Maradona, Covid-19, Macron: Your Thursday Briefing

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Good morning.

We’re masking a Thanksgiving vacation overshadowed by the coronavirus, President Emmanuel Macron’s transfer to the appropriate and a five-mile post-Brexit site visitors jam.

A really completely different Thanksgiving

Below regular circumstances, households throughout the U.S. could be gathering, some in teams of a dozen or extra, on a vacation that celebrates coming collectively. However this 12 months, because the nation experiences its most threatening surge but of the coronavirus, solely about 27 % of Individuals plan to dine with folks exterior their family, in response to a survey requested by The Occasions.

A virus surge that began within the Midwest now seems to be morphing into swift resurgences in cities like Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix, including first-time spikes in smaller cities away from the nation’s center, like Cumberland, Md. Merely put, the coronavirus is in every single place.

Greater than 1.2 million instances within the U.S. have been recognized prior to now week, and the nation is on tempo to succeed in 13 million recognized instances inside days. The seven-day common of day by day deaths is over 1,600. Scientists are expressing deep foreboding concerning the arrival of Thanksgiving and chilly climate throughout such a surge.

On the entrance traces: Docs and nurses are working on empty. “That is my job, what I needed to do for a residing,” mentioned a critical-care doctor in Houston who introduced the virus dwelling with him, sickening his complete household. “And it might have killed my youngsters, might have killed my spouse — all this, due to me.”

Listed here are the most recent updates and maps of the pandemic.

In different developments:

• The U.N.’s prime refugee official mentioned on Wednesday that the rise in coronavirus infections had worsened an already extant poisonous facet impact of the pandemic: the abuse of refugee girls and ladies.

• A state-owned vaccine maker in China has filed an utility to market the vaccine within the nation earlier than it has accomplished trials.

• President-elect Joe Biden urged Individuals to forgo Thanksgiving gatherings to keep away from spreading the virus and described his family’s plans to remain distant. “All of us have a job to play in beating this disaster,” Mr. Biden mentioned.

• AstraZeneca’s vaccine trial suffered from a number of knowledge and dosage errors. The issues could imply that the corporate’s vaccine is not going to be a type of made obtainable early.

Macron’s decisive swing to the appropriate

A rightward push by the French authorities is alarming civil-liberties advocates in France and elevating questions on President Emmanuel Macron’s positioning forward of an anticipated electoral problem from the far proper in 2022.

Propelled by a nationwide wave of tension following latest terrorist assaults by Islamist extremists, two proposed legal guidelines underscore what critics have known as an alarming drift towards repression in authorities coverage. One would limit the general public filming of the police, whereas the opposite seeks additional restrictions towards Islamism because the French authorities has outlined it, reaching into some points of Muslim life.

That invoice would ban home-schooling, flag in a database these deemed to “excuse” terrorist acts, topic organizations that obtain authorities subsidies to a take a look at of allegiance to “the values of the republic” and improve strictures towards polygamy, which is already unlawful.

Phrases of opposition: “This legislation does nothing to strengthen secularism,” mentioned Aurélien Taché, a consultant in Parliament who give up Mr. Macron’s occasion. “Those that faux to need to do this, truly what they really need is to exclude the Muslims.”

The dying of a soccer legend

Diego Maradona, the Argentine who grew to become a nationwide hero as certainly one of soccer’s best gamers, died at 60 on Wednesday in Tigre, Argentina. His spokesman mentioned the trigger was a coronary heart assault after years of well being issues.

Argentina declared three days of nationwide mourning for the participant who took up the game in dusty streets “with an urchin’s resourcefulness,” our reporter writes. He turned skilled by 15, starring with Napoli and Barcelona after which in 2010 teaching Argentina within the World Cup.

Maradona scored one of many sport’s most controversial objectives and certainly one of its most celebrated within the span of 4 minutes in 1986 towards England — punching the ball into the online along with his fist for the primary after which deftly maneuvering 70 yards by way of 5 British gamers for the second.

When you’ve got 6 minutes, that is price it

The ladies who beloved Diana

In her lifetime, Diana, the Princess of Wales, was adored by many ladies in Africa and the diaspora, who then handed that loyalty on to their daughters. For these moms and daughters, watching “The Crown” feels private, writes our reporter.

“It’s simply recognized that African moms love Diana,” mentioned Wangechi Waweru, a Kenyan rapper, whose mom was one such fan. “She was their Beyoncé.”

Right here’s what else is going on

Michael Flynn: President Trump pardoned the previous nationwide safety adviser, who had twice pleaded responsible to mendacity to the F.B.I.

Submit-Brexit chaos: A costume rehearsal by French border law enforcement officials testing immigration procedures earlier than the deadline for a post-Brexit commerce deal between Britain and the European Union resulted in a five-mile site visitors jam in Kent, in southern England, as much as the doorway of the Eurotunnel, which connects the nation to France.

Loujain al-Hathloul: Visibly weak and afraid, the activist, who campaigned for ladies’s proper to drive, appeared earlier than a Saudi choose on Wednesday to study that her case was being transferred to a particular courtroom for terrorism and nationwide safety crimes, her household mentioned.

Iran prisoner launch: The nation launched a British-Australian scholar, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, detained since 2018 on spying fees, in a prisoner swap on Wednesday for 3 Iranian males who had been held overseas, Iran’s official information media reported.

Duchess of Sussex: In our Opinion part, Meghan wrote about having a miscarriage in July and advised a query to ask family members on this 12 months of loss: “Are you OK?”

Prepare dinner: This turkey tikka masala will get its deep flavors and moisture from marinating the turkey in a single day in yogurt, turmeric, garam masala and garlic paste.

Pay attention: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa dominate the nominations for this 12 months’s Grammy Awards. Right here’s the total listing of nominees, together with these for music of the 12 months.

Do: Give somebody the present of wholesome residing this 12 months with certainly one of these concepts from the writers and editors of Properly.

For concepts on different fantastic methods to move the time, scroll by way of our At House assortment on what to learn, cook dinner, watch and do whereas staying protected at dwelling.

And now for the Again Story on …

Logging off

The time we spend on screens has skyrocketed in the course of the pandemic. Specialists say an excessive amount of display screen time can take a toll on our psychological well being, depriving us of sleep and consuming away at our consideration. Listed here are some ideas for detoxing from our gadgets.

Provide you with a plan. Not all display screen time is dangerous, so assess which components are poisonous and impose closing dates to attenuate them. Set modest objectives, corresponding to a 20-minute restrict for studying the information on weekends. For construction, create calendar occasions for every part, together with searching the net and taking breaks.

Create no-phone zones. Leaving your telephone exterior your bed room retains at bay blue mild, which may trick your mind into considering it’s daytime, and removes the urge to examine it in the course of the night time. One other no-phone zone could possibly be the dinner desk, a first-rate alternative for households to place gadgets away for at the least half-hour and reconnect.

Resist the hooks. Beware the synthetic objectives and infinite feeds that tech firms use to maintain us glued to our screens. Flip off notifications for all apps besides these which might be important for work and conserving in contact with folks you care about. When you really feel strongly addicted, take an excessive measure and switch the telephone to grayscale mode.

That’s it for this briefing. Wishing you a peaceable, productive day.

— Natasha

Thanks
Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh supplied the break from the information. You may attain Natasha and the workforce at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Day by day.” Our newest episode follows New York Metropolis residents dealing with meals shortages in the course of the pandemic.
• Right here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Coloration of a blue sky (5 letters). You will discover all our puzzles right here.
• Whether or not you are getting ready for the top of Britain’s lockdown or celebrating Thanksgiving overseas, this weekend is likely to be a superb time to tie up free ends.
• Kim Fararo, an editor on our International desk, will tackle a brand new position as deputy editor in Europe.