10 things you need to know today: November 12, 2020

1. U.S. reports record 145,835 new coronavirus cases

The United States reported 145,835 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the latest in a series of all-time highs, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. Hospitalizations also have hit a record. The U.S. now has had more than 10.3 million total infections and 240,000 fatalities. New York state will impose a 10 p.m. curfew for most bars and restaurants and will limit private gatherings to 10 people to fight soaring coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. Cuomo, a Democrat, said gyms will have to close at 10 p.m., too. The restrictions take effect Friday. The limit on the size of gatherings in homes could disrupt families' plans for Thanksgiving, just two weeks away. Cuomo said the state would "turn the valve more" if the numbers don't go down.

The Washington Post The Wall Street Journal

2. Biden names Ron Klain as White House chief of staff

President-elect Joe Biden began establishing his administration's senior leadership on Wednesday, naming longtime confidant and Democratic operative Ron Klain as his White House chief of staff. Klain served as Biden's chief of staff when he was vice president, and first worked for Biden in 1989 when he was one of Delaware's senators. Biden said in a statement that Klain was an "invaluable" adviser who worked with him during the 2009 economic crisis and the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Also on Wednesday, Biden had his first calls since the election with the leaders of Japan, South Korea, and Australia. The three U.S. allies reportedly reaffirmed plans for close ties with the president-elect on such issues as climate change and security.

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The New York Times Reuters

3. Georgia to recount presidential votes by hand

Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, announced Wednesday that officials would conduct a hand recount of the millions of ballots cast in the state in last week's presidential election. President-elect Joe Biden leads President Trump by more than 14,000 votes in Georgia out of millions cast, a narrow enough margin to trigger a recount. "With the margin being so close, it will require a full by hand recount in each county," Raffensperger, a Republican, said at an Atlanta news conference. "This will help build confidence." Raffensperger previously said that a recount was "unlikely" to reverse Biden's lead. Biden is now up by more than 50,000 votes or ‌0.7 percent in Pennsylvania, enough to avoid an automatic recount.

CNN Cook Political Report

4. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan re-elected in Alaska

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) was projected the winner of last week's Senate election in Alaska on Wednesday, giving Republicans their 50th seat in the next Congress. Sullivan beat Al Gross, an independent backed by national Democrats. The outcome confirms that Georgia's two Jan. 5 Senate runoffs will decide which party will control the upper chamber. If Republicans win either of those races, they will hold onto a narrow majority. Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock must beat incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler to split the Senate 50-50. With Vice President-elect Kamala Harris breaking any ties, that would give Democrats control. In the presidential election, President Trump was projected the winner in Alaska.

The Hill

5. CDC: Masks protect wearer as well as others

Mask wearing has been encouraged and even mandated through the last several months of the COVID-19 pandemic, with experts saying wearing a mask helps protect people around you. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that masks also help protect their wearers, citing studies that show the benefits of universal masking. The updated recommendation comes as coronavirus hospitalizations in the U.S. reached an all-time high on Tuesday, hitting 61,694. The U.S. also reported more than 145,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, reaching another new record high. Coronavirus cases were largely contained in major East Coast cities early in the pandemic, but are now surging across the U.S. and affecting hospitals in the West and Midwest.

The Washington Post NPR

6. More Republicans urge Trump administration to let transition start

A growing group of Republican senators is urging the Trump administration to stop blocking the presidential transition process, including allowing President-elect Joe Biden to receive the classified President's Daily Brief intelligence report. "If that's not occurring by Friday, I will step in" and "push them and say, 'This needs to occur,'" so that "whichever way that it goes" the government is prepared to serve, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told Tulsa's KRMG radio on Wednesday. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) made similar statements Tuesday, and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) told a Pittsburg TV station Monday night the transition process should begin despite Trump's ongoing election challenges, because "we're on a path it looks likely Joe Biden is going to be the next president of the United States."

The New York Times NBC News

7. Biden, Trump lay wreaths to honor veterans

President-elect Joe Biden marked Veterans Day on Wednesday with a stop to lay a wreath at the Korean War Memorial in Philadelphia. "Today, we honor the service of those who have worn the uniform of the Armed Forces of the United States," Biden tweeted. "To our proud veterans — I will be a commander in chief who respects your sacrifice, understands your service, and will never betray the values you fought so bravely to defend." President Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery. It was Trump's first appearance in days, as he continued to refuse to concede last week's election to Biden, who has locked up more than enough electoral votes to win. Trump made no remarks after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Fox News NBC News

8. Tropical Storm Eta makes latest landfall in Florida

Tropical Storm Eta briefly regained hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday before weakening ahead of the storm's fourth landfall Thursday morning near Cedar Key, on the west coast of Florida. A warning of potentially life-threatening storm surge was in effect from the middle of Longboat Key to Suwannee River, Florida, including Tampa Bay. The storm had top sustained winds of 50 miles per hour. Eta was expected to weaken further as it moves across the state and into the Atlantic by Wednesday afternoon. Eta meandered around the Gulf for several days after hitting the Florida Keys. Previously, it crossed Cuba after smashing into Nicaragua as a powerful hurricane, killing dozens of people in Central America.

National Hurricane Center CNN

9. Nasdaq surges in shift back to 'stay-at-home' stocks

The Nasdaq surged more than 2 percent higher on Wednesday. The gains for the tech-heavy index came as so-called stay-at-home stocks such as Microsoft and Netflix rebounded after new coronavirus cases continued to set records, dimming optimism stoked by positive news on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments earlier in the week. Amazon and Apple gained more than 3 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by less than 0.1 percent after several days of strong gains, and the S&P 500 rose by 0.8 percent. Futures for the Dow and the S&P 500 were lower early Thursday, while those of the Nasdaq rose by 0.5 percent. Analysts said such swings could continue as investor attention shifts between strong earnings and concerns about renewed lockdowns.

Reuters CNBC

10. Britney Spears loses bid to oust father from conservatorship

A Los Angeles judge declined Britney Spears' application to remove her father, James Spears, from the conservatorship of her estate. The pop star is looking to have her father removed as conservator, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny decided not to do so. Spears' attorney told the judge "she is afraid of her father" and "will not perform again” if he "is in charge of her career." While Penny denied the application to remove James Spears from the conservatorship, she did name a corporate fiduciary as co-conservator like Spears wanted and also made clear she would consider further petitions to remove James "down the road." Attorneys for Spears' father reportedly said in court filings his "sole motivation has been his unconditional love for his daughter."

Variety The New York Times