Morning Briefing Nov. 26, 2021: Black Friday sales kick off amid pandemic woes; Detroit man home for holidays following 26 years in prison

Here are this morning’s top stories

A person carries a Christmas themed shopping bag as non-essential shops are allowed to reopen after England's second lockdown ended at midnight, in Oxford Street, in London, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) (Alberto Pezzali, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Stores kick off Black Friday but pandemic woes linger

Retailers are expected to usher in the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season Friday with bigger crowds than last year in a closer step toward normalcy. But the fallout from the pandemic continues to weigh on businesses and shoppers’ minds.

Read more here.


Detroit man home for holidays after serving 25 years in prison

A recently exonerated Detroit man says he is extra thankful this holiday season, as he’s finally home after serving more than 25 years behind bars.

See the story here.


EXPLAINER: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?

South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. It’s unclear where the new variant actually arose, but it was first detected by scientists in South Africa and has also been seen in travelers to Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel.

Learn more here.


Son of person of interest charged with murder in shooting of Detroit mother

A Wixom man is accused of fatally shooting a Detroit woman in the driveway outside of her home after she dropped her children off at school.

Read more here.


Lions find new ways of self-destructing in loss to Bears

When the Detroit Lions punted with 8:30 left against the Chicago Bears, quarterback Jared Goff was already planning what his offense would have to do next. It ended up as a waste of time.

Read the report here.


Weather forecast: Cold Friday before weekend snow


COVID in Michigan 🦠

Michigan reported 17,003 new cases of COVID-19 and 280 virus-related deaths Wednesday -- an average of 8,501.5 cases over a two-day period. Of the 280 deaths announced Wednesday, 143 were identified during a review of records.

Note: The state will not publish new COVID data on Friday, Nov. 26 due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The next data update is expected Monday, Nov. 29.

Wednesday’s update brings the total number of confirmed COVID cases in Michigan to 1,276,264, including 23,595 deaths. These numbers are up from 1,259,261 cases and 23,315 deaths, as of Monday.

Read the latest COVID report here.




About the Author

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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