“We believe we will be the winners”
More than a day after the end of the US elections, the presidential election has not been declared a winner, although the outcome is getting closer as a frozen world awaits the next steps.
The presidential election appears to be based on the results of several key battlefield states favoring Joe Biden. Mr Biden has picked up on Wisconsin and Michigan and has a narrow head start in Arizona and Nevada that President Trump promoted all of them in 2016. Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina were all too close to call. Here is the race.
At this point in time, Mr. Biden holds 253 votes to Mr. Trumps 214. Here are your ways to 270.
Biden: Mr. Biden was speaking from Wilmington, Del., And urged patience. “I’m not here to declare we won, but I’m here to report that when the count is over we will be the winners,” he said, adding that it was “clear” that he would reach 270 electoral votes.
England is set to institute a new lockdown today asking people to stay home except for school, certain jobs, grocery shopping or training. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Parliament on Wednesday that there was no alternative to a month-long lockdown if the country wanted to avoid “medical and moral disaster”. The UK has reported more than 60,000 coronavirus deaths.
And in Italy, the government announced on Wednesday evening that it would lock down a significant part of the country, including the northern regions that are its economic engine. The lockdown, which includes Milan, begins on Friday. “The situation is particularly critical,” said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
Table for two ?: With Italian restaurants being forced to close hours earlier than most Italians have dinner, San Marino, an independent micro-state in northern Italy, has become a culinary destination for late night diners.
Dissent in France: In a tense exchange in the French National Assembly, the Minister of Health rejected critics of an extension of the state of emergency and described the occupation of hospitals and young people in intensive care. “That’s the reality,” he said. “If you don’t want to hear it, get out of here.”
Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.
A delay in the Polish abortion ban
The right-wing Polish government has indefinitely postponed the implementation of a court ruling which, after two weeks of the country’s largest protests since the collapse of communism in 1989, provides for an almost complete ban on abortions. Hundreds of thousands turned out with banners saying, “I wish I could break off my government” and “This is war”.
The demonstrations in the predominantly Roman Catholic country also reflected broader anger at the ruling party over the erosion of democracy and other ills, including how to deal with the pandemic.
Critics accuse the government of bypassing parliament to introduce an effective ban on abortion. They say the court is under the thumb of the ruling party, which appointed 14 of its 15 judges. The government could still impose the verdict at any time, despite legal experts said it would be against the constitution.
If you have 4 minutes, it’s worth it
A 9,000 year old big game hunter
The discovery of a prehistoric female skeleton buried with what archaeologists call a “big game hunting kit” Andean highlands in Peru has challenged one of the most prevalent tenets about ancient hunters and gatherers: that men hunted and women gathered .
Although female remains have previously been linked to materials suggesting they were hunters, these examples were treated as outliers. But what if it didn’t and the overall view of the hunt – and old gender roles – had to be adjusted?
The following also happens
Decriminalization of Drugs: Oregon became the first US state on Tuesday to decriminalize small amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs and legalize psilocybin, known as magic mushrooms, for people age 21 and older. Four other states have decisively passed laws to legalize recreational marijuana.
Coronavirus: The Danish government will slaughter millions of minks at more than 1,000 farms, citing concerns that a mutation in the novel coronavirus that has infected the mink could potentially affect the effectiveness of a vaccine for humans.
North Korea: The South Korean military on Wednesday arrested a man from North Korea who had crossed the country’s heavily armed land border and sparked an extensive manhunt.
Politics in Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a large-scale military operation against one of his own regions, Tigray, where the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has accused the provincial government of attacking a military base. The move triggered waves of alarm in the region, which fueled fears of civil war.
Snapshot: Above, Olha Habro, 76, cooks borscht in Borshchiv, Ukraine – one of a dozen villages and towns in the country named after beet soup. Borscht is the subject of a dispute between Ukrainians and Russians, who both claim it is their own.
Lived life: Betty Dodson, a feminist sexologist and self-indulgence evangelist who taught generations of women to masturbate through workshops, books, and videos, died Saturday at the age of 91.
What we read: This eater’s story of what France’s lockdown – and the newfound craze for take-out – means to its culinary heritage.
Now a break from the news
Cook: Rustic with a deep taste, this smoky lentil stew with leek and potatoes improves after a day in the fridge.
Listen: You may not be able to travel around the world right now, but thousands of foreign radio stations are readily available online to bring the world to you. So listen.
Do: We consider three methods of controlled breathing that can help reduce stress, increase alertness, and strengthen the immune system.
Take some time to explore our At Home collection for more ideas on what to read, cook, see, and do while being safe at home.
And now for the background story about …
Moments from the US campaign trail
After covering the epic race for the US presidency, 16 Times journalists shared some of their memorable experiences for Times Insider. Here is an excerpt.
Young eyes
The night before Super Tuesday in early March, I took my then 7-year-old daughter to East Los Angeles to attend an Elizabeth Warren rally that I covered. For months my daughter had listened to me describe scenes and politics that she didn’t really understand. By then it was clear that Senator Warren, the last woman, would not be able to get the Democratic nomination.
My daughter was mostly in awe of my friends who worked for the television networks as they stood in the stands with their cameras and laptops. The press corps consisted mostly of young women who were extraordinarily generous to a second grader. The night was a moment for her to experience the story and the roles of women in it. – Jennifer Medina
Hard loss
In February, I was at a ballroom in New Hampshire with Andrew Yang, the long-term candidate I had covered for months, when he announced he was dropping out of Democratic Elementary School. You could feel the room drain as soon as he said the words.
Shortly after he left the stage, I met Gene Bishop, an 81-year-old New Hampshire voter, who told me he had never contributed to or promoted any political candidate before he started supporting Mr. Yang. “I just can’t believe it’s over,” said Mr. Bishop, his brave face melting away. Then, to my surprise, he started crying. It’s easy to get angry with politicians. But I stayed with my brief interview with Mr. Bishop. – Matt Stevens
That’s it for today’s briefing. Thank you for coming to me
– Natasha
Many thanks
To Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the break from the news. You can reach the team at [email protected].
PS
• We listen to “The Daily”. Our last episode is about the unfinished US elections.
• Here is our mini crossword puzzle and a hint: espresso or cappuccino to Italians (five letters). You can find all of our puzzles here.
• According to the Twitter bot @NYT_first_said, the word “Quarterboomers” appeared in the Times for the first time on Wednesday.
• Our science reporter Apoorva Mandavilli recently joined The Daily Dive to discuss coronavirus antibodies.
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