JIM HUNT

The heads of Mercedes and Red Bull have shaken hands and wished one another good luck as drivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen head into the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen head into Sunday's season finale tied in the championship standings — the first time since 1974 the Formula One title contenders have been level ahead of the deciding race.

FILE - In a May 2006 file photo, Senate leader Marc Basnight speaks on the Senate floor at the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C. Basnight died Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, at age 73. Despite humble beginnings and little formal education, Basnight rose through state politics to serve in the Senate for 26 years. His nine two-year terms as Senate president pro tempore made him the longest-serving head of a legislative body in North Carolina history. While Senate leader, GOP senators complained Basnight had consolidated too much power. Bob Jordan died in February, while Sen. Tony Rand, who was majority leader and rules committee chairman under Basnight, died in May.

Trump's challenge is acute here in North Carolina, a state that his senior aides describe as a “must-win." She said the Supreme Court debate might help motivate each side's base, including some “fence sitters” who may not have voted at all. Biden's team has largely relied on advertising to communicate its message, however, because the candidate himself has not been a regular presence in North Carolina — or anywhere — during the pandemic. “He needs to pick up his game some,” said former North Carolina Gov. "This has been one of the more grueling canvassing efforts I’ve ever been part of," said McCoy, a veteran of North Carolina politics.