U.S. SUPREME COURT building in Washington, D.C.

UPDATE: Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as the newest associate justice of the U.S Supreme Court this evening. The Senate voted 52-48 in favor of her nomination to the high court by President Donald Trump.

She took the constitutional oath at the White House.  Barrett promised, “I will do my job without fear or favor.” President Trump said, “This is a momentous day for America.” She will be formally seated after taking a separate judicial oath.

All Democratic senators voted against her confirmation. They were joined by one Republican – Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Otherwise, all Republican senators voted “yes.”

The newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate this evening. Amy Coney Barrett, 48, should get the Senate’s approval on an almost completely partisan vote. According to the Associated Press, Republicans hold a 53 to 47 edge in the upper house of Congress and only one Republican has vowed to vote against her nomination.

If confirmed, she would be the third person appointed to the high court by President Donald Trump. A conservative, she should give the justices on the right a 6-3 edge on the court, although Chief Justice John Roberts has sometimes voted with the liberals. At stake may be important cases on abortion, immigration, “Obamacare” and other high-profile issues.

The News: COVID cases rising across the nation

Saturday’s tally of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. of 83,718 nearly topped the record-setting total of 83,757 of Friday. Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said the Trump Administration was “admitting defeat,” commenting on the White House Chief of Staff’s remark on CNN that the nation “is not going to control the virus.” President Donald Trump told a crowd on Sunday in New Hampshire that the U.S. is “rounding the turn” in the fight against the coronavirus. • Hurricane Zeta is making its way up the Atlantic coast of Central America and is expected to be at the U.S. Gulf Coast by Wednesday. • Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in an Op-Ed piece in USA Today that the social media giant has helped register 4.4 million voters. Registration is still open in five states, so that tally could grow. • Taking a look at the national polling situation shows these figures. • RealClearPolitics.com’s average of recent presidential preference polls show Democratic nominee Joe Biden with 50.8 percent of the voters, compared to 43 percent for President Donald Trump, for a margin on 7.8 percent.  Fivethirtyeight.com’s figures show Biden with 52.3 percent to Trump’s 42.9 percent, a difference of 9.4 percent. The New York Times “Poll of Polls” shows Biden with a 9-point edge.

Weather: Windy skies and smoky air

The high winds which are powering the Silverado Canyon fire in Orange County today are forecast to recede to around 10 miles an hour by Tuesday.  Today, smoke and soot from the blaze are casting a haze across the area, creating unhealthy conditions for many. According to the National Weather Service, West Orange County, Monday’s daytime high was 72; an overnight low of 50 is predicted. Tuesday should be warmer with a high of 76 with sunny skies. The overnight low is forecast for 53. Wednesday looks like 75 during the day and 54 at night. Thursday will also be sunny with a high of 77 and a low of 55. Temperatures near the coast will be five to seven degrees cooler.

Sports: Rams cage the Bears, 24-10

Aided in the second half by two interceptions and a pair of monster punts by Johnny Hekker, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Chicago Bears 24-10 on Monday Night Football. The victory improved the Rams’ record to 5-2. Jared Goff threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns, complemented by a strong running attack led by Malcolm Brown (57 yards and one TD) and Darrell Henderson. Jr. (64 yards).

The Rams are now tied for second place in the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals (5-2). Next up for Los Angeles are the Miami Dolphins (3-3) on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m.

On the verge of their first World Series title since 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers will face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Six on Tuesday, leading three games to two. The game will be televised on Fox, starting at 5:08 p.m. If a seventh game is needed, it will be on Wednesday, also on Fox at the same time.