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1. A new kind of Thanksgiving prep: Getting tested for coronavirus
Coronavirus testing ahead of Thanksgiving has led to long lines at one of Palm Beach County's drive-through sites.
Dr. Olayemi Osiyemi is an infectious disease specialist and said getting tested is smart, but does not guarantee a safe holiday.
"Even if you’re truly negative at that time and then on your way home, you get exposed before you get home, you can potentially expose your family members," Dr. Osiyemi said.
The Health Care District of Palm Beach County told WPTV that testing is up 10% to 15% at the ballpark because of the holiday, but warned the turnaround time has been two to three days, which would make Friday more likely to receive the results.
2. COVID-19 deaths pass 2,000 on Tuesday for first time since May
More than 2,000 coronavirus deaths were reported in the US on Tuesday, marking the most coronavirus-related deaths since May, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The deaths put the US death toll at 259,874. The average number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US has now reached 1,500 per day, which is nearly double the number of deaths per day a month ago.
Also doubling in the last month is the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations.
3. Where is DeSantis? Usually public governor sticking to pre-recorded videos
What used to be near almost daily press appearances from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis about how the state is responding to the pandemic, has abruptly turned into short and sporadic pre-recorded videos posted to social media.
Over the past few weeks, DeSantis has posted two pre-recorded videos. One was posted on Veterans Day, the other was posted just last week, but both are only available in English with no subtitles or sign language interpreters.
It’s a problem, Disability Rights Florida has been trying to address with the Governor for months since an interpreter was not always there for his in-person press briefings. They have since filed a lawsuit.
4. The Latest On Election 2020: Biden gets a record number of votes
President-elect Joe Biden made history Tuesday when he received the most votes in a presidential election in U.S. history by surpassing 80 million votes.
Biden confirmed reporting on his choices to fill six key roles in his upcoming administration:
- Anthony Blinken, former deputy national security adviser, for Secretary of State
- Alejandro Mayorkas, former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, to lead the same agency
- Avril Haines, former Obama Principal Deputy National Security Advisor, for Director of National Intelligence
- Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a longtime member of U.S. Foreign Service, to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
- Jake Sullivan, Biden campaign policy adviser, as National Security Adviser
- John Kerry, former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee, to be Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
5. COVID canceled weddings, funerals and more, but Dabo is mad about a football game
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney isn't letting up when it comes to the decision to postpone last weekend's game at Florida State.
During a news conference with reporters Tuesday, Swinney took another dig at Florida State, days after saying that the administration used a Clemson player's positive COVID-19 test as an excuse not to play the game.
"I'm not really worried much about what they say down there in Tallahassee, that's for sure," he said. "I've been in this league for 18 years. I've been the head coach here 12, all right. They've had three head coaches in four years, so the decisions that they make, you know, I'm not going to worry about advice from Tallahassee."
Today's Forecast
Have a slice of fall with your pie!
Get your complete hour-by-hour forecast here.
On This Day In History
On November 25, 1986, the Iran-Contra connection was revealed.
Three weeks after a Lebanese magazine reported that the United States had been secretly selling arms to Iran, Attorney General Edwin Meese reveals that proceeds from the arms sales were illegally diverted to the anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua.
The same day that the Iran-Contra connection was disclosed, President Reagan accepted the resignation of his national security adviser, Vice Admiral John Poindexter, and fired Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, a Poindexter aide.
Remember, you can join Mike Trim and Ashleigh Walters every weekday on WPTV NewsChannel 5 beginning at 4:30 a.m. And you can always watch the latest news from WPTV anytime on your favorite streaming device. Just search for "WPTV."