Georgia Lead on Biden's Mind, 'Fraud' on Trump's

Three days out from Election Day, the race for the presidency is still too close to call. Joe Biden has more remaining paths to 270 electoral votes than President Donald Trump, but the contests in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona sit on a knife’s edge, with Biden pulling ahead in Georgia this morning. While Biden asked for patience with the count, Trump blasted the election as rigged in an extraordinary speech at the White House. His lawyers filed lawsuits across key states seeking better access to ballot counting and making claims of fraud that have not held up in court.

2. Circling the Wagons

Key Republicans are increasingly lining up behind Trump’s baseless assertions that the election is being stolen from him. After Donald Trump Jr. tweeted an attack on the “2024 GOP hopefuls” who were not standing by his father, figures such as Sens. Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz, as well as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, chimed in on Trump’s behalf. Even as some party members such as Sen. Mitt Romney and Gov. Larry Hogan rebuked Trump’s rhetoric, Sen. Lindsey Graham said “everything should be on the table,” when asked whether Pennsylvania's results should be nullified. Protests, meanwhile, continued at key ballot counting locations such as Phoenix.

Or just bomb them. Hong Kong has launched a hotline for residents to inform on neighbors they suspect of violating a controversial new security law, echoing practices used by authoritarian regimes such as the former East Germany. Ethiopia’s army, meanwhile, sent additional troops to the northern Tigray region, as fighting with the local government there intensified. (Sources: Guardian, Der Spiegel, WaPo)

2. Revenge Against Revenge Porn

Mexico’s Senate has unanimously approved a law that will punish perpetrators of digital violence such as revenge porn — where private sexual videos or images are shared without consent — with up to six years in jail. Revenge porn exploded during this year’s lockdowns. (Source: Reuters)

3. Scent of Success

Columbia University scientists have developed a nasal spray that could block the coronavirus in the nose and lungs, even as cases rise in America, set records in Germany and force new restrictions across Italy, France, Greece and Denmark. (Sources: NYT, DW, CNBC)

Controversial Indian mining giant Adani Group — accused by Australian environmentalists of violating green norms for a Queensland coal mine — has dug a hole for itself. The Australian arm of the company has been renamed Bravus — the firm thought the word meant “brave” in Latin. In fact, experts have pointed out, it means “crooked,” “assassin,” “villainous” or “barbaric.” It is very brave to choose a name like that.

Months before COVID-19 changed our way of life forever, America's northern neighbor voted in national elections. And while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reelection margin was slim, early voting won a clear mandate — 25 percent up compared to the last federal election in 2015. Two million Canadians chose to vote before election day. Unlike the U.S., Canada has national rules on early voting — so no party can claim bias or unfairness.

2. South Africa

The country calls the practice "special voting." And those who can’t travel to a polling station can even have election workers visit them at homes to collect special votes before election day. It's working. While only 4.5 percent of the total votes, South Africa's special votes doubled between the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, underscoring the surging popularity of early voting.

3. New Zealand

Early voting accounted for more than half of the total votes cast in this October's election — yet that boom is in tune with how the southern nation's voting patterns are shifting. The 2 million early votes were nearly double the 1.2 million cast in 2017. And that was a sharp rise from the 718,000 early votes cast in 2014.

When you've started piano lessons at the age of 6, you're practically a veteran by the age of 41 — especially if you're a Grammy winner. But the Japanese jazz pianist with a wide smile is constantly experimenting: She'll surprise you with an infusion of pop or classical notes just when you think you've figured out her sound. She's played with legends like Chick Corea but is most at ease when it’s just her and the piano. She says she talks to the instrument. Listen to her perform, and you know that the piano always responds.

2. Miguel Zenón

Growing up in a low-income housing project in San Juan, Zenon wanted to escape Puerto Rican music. But it's the strains of music from his homeland, mingled with traditional jazz rhythms, that make the 43-year-old one of the most talked-about current saxophonists. His intense eyes and movie star looks might suggest a man made for the limelight, but he had to play for salsa bands to afford the fees for Berklee College of Music. Now fans pay top dollar to watch the multiple Grammy nominee perform, as his shaved head bobs up and down with his inseparable saxophone.

3. Siya Makuzeni

She's usually the shortest musician on stage — and the most powerful. It's tough enough being a top jazz singer. The South African is also a rare female trombone player of quality in a male-dominated profession. But Makuzeni, who sings in both English and isiXhosa, sees her vocals and instrument as extensions of her personality — each needs the other. She's more than a jazz musician, she insists. So what is she? "My own voice."

All you need is a shoebox and some marbles for this fun Chilean game. Cut four windows of different sizes on one side of the box and write numbers above each window. From a 6-foot distance, take turns at aiming five marbles through the windows. If you succeed, you get fresh marbles to keep at it — you receive the number of marbles that’s indicated above the window. The player who has the most marbles at the end of the game wins.

2. Mancala

It’s a wildly popular strategy game across Africa — it’s known as kigogo in Kenya and oware in Ghana. Use small cups for holes instead of a mancala board. Two players each have six cups with four marbles — or pebbles — in each. They also each have a seventh “mancala” cup. By dropping the marbles from one cup in others, you try and make sure your cups are always full — and your opponent’s empty. Watch.

3. Tushla Bazi

If you see an Afghan child grinning from ear to ear, chances are she’s just won a bunch of marbles. Draw a circle. Place marbles along the diameter. Then you try and knock out your opponent’s marbles. When you succeed, the marbles are yours. Whoever gets the most marbles wins the game.

What are your favorite childhood games? Tell us.