black baby doll to have an Afro and other authentic features, was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday, along with sidewalk chalk and the wooden block game Jenga. The 2020 honorees were chosen by a panel of experts from among 12 finalists that also included bingo, Breyer Horses, Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe, My Little Pony, Risk, Sorry!, Tamagotchi, and Yahtzee.

MOST AMERICANS SUPPORT A $15 MINIMUM WAGE 
A clear majority of Americans agree that the minimum wage should be increased. A new poll (conducted by YouGov) shows three-quarters (72%) should be higher, while just 15 percent say it should remain the same.

… Overall, roughly two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they support a $15 federal minimum wage.

STARBUCKS HOLIDAY CUPS HAVE FOUR DESIGNS 
We might scoff at the announcement that Starbucks has four holiday cup designs this year, but keep in mind that someone — probably a group of people — had to come up with these designs in, like July, during a pandemic.

… So anyway, Starbucks is welcoming the holidays with the annual release of their decorative holiday cups. For 2020, there are four new designs, simply titled: Ribbon, Dot, Sparkle and Brand Wrap.

COUPLES THAT SHARE HOUSEWORK ENJOY BETTER SEX 
Want better sex? Research suggests you should do your share of the housework before getting down and dirty. A study (University of Alberta) found couples enjoyed more frequent and satisfying sex when the housework was split equally.

MAN FINDS LETTER FROM WORLD WAR II IN BOX OF TRUCK PARTS 
A Nova Scotia man is hoping to reunite a letter written by a man serving in World War II in 1944 with the soldier’s family after finding the note in a box of items he purchased years ago. Arnie Lloyd said he bought a 1948 Ford F1 car from a family about three years ago, plus some boxes of truck parts and other miscellaneous items from the same seller.

Lloyd said he was going through one of the boxes recently when he found a hand-written letter written by Arnold Weisner, a Canadian solider who served in the Netherlands during World War II. The letter, dated November 4, 1944, was addressed to Clark Armstrong of Beechville, Nova Scotia. Lloyd said he found numerous other items bearing Armstrong’s name in the box, including love letters, old pay stubs and a driver’s license from the early 1900s. Lloyd is now hoping to reunite the letter with members of Weisner’s family.

PARENTS HAVE CONCERNS OVER THEIR KIDS DRINKING SUGARY SOFT DRINKS 
A survey of parents of 3- to 11-year-olds found 82 percent feel there is too much sugar in drinks targeted at youngsters. Just over half of parents feel they themselves are to blame for their children drinking soft drinks.

WOMAN INSPIRED BY FELLOW CUSTOMER TO BUY LOTTERY TICKET 
A South Carolina woman said she was inspired by a fellow customer in line at a store to buy a lottery ticket — and ended up winning $250,000. The woman told lottery officials she had not originally intended to buy a lottery ticket at the convenience store (in Lake City), but a customer in front of her in line bought a ticket and inspired her to do the same.

WOMAN DRIVES 1,360 MILES TO REUNITE WITH DOG MISSING FOR 6 YEARS 
A Texas woman’s Chihuahua mix who vanished six years ago was found in Florida thanks to a microchip. Debi Vazquez and her daughter Danae let their three dogs out of their San Antonio yard to relieve themselves in June 2014. But only the two pit bulls returned when the family called them back.

After losing hope of ever seeing the adorable pooch again, Vazquez got an out-of-the-blue voicemail from the Broward County Humane Society in Fort Lauderdale on October 25. The dog had been found — thanks to his scanned microchip. Vazquez and her daughter decided to make the 1,360-mile trek from Texas to Florida to pick up their long-lost King, who they believe had been stolen. Vazquez says once they left the shelter and got way from the news cameras, King recognized her right away.

TRUMP’S PERSONAL CHOPPER IS FOR SALE 
One of President Donald Trump’s helicopters is up for grabs — but there’s no price. Trump currently owns three Sikorsky S76-B helicopters — plus other private aircraft not associated with the White House — and one of those choppers has found its way to Aero Asset, which is hawking the thing out of a hangar in New Jersey. The price is listed as “make an offer,” so basically The Donald appears to have gone the route of Craigslist and will pretty much take what he can get.

… Sources say the market value for one of these late 1980s helicopters is worth anywhere between $700,00 to $800,000.

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