5 things you need to know Thursday
Hurricane Matthew inches closer to the East Coast
After killing at least 16 people across the Caribbean and leaving a trail of destruction, Hurricane Matthew battered the Bahamas on Thursday as it continued its march toward the U.S., amid expectations that the death toll will rise. The impending storm prompted Florida Gov. Rick Scott to deploy additional National Guard members and request federal assistance from President Obama. Mass evacuations continue through Florida’s Atlantic Coast and the Carolinas as the region prepares for a projected direct hit from Matthew. The storm was around 295 miles southeast of West Palm Beach at 2 a.m. ET, packing maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Portugal's Guterres is choice for next U.N. secretary-general
The gig is pretty much in the bag for Portugal's Antonio Guterres. The United Nation's Security Council will ratify Thursday that the former prime minister will take over the as U.N. secretary-general when Ban Ki Moon's tenure ends Dec. 31. The recommendation must also be approved by the 193-member General Assembly. Guterres was chosen by unanimous consent, though both women and Eastern European countries were hoping for a candidate from among their ranks. Guterres, who served as the U.N.’s high commissioner for refugees until December, topped all six polls despite being a man from Western Europe.
One day left for the super-cheap airfare sale that's caused an Internet frenzy
Get ‘em while they’re still hot. Southwest’s broad twice-a-year blockbuster fare sale — with round-trip fares below $100 on dozens of the carrier’s shortest routes— ends Thursday at 11:59 p.m. local time in the city of the departing flight. Flights begin at $49 each way on Southwest’s shortest routes and increase to $79, $99 or $129 each way for longer flights. The sale covers travel from Nov. 30 through Dec. 20 and from Jan. 4 through Feb. 15, excluding flights on Fridays and Sundays. In a bit of extra good news for customers, Southwest rolled back restrictions it had put on previous sales.
Prince's Paisley Park opens — for now
Prince's Paisley Park compound officially opens to tourists on Thursday but only for three days, thanks to a rezoning issue. Ticket holders for Thursday, Saturday and Oct. 14 will be welcomed; visitors ticketed for other dates will be offered refunds. Advance photos from the singer’s home and recording complex show artifacts including his motorcycle and costumes from Purple Rain, as well as lyric sheets and notes in his recording studio.
Bad blood and civic pride in abundance as ALDS begins
The American League Division Series get underway with two games Thursday. The Texas Rangers host the Toronto Blue Jays (4:30 p.m. ET, TBS) while the Boston Red Sox are on the road against the Cleveland Indians (8 p.m. ET, TBS). There’s huge anticipation for the Texas-Toronto series, a rematch of the division series from last season. The tension from that series spilled over into 2016, culminating in the infamous Rougned Odor-Jose Bautista brawl, which was the last time these teams played each other. In Cleveland, the Tribe begin their quest to bring the city its second professional sports title of 2016.
And the essentials:
Weather: As Hurricane Matthew nears the Florida coast, severe storms will rattle the central Plains and rain and snow will hit portions of the Northwest and Rockies.
Stocks: Asian stocks posted modest gains and the dollar strengthened further against the yen Thursday as a healthy U.S. economic report and rising oil prices overnight bolstered investor optimism.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at a pair of great music shows and HBO's tag team of Westworld & Jurassic World.
Be inspired: This cool kitty saved its owner from a potentially deadly seizure.
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