Start your week smart: Midterms, Iran, Covid-19, Air show crash, Dolly Parton
By Andrew Torgan, CNN
Today is World Kindness Day. Do with that information what you will. Sure, it’s just another made-up day, but unlike candy corn or cilantro, kindness is a far less divisive subject.
Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.
The weekend that was
• Democrats will keep their narrow majority in the US Senate for the next two years, CNN projects, after victories in close contests in Nevada and Arizona.
• Iranian security forces have killed at least 326 people since nationwide protests erupted two months ago, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO group has claimed.
• A cruise ship with around 800 Covid-positive passengers docked in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday after being hit by a wave of infections.
• Two World War II-era military planes collided in mid-air and crashed during an airshow in Dallas on Saturday afternoon, killing at least two people onboard, officials said.
• Dolly Parton is the latest recipient of the $100 million Courage and Civility Award from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The week ahead
Monday
President Joe Biden is expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week ahead of the G20 summit — their first in-person encounter since Biden took office and one that will offer a clarifying opportunity for the world’s most important bilateral relationship.
It’s also the birthday of King Charles III, who turns 74 on November 14.
Tuesday
The G20 summit officially gets underway on the Indonesian island of Bali. The G20 is comprised of 19 of the world’s major economies — including Russia –and the European Union, but Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit in person. Putin’s decision saves him the embarrassment of being confronted — or shunned — by other world leaders over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Former President Donald Trump has said he plans to make “a very big announcement” at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday. The event is widely expected to formally kick off his third campaign for the White House.
Coincidentally, former Vice President Mike Pence’s memoir will also be published on Tuesday, one week after Election Day, as he, too, considers a possible run for the White House in 2024.
Wednesday
NASA officials are looking at November 16 as the possible launch date for the Artemis I moon rocket, which was on the launchpad last week as Hurricane Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 storm roughly 70 miles south of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Friday
On November 18, 1928, Disney icon Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in the short film “Steamboat Willie.” That means that Mickey — and Minnie — will be turning 94 years old.
More midterm takeaways
In this week’s One Thing podcast, CNN Chief National Correspondent John King takes a break from the Magic Wall to share some early lessons from the midterm elections. “Sometimes when we’re talking about the polarization of the divide, we should actually respect that this is a big, complicated country,” King says. Listen here for more.
Photos of the week
Check out more moving, fascinating and thought-provoking images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.
What’s happening in entertainment
TV and streaming
The Season 5 premiere of “Yellowstone” airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on the Paramount Network. It opens on election night as Kevin Costner’s John Dutton wins the race for governor of Montana.
Meanwhile, over on Paramount+, Sylvester Stallone takes on his first major TV role in “Tulsa King,” a new series from the creator of “Yellowstone.” In the series premiere that drops today, Stallone’s Dwight Manfredi gets out of prison after 25 years only to find that those running the mob in his old stomping grounds of New York don’t want him around. As a result, he’s unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Oklahoma.
In theaters
“She Said” stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who break one of the most important stories in a generation — a story that helped launch the #MeToo movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood. “She Said” opens on Friday.
The comedy/horror film “The Menu” features Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult as a couple who pay a fortune to dine at an exclusive restaurant on a remote private island where Chef Julian Slowik — played by Ralph Fiennes — has prepared a lavish menu, albeit with some shocking surprises.
What’s happening in sports
NFL football
If you’re awake early enough this morning and want to get a head start on watching football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Seattle Seahawks at 9:30 a.m. ET in the NFL’s first regular-season game played in Germany.
World Cup
We are just one week away from the start of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar on November 20. The massively popular soccer tournament runs through December 18 and features 32 nations competing against each other for the prize — but this year’s event is not without controversy.
Quiz time!
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 59% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?
Play me off
‘Treat People With Kindness’
Here’s a tune to encourage you to spread a little kindness today — or any day. (Click here to view)
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