5 things you need to know this weekend
Clinton in the spotlight at third Democratic debate
With much of the 2016 election spotlight focused so far on the GOP battle, the Democratic debate on Saturday is a chance for those candidates to get some media exposure. Hillary Clinton, who's maintaining more than a 20-point lead in national polls over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, has focused less on mirroring his progressive positions and more on positioning herself for the general election. Clinton and Sanders will be joined on stage by former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley. The debate will be held at 8 p.m. ET at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., and will be broadcast on ABC.
Miss World show goes on — without Miss Canada
The 2015 Miss World competition is happening Saturday in China, but Canada's representative, Anastasia Lin, won't be there. The actress and University of Toronto graduate has been vocal about Chinese political repression, and she did not get an invite to the pageant (or a visa). Lin made headlines when she was barred from boarding a plane to Sanya in Hainan Province, China, where Miss World will be held. (You can watch the pageant on E!) In other pageant news, the Miss Universe competition takes place Sunday in Las Vegas (7 p.m. ET on Fox).
College bowl season kicks off with 5 games
College football’s bowl season kicks off Saturday with the first five match-ups on the postseason schedule. The first kickoff is the Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Arizona vs. New Mexico) at 2 p.m. ET. But perhaps the day’s best game is the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, when BYU will face off with No. 22 Utah. These five games are the first of 41 (including the national championship game) between now and Jan. 11. We ranked all the games so you know which to tune in for, and here are Paste BN Sports’ college staff's picks for every game on the bowl schedule.
Red alert in Beijing over severe smog
Beijing is under a red alert for smog from Saturday morning until midnight Wednesday, during which time the smog could be worse than that of early last week, according to CCTV News. This warning, the most serious on a four-tier system, means authorities predict at least three consecutive days of severe smog. Some vehicles have to stay off the roads, and schools are advised to suspend classes.
What are you waiting for? Get to the post office!
It's a busy weekend for the Postal Service. Saturday is the deadline for mailing first class mail so it arrives by Christmas Eve. If you're willing to pay a little more, or just need more time, Dec. 21 is the deadline for priority mail prices and Dec. 23 for Priority Mail Express. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, the Postal Service expects to deliver 600 million packages, a 10.5% increase over last year. For mail carriers, that means making deliveries on Sundays in December.
Bonus: Retailers are prepping for a crush of procrastinating shoppers this weekend as the holiday season starts to wind down, and they're throwing everything from gift card deals and extended hours to coveted Star Wars toys at shoppers to keep them spending. What we're trying to say is: Don't go if you don't have to. For those who do, find all of our holiday gift guides here.
The weekend essentials:
Giving those eyes of yours a weekend break? Listen to the top stories:
Which films are worth your popcorn? Here are five movies other than Star Wars in theaters now.
Rather watch the small screen? Here's what's on TV this weekend.
Ready for some football? Here's the college football TV schedule and Paste BN Sports' picks for Week 15 of the NFL.
Need a break? Try playing some of our games.