World News: A new week, a new Supreme Court justice

Monday, October 26

Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Oct. 1, 2020, in Washington, D.C.

Amy Coney Barrett is poised to become the ninth Supreme Court justice, Tropical Storm Zeta expected to develop into a hurricane and more things to start your Monday.

Happy Monday, Daily Briefing readers! It's Jane, bringing you this epic day's news.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett is set to become a Supreme Court justice, eight days from Election Day. Extreme fire conditions are likely in California, while Tropical Storm Zeta is expected to gain strength in the Gulf of Mexico. And, honeybees in Washington state can rest easier because the first nest of "murder hornets'' found in the United States has been destroyed.

Here's today's news:

Full Senate to vote on Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation

Judge Amy Coney Barrett is poised to become the ninth justice on the Supreme Court on Monday , solidifying a 6-3 conservative majority on the bench. The Republican-led Senate is expected to confirm her to the high court in a vote Monday evening, capping off a sprint to place Barrett there before Election Day over Democratic objections. A simple majority of the 100-member chamber will have to vote in favor of her nomination — Republicans outnumber Democrats 53-47 in the Senate. Barrett is likely to be sworn in as soon as Monday or Tuesday and could take part in contentious Supreme Court cases on the Affordable Care Act or election-related disputes.

•	Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court hearings lacked the drama that Brett Kavanaugh's proceedings had. Here's why
•	GOP Sen. Murkowski still thinks Supreme Court seat should wait, but will vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett

Pence continues appearances despite COVID-19 cases on his staff

Members of Vice President Mike Pence's office, including his chief of staff, Marc Short, tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, but the vice president won't let that slow down his campaign schedule. Pence plans to preside over the Senate during a vote on Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court on Monday. The plans drew harsh criticism from Democrats but Republicans mostly shrugged off Pence coming to Capitol Hill, explaining they were sure the vice president would do so responsibly. As vice president, Pence is the president of the Senate and may cast votes, usually done in a tie. "I'm gonna be in the chair because I wouldn't miss that vote for the world," Pence told supporters at a rally Saturday evening in Florida.

•	'We're not going to control the pandemic,' Meadows says; Senate blocks Dems' Barrett filibuster
•	Trump's campaign made stops nationwide. Coronavirus cases surged in his wake in at least five places
•	Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, has tested positive for coronavirus
•	Coronavirus updates: Mexico health officials acknowledge higher death toll; UK police to enforce Wales travel ban; US deaths top 225K

High winds and dry air combine to create 'dangerous fire weather event' for California

Powerful winds are expected to blow through parts of California into Monday, setting up extreme fire conditions in a state already reeling from a devastating fire season . The conditions caused by the strong winds, low humidity and dry fuels will be some of the most dangerous of this year, and are "uncomfortably similar" to the circumstances that led to other destructive fires including 2019's Kincade Fire and 2018's Camp Fire, according to the National Weather Service. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. cut power to thousands of homes as a precaution ahead of the dangerous conditions, which are expected to continue into early Tuesday. In California this year, more than 8,600 wildfires have burned over 6,400 square miles and destroyed about 9,200 buildings. There have been 31 deaths.

•	Wildfire smoke: Wine supply – and prices – could be affected
•	Four new wildfires burned about 300 acres Sunday in northern California

Tropical Storm Zeta forms with sights set on Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Zeta, which formed over the weekend, is expected to develop into a weak Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico by late Monday before coming ashore somewhere between Florida's western Panhandle and western Louisiana later in the week. Zeta is the 27th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and the earliest forming on record. Cooler waters near the Gulf Coast and an increase in wind shear could allow for some weakening before Zeta makes landfall. Still, the National Hurricane Center cautions that strong tropical storms can produce significant storm surge, rainfall and wind impacts.

•	Winter should be mostly mild with few blizzards, but much of USA could see drought, forecasters say
•	Dual disasters: How does climate change worsen wildfires and hurricanes?

It's eight days until Election Day

Monday marks just over one week until Election Day. More than 257 million people in the U.S. are 18 or older, and nearly 240 million citizens are eligible to vote this year, according to the U.S. Elections Project. And voter turnout for this election could reach the highest rate in more than a century. Important state deadlines to know Monday:

•	Maryland starts early voting.
•	In Colorado, it's the last day to register online and mail-in (postmarked Oct. 26). But you can register to vote in person on Election Day.
•	In Montana, it's the last day to register to vote mail-in (postmarked Oct. 26). But you can register to vote in person on Election Day.
•	In Washington, it's the last day to register to vote mail-in (received Oct. 26). But you can register to vote in person on Election Day.

In election news:

•	Young and progressive voters aren't just 'settling for Biden' anymore. They're going all in
•	'What just happened with the President?': '60 Minutes' airs Lesley Stahl's contentious Trump interview
•	Voting across the US: Joe Biden leads Donald Trump in Texas poll; New Hampshire can't ban armed voters; Facebook threat

'Got 'em': Nest of 'murder hornets' taken down in Washington state

The first nest of "murder hornets'' to be found in the United States has been sucked into oblivion by authorities in Blaine, Washington. "Got 'em. Vacuumed out several #AsianGiantHornets from a tree cavity near Blaine this morning," the state Agriculture Department said in a Twitter post. The post included a picture of what appeared to be dozens of the hornets in a clear tube. Asian giant hornets — dubbed murder hornets — kill about a dozen people a year in Asian countries, where the insect is more common. But this nest was wiped out Saturday to protect honeybees in the Washington state area. The world's largest hornets, which measure two inches long, can destroy entire hives of honeybees, critical to crops like raspberries and blueberries because they provide needed pollination.