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Biden-Pope Francis meeting, Kaepernick series, NYC's vaccine mandate: 5 things to know Friday

Editors
USA TODAY

Biden begins European trip with private meeting with Pope Francis

Joe Biden, only the second Catholic U.S. president in history, met privately with Pope Francis at the Vatican Friday amid a debate in the American Catholic Church over whether he and other politicians who go against church doctrine should be denied communion. Biden, a devout Catholic who attends Mass regularly and carries rosary beads that belonged to his deceased son Beau, faces serious criticism among some U.S. Catholic bishops over his support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Biden’s meeting with Francis was held out of public view. The Vatican said it canceled the planned live broadcast of the beginning of the meeting because of the coronavirus. The White House has said the topics the leaders planned to discuss included ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for the poor.  But much attention has been put on whether the leaders will discuss an issue on which they disagree – Biden's support for abortion rights.

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'Colin in Black and White' begins streaming on Netflix

The allegorical, autobiographical series, "Colin in Black and White" centered on the adolescence of NFL star and activist Colin Kaepernick, will start streaming on Netflix Friday. The series mixes fictionalized scenes from Kaepernick's life as a teen athlete in California with bigger-picture parables and stories about the history of race and racism in America. Nick Offerman ("Parks and Recreation") and Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds") portray Kaepernick's adoptive parents and Jaden Michael ("The Get Down") stars as the the young Kaepernick, who became an icon for his advocacy and kneeling during the national anthem in protest of the unfair treatment of people of color. In addition to co-producing the series, Kaepernick also lends his voice and perspective as a narrator, while occasionally speaking to viewers directly. 

Vaccine mandate for NYC municipal workers goes into effect 

The vaccine mandate for New York City municipal workers will go into effect Friday, after a judge refused to block it. Police officers, firefighters, garbage collectors and most other city workers face a 5 p.m. deadline to show proof they’ve gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Those who don’t comply will be put on unpaid leave starting Monday. The city's police union sought to block the mandate, which increases the requirements for workers who previously could show negative test results to keep their jobs.  As of Wednesday, 73% of police department personnel and 68% of fire department personnel, which houses EMS services, had been vaccinated. Judge Lizette Colon ordered the city to defend the requirement against a union lawsuit in a hearing scheduled for Nov. 12. 

Florida Panthers look to the future as NHL continues Blackhawks probe

Joel Quenneville resigned from his position as head coach of the Florida Panthers following a meeting Thursday with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at the league's office in New York. Quenneville's resignation came two days after the second-winningest coach in NHL history was among those implicated for not swiftly responding to allegations by former Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach of being sexually assaulted by former video coordinator Brad Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. Andrew Brunette — an assistant coach under Quenneville in Florida — was hired as Florida's interim coach, and is expected to make his debut when the 7-0 Panthers play at Detroit Friday night. Meanwhile, the fallout of the Blackhawks investigation likely isn't over as Bettman on Friday will meet with Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who also worked for the Blackhawks when Beach made his allegations.

Former Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville calls out instructions during the third period of the team's preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Florida.

Braves, Astros head to Atlanta for Game 3 of World Series

The World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves continues Friday night, when the scene shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 in what is now a best-of-5 series (8:09 p.m. ET, FOX). The two teams split the first two games, with the Astros winning the most recent matchup, 7-2, behind their potent lineup. Looking ahead, Game 3 will feature a matchup of two younger pitchers when 23-year-old Ian Anderson takes the mound for the Braves, and 24-year-old Luis Garcia starts for the Astros. Anderson has had a solid postseason so far, sporting a solid 2.25 earned run average. Garcia, on other hand, has a 9.64 ERA in three appearances in the playoffs. But he did shut out the Boston Red Sox for 5 2/3 innings in the Astros' ALCS-clinching win last week. 

Contributing: The Associated Press

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