Good morning. It’s Wednesday, November 18th. This is your briefing from Moneen Daley for The News & Observer. Today’s weather will be sunny but much cooler, with a high of 49 and a low of 30. In our top story: North Carolina is introducing a new alert system to gauge COVID-19 spread at the county level throughout the state. The color-coded system is aimed at helping government officials and residents understand what actions may be needed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.