5 things you need to know this weekend
NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale is Jeff Gordon's finale, too
Everything's on the line at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It has been a crazy Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff through nine weeks, with the weird and wacky becoming the norm (rain-shortened races, restarts, crashes). Expect more of that at Sunday's final race. Also look for Jeff Gordon, who will make his final career laps. Gordon, who won the Sprint Cup rookie of the year title in 1993 and first race in 1994,could win a fifth championship this weekend.
In Louisiana, a raucous race for governor comes to an end
Louisiana voters head to the polls Saturday to choose a successor to Gov. Bobby Jindal, who not only has bowed out of the GOP presidential race,but is also losing his Baton Rouge job because of term limits. And it looks like this heavily red state could go blue with its new chief executive, as Democrat John Bel Edwards (no relation to jailbird former Gov. Edwin Edwards) is tipped by pollsters to overcome U.S. Sen. David Vitter. Edwards has been relentless in attacking Vitter — including in a raucous final debate earlier this week — after the senator in 2007 admitted to a "serious sin" when his phone number was linked to a D.C. prostitution agency.
Weekend sports on high alert after Paris attacks
Europe's soccer leagues resume this weekend, but instead of festive, the atmosphere is likely to be watchful. Spanish authorities have declared Saturday's game between Real Madrid and Barcelona a high-risk event with double the usual security presence for high-risk games. High security is reaching the USA, too. Security will be heightened for the NFL's Panthers-Redskins game on Sunday and in college sports, North Carolina State has announced increased security precautions for its final two games against Syracuse and North Carolina.
First snow of the season comes a bit early for Midwest
The first winter storm of the season in the Midwest is forecast to deliver a swath of snow from Iowa to Michigan this weekend. While blizzard conditions are not expected, cities such as Des Moines, Iowa, Chicago, Milwaukee, Wis., South Bend, Ind., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Detroit will all likely see several inches of snow, potentially leading to travel problems and flight delays the weekend before Thanksgiving, AccuWeather predicts. It will be the first accumulating snow of the season for most of these cities, the Weather Channel reported. They typically don't see snow until early December.
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello tie the knot
The pretty people are certain to have a very pretty wedding. Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello are set to wed Sunday in Palm Beach, Florida. Details are scant, but we do know a little bit. “Cake is my favorite thing. So the cake table is going to be super special, a big wedding cake and lots of desserts,” she said in Martha Stewart Weddings fall issue. And of course, she’ll be wearing her signature fragrance. Vergara, who stars on TV’s Modern Family, and actor Manganiello, got engaged last Christmas.
The weekend essentials:
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