BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The United States is approaching a record for the number of new daily coronavirus cases in the latest ominous sign of the disease’s grip on the nation. 

The surge’s impact is being felt in every section of the country. 

Among the latest developments: a lockdown at the Ogala Sioux Tribe’s reservation in South Dakota and a plea by a Florida health official for a halt to children’s birthday parties. 

There’s an increasingly desperate situation at a hospital in northern Idaho, which is running out of space for patients and considering airlifts to Portland, Oregon, or Seattle.

 The surge in the U.S. mirrors a similar spike in Europe.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The United States is approaching a record for the number of new daily coronavirus cases in the latest ominous sign of the disease’s grip on the nation. The surge’s impact is being felt in every section of the country. Among the latest developments: a lockdown at the Ogala Sioux Tribe’s reservation in South Dakota and a plea by a Florida health official for a halt to children’s birthday parties. There’s an increasingly desperate situation at a hospital in northern Idaho, which is running out of space for patients and considering airlifts to Portland, Oregon, or Seattle. The surge in the U.S. mirrors a similar spike in Europe.

Some hospitals in crisis as US nears high for COVID-19 cases

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A Utah man faces felony charges resulting from alleged attempts to locate a famed treasure on the grounds of a cemetery in Yellowstone National Park. 

Rodrick Dow Craythorn was accused of digging in Fort Yellowstone Army Cemetery in northeast Wyoming while searching for the Forrest Fenn treasure. 

Craythorn pleaded not guilty to charges of excavating or trafficking in archaeological resources and injury to U.S. property. 

Fenn sparked a treasure hunt through several states after the New Mexico art dealer offered clues to a treasure he had hidden. 

Authorities say the treasure was located in Wyoming in June.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A Utah man faces felony charges resulting from alleged attempts to locate a famed treasure on the grounds of a cemetery in Yellowstone National Park. Rodrick Dow Craythorn was accused of digging in Fort Yellowstone Army Cemetery in northeast Wyoming while searching for the Forrest Fenn treasure. Craythorn pleaded not guilty to charges of excavating or trafficking in archaeological resources and injury to U.S. property. Fenn sparked a treasure hunt through several states after the New Mexico art dealer offered clues to a treasure he had hidden. Authorities say the treasure was located in Wyoming in June.

Man charged with treasure hunting in Yellowstone cemetery

DENVER (AP) — In parts of Colorado, the sky has been gray, the sun hazy and the odor of a burning campfire has persisted for much of September and October. 

Colorado broke the record for its largest wildfires on record twice this season, with the top fire burning over 318 square miles. 

Normally, snow helps tamp down the devastation by this time of year, but drought across Colorado and warming temperatures have dragged out the misery wrought by wildfires.

 One of Colorado’s smaller fires exploded late Wednesday to 196 square miles and closed Rocky Mountain National Park.

DENVER (AP) — In parts of Colorado, the sky has been gray, the sun hazy and the odor of a burning campfire has persisted for much of September and October. Colorado broke the record for its largest wildfires on record twice this season, with the top fire burning over 318 square miles. Normally, snow helps tamp down the devastation by this time of year, but drought across Colorado and warming temperatures have dragged out the misery wrought by wildfires. One of Colorado’s smaller fires exploded late Wednesday to 196 square miles and closed Rocky Mountain National Park.

Colorado wildfires drag on later than normal, break records

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem has insisted that South Dakota is excelling in its handling of the pandemic, even as the state surpassed 9,000 active coronavirus cases and matched an all-time high for deaths reported in one day. 

Noem has stuck to a “freedom-first” strategy, downplaying the danger of the virus while emphasizing the economy. 

The Republican governor told Fox News late Wednesday that the state is managing the pandemic and that its “economy is thriving.” 

Data produced by Johns Hopkins University shows South Dakota ranks second in the country in new infections per capita over the last two weeks.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem has insisted that South Dakota is excelling in its handling of the pandemic, even as the state surpassed 9,000 active coronavirus cases and matched an all-time high for deaths reported in one day. Noem has stuck to a “freedom-first” strategy, downplaying the danger of the virus while emphasizing the economy. The Republican governor told Fox News late Wednesday that the state is managing the pandemic and that its “economy is thriving.” Data produced by Johns Hopkins University shows South Dakota ranks second in the country in new infections per capita over the last two weeks.

Noem says South Dakota is doing 'good' as virus surges

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say two people were killed in a crash in southwest Omaha when a car barreled into a jersey barrier along Interstate 80. 

Police say the crash happened just after 11 a.m. Thursday at I-80 West and I Street. 

An investigation showed a westbound sedan hit the barrier, left the roadway and became airborne before hitting an overhead sign located on an interstate off-ramp. 

Police say the driver of the car, 42-year-old Antonio Tate, and a passenger, 53-year-old Leland Reams, both of Omaha, died at the scene.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say two people were killed in a crash in southwest Omaha when a car barreled into a jersey barrier along Interstate 80. Police say the crash happened just after 11 a.m. Thursday at I-80 West and I Street. An investigation showed a westbound sedan hit the barrier, left the roadway and became airborne before hitting an overhead sign located on an interstate off-ramp. Police say the driver of the car, 42-year-old Antonio Tate, and a passenger, 53-year-old Leland Reams, both of Omaha, died at the scene.

Omaha police say 2 people killed in Interstate 80 crash

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/debates/?debate=second#past-debates">Click here </a>to watch a replay of the debate&nbsp;

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden fought over how to tame&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">the raging coronavirus</a>&nbsp;during the campaign’s closing debate, largely shelving the rancor that overshadowed their previous face-off in favor of a more substantive exchange that highlighted their vastly different approaches to the major domestic and foreign challenges facing the nation.

The Republican president declared the virus, which&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">killed more than 1,000 Americans on Thursday</a>&nbsp;alone, will “go away.” Biden countered that the nation was heading toward “a dark winter.”

“Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America,” Biden said.

With less than two weeks until the election, Trump portrayed himself as the same outsider he first pitched to voters four years ago, repeatedly saying he wasn’t a politician. Biden, meanwhile, argued that Trump was an incompetent leader of a country facing multiple crises and tried to connect what he saw as the president’s failures to the everyday lives of Americans, especially when it comes to the pandemic.

The president, who promised a vaccine within weeks, said the worst problems are in states with Democratic governors, a contention at odds with rising cases in states that voted for Trump in 2016. Biden, meanwhile, vowed that his administration would defer to scientists on battling the pandemic and said that Trump’s divisive approach on suffering states hindered the nation’s response.

“I don’t look at this in terms of the way he does — blue states and red states,” Biden said. “They’re all the United States. And look at all the states that are having such a spike in the coronavirus — they’re the red states.”

After&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-d8dd75752a0eef8c0311c6360d5d566a">a first debate defined by angry interruptions</a>, the Thursday event featured a mostly milder tone. And in a campaign defined by ugly personal attacks, the night featured a surprising amount of substantive policy debate as the two broke sharply on the environment, foreign policy, immigration and racial justice.

When Trump repeatedly asked Biden if he would “close down the oil industry,” the Democratic standardbearer said he “would transition from the oil industry, yes,” and that he would replace it by renewable energy “over time.” Trump, making a direct appeal to voters in energy producing states like Texas and the vital battleground of Pennsylvania, seized upon the remark as “a big statement.”

Perhaps sensing that the comment could soon appear in Trump campaign ads, Biden did a little clean-up boarding his plane after the debate, declaring, “We’re not going to ban fossil fuels. We’ll get rid of the subsidies of fossil fuels but not going to get rid of fossil fuels for a long time.”

As the debate swept to climate change, Trump explained his decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0cafd1e56b124f5b9cf17ace7031d6d0">pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord</a>&nbsp;negotiated in 2015, declaring it was an unfair pact that would have cost the country trillions of dollars and hurt businesses.

Trump repeatedly claimed Biden’s plan to tackle climate change and invest in green industries was developed by “AOC plus three,” referring to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Biden chuckled during much of Trump’s answer and said, “I don’t know where he comes from.”

On race, Biden called out Trump’s previous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-race-and-ethnicity-joe-biden-donald-trump-3f4d31aed98ca5080fb428d7cdc0c223">refusals to condemn white supremacists</a>&nbsp;and his attacks on the Black Lives Matter movement, declaring that the president “pours fuel on every single racist fire.”

“You know who I am. You know who he is. You know his character. You know my character,” Biden said. The rivals’ reputations for “honor and for telling to truth” are clear, he said.

Trump countered by pointing out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b59668424ae246bca00107943361ba79">his efforts on criminal justice reform</a>&nbsp;and blasting Biden’s support of a 1990s Crime Bill that many feel disproportionately incarcerated Black men. Staring into the crowd, he declared himself “the least racist person in this room.”

Turning to foreign policy, Biden accused Trump of dealing with a “thug” while holding summits with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. And closer to home, the former vice president laced into the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents trying to illegally cross the southern border.

Biden said that America has learned from a New York Times report that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/archive-personal-taxes-donald-trump-f0e2af5f9f99de9d30dc6b9097121188">Trump paid only $750 a year in federal taxes</a>&nbsp;while holding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-records-china-f086bba3b691acdc51535412f77f2c8e">“a secret bank account” in China</a>. The former vice president then noted he’s released all of his tax returns going back 22 years and challenged the president to release his returns, saying, “What are you hiding?”

Trump said he closed his former account in China and claimed his accountants told him he “prepaid tens of millions of dollars” in taxes. However, as he has for the past four years after promising to release his taxes, he declined to say when he might do so.

Trump said that when it comes to health care, he would like “to terminate” the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, even amid a pandemic, and come up “with a brand new beautiful health care,” that protects coverage for preexisting conditions. Biden said the president has been talking about making such a move for years but “he’s never come up with a plan.”

He also denounced Trump’s claim that Biden wanted to socialize medicine, creating daylight between himself and the more liberal members of his party whom he defeated in the Democratic primaries.

“He thinks he’s running against somebody else,” the former vice president said. “He’s running against Joe Biden. I beat all those other people because I disagreed with them.”

It remained to be seen if Trump, who is trailing in the race, managed to change the trajectory of the campaign. More than 47 million votes already have been cast, and there are fewer undecided voters than at this point in previous election years.

The debate, moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, was a final chance for each man to make his case to a television audience of tens of millions. And questions swirled beforehand as to how Trump, whose hectoring performance at the first debate was viewed by aides as a mistake that turned off viewers, would perform amid a stretch of the campaign in which he has taken angry aim at the news media and unleashed deeply personal attacks on Biden and his adult son.

When he feels cornered, Trump has often lashed out, going as negative as possible. In one stunning moment during the 2016 campaign, in an effort to deflect from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5906910b70224c62b8013100d8749d3e">the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape</a>&nbsp;in which he is heard boasting about groping women, Trump held a press conference just before a debate with Hillary Clinton during which he appeared with women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault. He then invited them to watch as audience members.

In a similar move, Trump’s campaign held another surprise pre-debate news conference, this time featuring Tony Bobulinski, a man who said he was Hunter Biden’s former business partner and made unproven allegations that the vice president’s son consulted with his father on China-related business dealings.

Trump made similar, if vague, accusations from the debate stage, but exchanges about Hunter Biden did not dominate the night as aides on both campaigns thought might happen. Biden declared the discussion about family entanglements “malarkey” and accused Trump of not wanting to talk about the substantive issues.

Turning to the camera and the millions of people watching at home, Biden said, “It’s not about his family and my family. It’s about your family, and your family is hurting badly.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden offered sharply different visions of how to handle the surging pandemic and fought over how much Trump pays in taxes during their final debate of a tumultuous campaign.

With Trump trailing and needing to change the campaign’s trajectory, the debate could prove pivotal though more than 46 million votes already have been cast and there are fewer undecided voters than at this point in previous election years. The the debate did not feature the repeated angry interruptions of the candidates’ other showdown, the men engaged in a series of clashes.

With two weeks until the election’s conclusion, the night in Nashville began with a battle over the president’s handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 225,000 Americans and cost millions of jobs. Trump declared that the virus will go away while Biden warned that the nation was heading toward “a dark winter.” Polling suggests it is the campaign’s defining issue for voters, and Biden declared, “Anyone responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America.”

Trump defended his management of the nation’s most deadly health crisis in a century, dismissing Biden’s warning that the nation had a dire stretch ahead due to spikes in infections. And he promised that a vaccine would be ready in weeks.

“It will go away,” said Trump, staying with his optimistic assessment of the pandemic. “We’re rounding the turn. We’re rounding the corner. It’s going away.”

“We can’t keep this country closed. This is a massive country with a massive economy,” Trump said. “There’s depression, alcohol, drugs at a level nobody’s ever seen before. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.”

But Biden vowed that his administration would defer to the scientists and said that Trump’s divisive approach hindered the nation’s response.

“I don’t look at this in the way he does--blue states and red states,” Biden said. “They’re all the United States. And look at all the states that are having a spike in he coronavirus--they’re the red states.”

Biden said that America has learned from a New York Times report that Trump only paid $750 a year in federal taxes while holding “a secret bank account” in China. The former vice president then noted he’s released all of his tax returns going back 22 years and challenged the president to release his returns, saying, “What are you hiding?”

Trump claimed his accountants told him he “prepaid tens of millions of dollars” in taxes. However, as he has for the past four years, after promising to release his taxes, he declined to say when he might do so.

In a visual reminder of the pandemic that has rewritten the norms of American society and fundamentally changed the campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-nashville-ec5be595b624d894d1d5d8b2c5eb062e">sheets of plexiglass had been installed onstage Wednesday</a>&nbsp;between the two men. But in the hours before the debate, they were removed.

The debate, moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, was a final chance for each man to make his case to a television audience of tens of millions of voters. And questions swirled beforehand as to how Trump, whose hectoring performance at the first debate was viewed by aides as a mistake that turned off viewers, would perform amid a stretch of the campaign in which he has taken angry aim at the news media and unleashed deeply personal attacks on Biden and his adult son.

When he feels cornered, Trump has often lashed out, going as negative as possible. In one stunning moment during the 2016 campaign, in an effort to deflect from the release of the Access Hollywood tape in which he is heard boasting about groping women, Trump held a press conference just before a debate with Hillary Clinton during which he appeared with women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault. He then invited them to watch as audience members.

Biden declared the discussion about family entanglements “malarkey” and accused Trump of not wanting to talk about the substantive issues.

Turning to the camera and the millions watching at home, he said, “It’s not about his family and my family. It’s about your family, and your family is hurting badly.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden hurtled toward Thursday night’s final debate, which could be the trailing incumbent’s best chance to change the race’s trajectory with just 12 days left until the election.

The Nashville debate offered their final national stage to outline starkly different visions for a country in the grips of a surging pandemic that has killed more than 225,000 Americans and cost millions of jobs. Despite historic tumult, the race has remained largely unchanged with Biden holding advantages in many battleground states while Trump faces a shortage of campaign cash and, crucially, time.

Worried that Trump could lose the White House and cost Republicans the Senate, some advisers urged him to trade his aggressive demeanor from the first debate for a lower-key style and put the spotlight on Biden, whom he derides as “Sleepy Joe.” But Trump made no such promise.

Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-joe-biden-campaign-event-d66623baa009686300d3ba7e1ae05df8">who has stepped off the campaign trail</a>&nbsp;for several days in favor of debate prep, expects Trump to get intensely personal. The former vice president and his inner circle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-elections-7cf6f0889ec03a2fa858eb2f46fd47d1">see the president’s approach chiefly as an effort to distract&nbsp;</a>from the coronavirus, its economic fallout and other crises of Trump’s term.

“Hopefully he’ll play by the rules,” Biden said as he boarded his plane for Tennessee. “I’m looking forward to this.”

Final debates often play an outsized role in electoral outcomes. But Thursday night’s showdown will be different from those past.

More than 46 million people have already cast their ballots as part of a pandemic-era rise in early voting. In an election dominated by a polarizing president, far fewer undecided voters remain than at this point in 2016.

The debate, moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, is a final chance for each man to make his case to a television audience of tens of millions of voters. And questions swirled as to how Trump, whose hectoring performance at the first debate was viewed by aides as a mistake that turned off viewers, would perform amid a stretch of the campaign in which he has taken angry aim at the news media and unleashed deeply personal attacks on Biden and his adult son.

In an effort to curtail interruptions this time, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that Trump and Biden would each have his microphone cut off while his rival delivered an opening two-minute answer to each of six debate topics.

The mute button won’t figure in the open discussion portion of the debate.

Trump — who has urged Attorney General William Barr to investigate the Bidens — has been promoting an unconfirmed New York Post report from last week that cites an email in which an official from the Ukrainian gas company Burisma apparently thanks Hunter Biden, who served on the company’s board, for arranging for him to meet Joe Biden during a 2015 visit to Washington. The Biden campaign has rejected Trump’s assertion of wrongdoing and notes that Biden’s schedule did not show a meeting with the Burisma official.

As for the pandemic, Biden and Trump were both tested for COVID-19 on Thursday and the results came back negative.

Trump announced just two days after the first debate that he had tested positive for the virus. He spent three nights in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center before returning to the White House.

The initial debate’s belligerent tone was somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign. Amid heated clashes over the pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-senate-elections-boycotts-de2972aa47e2eb081178389f818e6cff">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;and the integrity of the election itself, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”

After Trump’s COVID diagnosis, the debate commission ruled that the second debate, which was to have been held last week, be virtual. Trump balked, and the two men holding dueling town halls instead, speaking at the same time more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) apart.

Biden could also expect questions about his comments in a CBS interview, released Thursday, in which he wouldn’t rule out trying to add justices to the Supreme Court. The issue has followed him since the Sept. 18 death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the GOP-controlled Senate’s rush to confirm Trump’s nominee to succeed her, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — While millions of people will be watching on television, only around 200 will be allowed inside the massive college arena in Nashville where President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, meet Thursday night for the final presidential debate of the 2020 election.

A representative of the Commission on Presidential Debates — not the moderator — will ensure each candidate has two full minutes uninterrupted to deliver opening answers to six major topics, according to debate commission chair Frank Fahrenkopf. A member of the Trump and Biden campaigns is expected to monitor the person who controls the mute button backstage, Fahrenkopf said, noting that the button would not be used beyond the first four minutes of each topic.

The mute button is among a handful of changes implemented by the nonpartisan debate commission to help ensure a better sense of safety and order following the raucous opening debate 23 days ago. Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 two days after that first meeting.

Trump and Biden will be separated on stage by plexiglass barriers — despite objections from the Trump campaign. Additionally, any audience member who refuses to wear a mask will be removed, organizers report. Last month, several members of the Trump family removed their masks once seated in the debate hall.

The plexiglass alone is not enough to protect the candidates from the coronavirus, but the barrier combined with universal mask usage from the other people in the hall will help, said Fahrenkopf, acknowledging that the Trump campaign opposed the use of plexiglass for Thursday’s event, just as they did ahead of last week’s vice presidential debate.

“The Trump campaign’s attitude was that the president was not contagious anymore, but we’re going to go with our medical advisers,” he said.

The primetime affair is playing out inside a 90,000-square-foot arena at Belmont University, a picturesque institution of more than 8,200 students just a mile from Nashville’s music row. The university also hosted a town hall-style debate between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain in 2008.

There will be a far smaller audience this time around.

The debate commission says that only around 200 people will be inside the arena, a mix of invited guests of the campaigns and the debate commission, students, the commission’s production team, security, and health and safety personnel. Audience members will be seated in accordance with social distancing recommendations; several empty seats separated each person or small group.T

All audience members and support staff were required to undergo coronavirus testing onsite within three days of the event. They wore colored wrist bands as evidence of their negative tests.

There were several layers of security protecting the attendees, but only a handful of protesters on campus beyond the security perimeter early in the day. One of them held a large white sign: “220,000 DEAD... Trump FAILED US.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, are set to square off in their final debate Thursday, one of the last high-profile opportunities for the trailing incumbent to change the trajectory of an increasingly contentious campaign.

Worried about losing the White House, some advisers are urging Trump to trade his aggressive demeanor from the first debate for a lower-key style that puts Biden more squarely in the spotlight. But it’s unclear whether the president will listen.

Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-joe-biden-campaign-event-d66623baa009686300d3ba7e1ae05df8">who has stepped off the campaign trail</a>&nbsp;in favor of debate prep, expects Trump to get intensely personal. The former vice president and his inner circle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-elections-7cf6f0889ec03a2fa858eb2f46fd47d1">see the president’s approach chiefly as an effort to distract&nbsp;</a>from the coronavirus, its economic fallout and other crises.

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Biden is leading most national polls and has a narrower advantage in the battleground states that could decide the race. More than 42 million people have already cast their ballots. The debate, moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, is a final chance for both men to make their case to a television audience of tens of millions of voters.

“The rule is that last debates before the election have a big impact,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss, who made clear the legacy of the candidates’ first faceoff: “That was the most out-of-control presidential debate we have seen.”

Trump, who staged a remarkable comeback in the closing days of the 2016 campaign, believes he can do it again by using the power of the presidency to attack his rival.

Trump on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-russia-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-c0c78784bdf639013fcf453817b27816">called on Attorney General William Barr to immediately launch an investigation</a>&nbsp;into unverified claims about Biden and his son Hunter, effectively demanding that the Justice Department muddy his political opponent and abandon its historic resistance to getting involved in elections.

The president has promoted an unconfirmed New York Post report published last week that cites an email in which an official from Ukrainian gas company Burisma thanked Hunter Biden, who served on the company’s board, for arranging for him to meet Joe Biden during a 2015 visit to Washington. The Biden campaign has rejected Trump’s assertion of wrongdoing and noted that Biden’s schedule did not show a meeting with the Burisma official.

Some former national security officials and other experts said the episode raised multiple red flags of a possible foreign disinformation effort, especially given the involvement of Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, and Giuliani’s active role in promoting an anti-Biden narrative on Ukraine.

But John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, dismissed that disinformation theory. And the FBI appeared to endorse Ratcliffe’s position in a letter to a Senate committee that had requested information on a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden.

Trump’s attacks on the Biden family have been relentless, including his efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, which led to Trump’s impeachment. It’s part of a determined, yet so-far-unsuccessful effort to drive up his opponent’s negatives, as he did with Hillary Clinton four years ago.

Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said, “Trump is still the political outsider, while Biden is the ultimate insider. We now know that Biden allowed his son to sell access to him while he was vice president.”

While Biden will defend his own record and his son, aides have said,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-joe-biden-donald-trump-erie-013f03e6898f004c306316b0d81cc96f">he hopes to focus on making the case that Trump is unfit for office</a>&nbsp;and let the nation down during a confluence of crises.

“He knows that people want to hear about how we’re going to help working families get through the end of the month and pay the rent,” his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, said Wednesday in North Carolina. “That’s what people care about, and one of the things I love about Joe Biden — he doesn’t take on or talk about other people’s kids.”

The one-two punch of the first debate and the president’s three-day hospital stint after contracting COVID-19 rattled his base of support and triggered alarm among Republicans who fear the White House and Senate could be slipping away.

The initial debate was the most tumultuous in modern history, with a belligerent tone that was persistent and somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign. Amid heated clashes over the pandemic, the Supreme Court and the integrity of the election itself, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”

The two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?”

Aides have urged Trump, who has skipped debate prep, to show some restraint this time, allowing Biden to speak more and get himself in trouble with verbal gaffes and lapses. But the president has made no promises.

“Some people think, ‘Let him talk,’ because he loses his train (of thought), he just loses it and he doesn’t speak the train of thought,” Trump said in a town hall discussion taped at the White House Rose Garden and aired by Sinclair Broadcast Group on Wednesday evening. “But we’ll see what happens. I mean, you will have to be there.”

It was two days after the first debate in Cleveland when Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. The White House has refused to reveal when the president had last tested negative before the debate, raising questions as to whether he was already infected when he took the stage.

🎥 Trump, Biden fight over the raging virus, climate and race

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Thursday approved the first drug to treat COVID-19: remdesivir, an antiviral medicine given to hospitalized patients through an IV.

The drug, which California-based Gilead Sciences Inc. is calling Veklury, cut the time to recovery by five days — from 15 days to 10 on average — in a large study led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

It had been authorized for use on an emergency basis since spring, and now becomes the first drug to win full Food and Drug Administration approval for treating COVID-19. President Donald Trump received it when he was sickened earlier this month.

Veklury is approved for people at least 12 years old and weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kilograms) who are hospitalized for a coronavirus infection. For patients younger than 12, the FDA will still allow the drug’s use in certain cases under its previous emergency authorization.

The drug works by inhibiting a substance the virus uses to make copies of itself. Certain kidney and liver tests are required before starting patients on it to ensure it’s safe for them and to monitor for any possible side effects. And the label warns against using it with the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, because that can curb its effectiveness.

“We now have enough knowledge and a growing set of tools to help fight COVID-19,” Gilead’s chief medical officer, Dr. Merdad Parsey, said in a statement.

The drug is either approved or has temporary authorization in about 50 countries, he noted.

Its price has been controversial, given that no studies have found it improves survival. Last week, a large study led by the World Health Organization found the drug did not help hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but that study did not include a placebo group and was less rigorous than previous ones that found a benefit. The FDA’s approval statement noted that, besides the NIH-led one, two other studies found the drug beneficial.

Gilead charges $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries, and $3,120 for patients with private insurance. The amount that patients pay out of pocket depends on insurance, income and other factors.

So far, only steroids such as dexamethasone have been shown to cut the risk of dying of COVID-19. The FDA also has given emergency authorization to using the blood of survivors, and two companies are currently seeking similar authorization for experimental antibody drugs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603450089080.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Thursday approved the first drug to treat COVID-19: remdesivir, an antiviral medicine given to hospitalized patients through an IV.The drug, which California-based Gilead Sciences Inc. is calling Veklury, cut the time to recovery by five days — from 15 days to 10 on average — in a large study led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.It had been authorized for use on an emergency basis since spring, and now becomes the first drug to win full Food and Drug Administration approval for treating COVID-19. President Donald Trump received it when he was sickened earlier this month.Veklury is approved for people at least 12 years old and weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kilograms) who are hospitalized for a coronavirus infection. For patients younger than 12, the FDA will still allow the drug’s use in certain cases under its previous emergency authorization.The drug works by inhibiting a substance the virus uses to make copies of itself. Certain kidney and liver tests are required before starting patients on it to ensure it’s safe for them and to monitor for any possible side effects. And the label warns against using it with the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, because that can curb its effectiveness.“We now have enough knowledge and a growing set of tools to help fight COVID-19,” Gilead’s chief medical officer, Dr. Merdad Parsey, said in a statement.The drug is either approved or has temporary authorization in about 50 countries, he noted.Its price has been controversial, given that no studies have found it improves survival. Last week, a large study led by the World Health Organization found the drug did not help hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but that study did not include a placebo group and was less rigorous than previous ones that found a benefit. The FDA’s approval statement noted that, besides the NIH-led one, two other studies found the drug beneficial.Gilead charges $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries, and $3,120 for patients with private insurance. The amount that patients pay out of pocket depends on insurance, income and other factors.So far, only steroids such as dexamethasone have been shown to cut the risk of dying of COVID-19. The FDA also has given emergency authorization to using the blood of survivors, and two companies are currently seeking similar authorization for experimental antibody drugs.___

FDA approves the first drug for treating COVID-19

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Police have ticketed an Omaha man found passed out in a parking lot lying next to his 1-year-old baby in frigid, rainy weather.

Officers were called to the northwest Omaha parking lot Wednesday evening, where they found the unconscious 43-year-old man and his son, television station KETV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/dentists-are-seeing-more-cracked-teeth-pandemic-stress-is-to-blame/34200460" target="_blank">reported</a>. Police noted that it was 44 degrees outside and raining.

Officers woke the man, who stated he did not know where he was or what he had been doing. He admitted to having a PCP addiction and the he had consumed the drug that day, the officers said.

The child's mother soon arrived at the parking lot, angry and saying the man was supposed to walk with the child to a nearby grocery store, but had been gone more than an hour and was not answering his phone.

Police left the baby in his mother's care and took the man to a hospital. He was cited on suspicion of negligent child abuse.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Police have ticketed an Omaha man found passed out in a parking lot lying next to his 1-year-old baby in frigid, rainy weather.Officers were called to the northwest Omaha parking lot Wednesday evening, where they found the unconscious 43-year-old man and his son, television station KETV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/dentists-are-seeing-more-cracked-teeth-pandemic-stress-is-to-blame/34200460" target="_blank">reported</a>. Police noted that it was 44 degrees outside and raining.Officers woke the man, who stated he did not know where he was or what he had been doing. He admitted to having a PCP addiction and the he had consumed the drug that day, the officers said.The child's mother soon arrived at the parking lot, angry and saying the man was supposed to walk with the child to a nearby grocery store, but had been gone more than an hour and was not answering his phone.Police left the baby in his mother's care and took the man to a hospital. He was cited on suspicion of negligent child abuse.

Omaha police find passed-out man, baby in parking lot

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump posted his full, unedited interview with “60 Minutes” on Facebook before the show’s scheduled Sunday broadcast.

The footage shows Trump growing increasingly prickly as CBS anchor Lesley Stahl presses him on a host of topics, including his response to the coronavirus pandemic, his slipping support among suburban women, the lack of masks at his rallies, and the “Obamacare” replacement plan he has long promised but failed to unveil.

“Look at the bias, hatred and rudeness on behalf of 60 Minutes and CBS,” Trump wrote Thursday as he tweeted the Facebook link. And he again preemptively criticized the moderator of Thursday night’s final presidential debate.

Throughout the interview, Trump returns to attacks on Joe Biden’s son, based on an unconfirmed New York Post report, and accuses the media of being too soft on his Democratic rival.

As Stahl comments at one point that Trump is offering attack after attack, Trump responds: “It’s not attack, it’s defense. It’s defense against attacks.”

“I’m defending myself and I’m defending the institute of the presidency,” he said.

As Trump continued to throw unsubstantiated allegations at Biden and former President Barack Obama, Stahl tried to explain: “This is ‘60 Minutes’ and we can’t put on things we can’t verify.”

But Trump continued to criticize the mainstream media.

“Leslie, you’re discrediting yourself,” he said.

The interview began on a tense footing as Stahl asked the president as the camera started rolling, “Are you ready for some tough questions?” and only grew more testy.

At the end of the nearly 40 minutes, Trump complained: “Are you ready for tough questions. That’s no way to talk. That’s no way to talk.”

“You’re so negative,” he later commented.

Trump eventually cut the interview short and declined to appear with Vice President Mike Pence.

“That’s enough. Let’s go,” he said.

CBS News called the White House’s decision “unprecedented,” but said the interview would air Sunday as planned.

“The White House’s unprecedented decision to disregard their agreement with CBS News and release their footage will not deter 60 MINUTES from providing its full, fair and contextual reporting which presidents have participated in for decades,” the network said in a statement.

“60 MINUTES,” it continued, “is widely respected for bringing its hallmark fairness, deep reporting and informative context to viewers each week. Few journalists have the presidential interview experience Lesley Stahl has delivered over her decades as one of the premier correspondents in America and we look forward to audiences seeing her third interview with President Trump and subsequent interview with Vice President Pence this weekend.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump posted his full, unedited interview with “60 Minutes” on Facebook before the show’s scheduled Sunday broadcast.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDonaldTrump%2Fvideos%2F350524406214941%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The footage shows Trump growing increasingly prickly as CBS anchor Lesley Stahl presses him on a host of topics, including his response to the coronavirus pandemic, his slipping support among suburban women, the lack of masks at his rallies, and the “Obamacare” replacement plan he has long promised but failed to unveil.“Look at the bias, hatred and rudeness on behalf of 60 Minutes and CBS,” Trump wrote Thursday as he tweeted the Facebook link. And he again preemptively criticized the moderator of Thursday night’s final presidential debate.Throughout the interview, Trump returns to attacks on Joe Biden’s son, based on an unconfirmed New York Post report, and accuses the media of being too soft on his Democratic rival.As Stahl comments at one point that Trump is offering attack after attack, Trump responds: “It’s not attack, it’s defense. It’s defense against attacks.”“I’m defending myself and I’m defending the institute of the presidency,” he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CBS News statement on <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@60Minutes</a> interview with President Trump <a href="https://t.co/Ivz9NBiU6r">pic.twitter.com/Ivz9NBiU6r</a>&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1319319385132224514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As Trump continued to throw unsubstantiated allegations at Biden and former President Barack Obama, Stahl tried to explain: “This is ‘60 Minutes’ and we can’t put on things we can’t verify.”But Trump continued to criticize the mainstream media.“Leslie, you’re discrediting yourself,” he said.The interview began on a tense footing as Stahl asked the president as the camera started rolling, “Are you ready for some tough questions?” and only grew more testy.At the end of the nearly 40 minutes, Trump complained: “Are you ready for tough questions. That’s no way to talk. That’s no way to talk.”“You’re so negative,” he later commented.Trump eventually cut the interview short and declined to appear with Vice President Mike Pence.“That’s enough. Let’s go,” he said.CBS News called the White House’s decision “unprecedented,” but said the interview would air Sunday as planned.“The White House’s unprecedented decision to disregard their agreement with CBS News and release their footage will not deter 60 MINUTES from providing its full, fair and contextual reporting which presidents have participated in for decades,” the network said in a statement.“60 MINUTES,” it continued, “is widely respected for bringing its hallmark fairness, deep reporting and informative context to viewers each week. Few journalists have the presidential interview experience Lesley Stahl has delivered over her decades as one of the premier correspondents in America and we look forward to audiences seeing her third interview with President Trump and subsequent interview with Vice President Pence this weekend.”

🎥 President leaks '60 Minutes' interview; abruptly walked out

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A former office manager for the Rapid City Rush has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for stealing $700,000 from the professional hockey team.

 Forty-two-year-old Jennifer Durham pleaded guilty in July to tax evasion and two counts of wire fraud. 

She worked for the team from 2008 through June 2019, where she was responsible for maintaining accounting records, creating financial reports, and recording and depositing cash receipts.

 The Rapid City Journal reports that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Viken on Monday sentenced Durham to 37 months in prison and ordered her to pay back nearly $1 million, including $700,000 to the Rush and more than $186,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A former office manager for the Rapid City Rush has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for stealing $700,000 from the professional hockey team. Forty-two-year-old Jennifer Durham pleaded guilty in July to tax evasion and two counts of wire fraud. She worked for the team from 2008 through June 2019, where she was responsible for maintaining accounting records, creating financial reports, and recording and depositing cash receipts. The Rapid City Journal reports that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Viken on Monday sentenced Durham to 37 months in prison and ordered her to pay back nearly $1 million, including $700,000 to the Rush and more than $186,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.

Former Rapid City hockey team office manager sentenced for embezzlement

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The number of people hospitalized by COVID-19 has climbed to a new high in South Dakota as 332 people received hospital care. 

Health officials also reported three more deaths from the virus, along with 582 more cases.

 The state has ranked second in the country for new cases per capita in the last two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. 

There were 1,086 new cases per 100,000 people. 

The surge in cases has prompted the Department of Health to scale up its staff for contact tracing, activating National Guard members to work as contact tracing investigators.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The number of people hospitalized by COVID-19 has climbed to a new high in South Dakota as 332 people received hospital care. Health officials also reported three more deaths from the virus, along with 582 more cases. The state has ranked second in the country for new cases per capita in the last two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. There were 1,086 new cases per 100,000 people. The surge in cases has prompted the Department of Health to scale up its staff for contact tracing, activating National Guard members to work as contact tracing investigators.

South Dakota reports 332 COVID-19 hospitalizations

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters.

For months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said close contact meant spending a solid 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html" target="_blank">CDC changed&nbsp;</a>it to a total of 15 minutes or more — so shorter but repeated contacts that add up to 15 minutes over a 24-hour period now count.

The CDC advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks.

The change may prompt health departments to do contact tracing in cases where an exposure might previously have been considered too brief, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert.

It also serves notice that the coronavirus can spread more easily than many people realize, he added.

The definition change was triggered by a report on that case of a 20-year-old Vermont correctional officer, who was diagnosed with a coronavirus infection in August. The guard, who wore a mask and goggles, had multiple brief encounters with six transferred prisoners before test results showed they were positive. At times, the prisoners wore masks, but there were encounters in cell doorways or in a recreational room where prisoners did not have them on, the report said.

An investigation that reviewed video footage concluded the guard’s brief interactions totaled 17 minutes during an 8-hour shift.

The report didn’t identify the prison but Vermont officials have said that in late July, six inmates tested positive when they arrived at the Marble Valley Correctional Facility in Rutland.

In a statement, CDC officials said the case highlights again the importance of wearing masks to prevent transmission, and that the agency’s guidance can change as new information comes in.

“As we get more data and understand this COVID we’re going to continue to incorporate that in our recommendations,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said at a press conference in Atlanta.

The CDC also says close contact can include hugging and kissing, sharing eating or drinking utensils with someone infected, and providing home care to someone who is sick. Someone sneezing or coughing on you also counts.

The risk of spread is considered to be lower outdoors, but the CDC guidance update “makes scientific sense,” said Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591480312815.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters.For months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said close contact meant spending a solid 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html" target="_blank">CDC changed&nbsp;</a>it to a total of 15 minutes or more — so shorter but repeated contacts that add up to 15 minutes over a 24-hour period now count.The CDC advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks.The change may prompt health departments to do contact tracing in cases where an exposure might previously have been considered too brief, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert.It also serves notice that the coronavirus can spread more easily than many people realize, he added.The definition change was triggered by a report on that case of a 20-year-old Vermont correctional officer, who was diagnosed with a coronavirus infection in August. The guard, who wore a mask and goggles, had multiple brief encounters with six transferred prisoners before test results showed they were positive. At times, the prisoners wore masks, but there were encounters in cell doorways or in a recreational room where prisoners did not have them on, the report said.An investigation that reviewed video footage concluded the guard’s brief interactions totaled 17 minutes during an 8-hour shift.The report didn’t identify the prison but Vermont officials have said that in late July, six inmates tested positive when they arrived at the Marble Valley Correctional Facility in Rutland.In a statement, CDC officials said the case highlights again the importance of wearing masks to prevent transmission, and that the agency’s guidance can change as new information comes in.“As we get more data and understand this COVID we’re going to continue to incorporate that in our recommendations,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said at a press conference in Atlanta.The CDC also says close contact can include hugging and kissing, sharing eating or drinking utensils with someone infected, and providing home care to someone who is sick. Someone sneezing or coughing on you also counts.The risk of spread is considered to be lower outdoors, but the CDC guidance update “makes scientific sense,” said Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.___

CDC redefines COVID-19 close contact, adds brief encounters

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem reported a relatively large haul of campaign cash this year as she vaulted to prominence in conservative circles nationwide for her hands-off approach to the pandemic. 

The Republican governor’s state is currently suffering through one of the worst surges in the country. 

She has downplayed the severity of the virus and campaigned across the country as a surrogate for President Donald Trump. 

The Argus Leader reports that Noem has cashed in on her nationwide appearances, with her gubernatorial campaign committee raising more than $850,000 between May 17 and Oct. 14.

 That’s a big uptick from earlier fundraising.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem reported a relatively large haul of campaign cash this year as she vaulted to prominence in conservative circles nationwide for her hands-off approach to the pandemic. The Republican governor’s state is currently suffering through one of the worst surges in the country. She has downplayed the severity of the virus and campaigned across the country as a surrogate for President Donald Trump. The Argus Leader reports that Noem has cashed in on her nationwide appearances, with her gubernatorial campaign committee raising more than $850,000 between May 17 and Oct. 14. That’s a big uptick from earlier fundraising.

South Dakota's Noem reports cash flow from national profile

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The groups pushing for South Dakota to legalize marijuana in the November election have a large cash advantage over opponents of the proposal as the campaigns enter their final days. 

The Argus Leader reports that a pair of committees pushing for recreational and medical marijuana ballot measures have raised a combined $787,270, according to campaign finance reports filed this week. 

A group opposing recreational marijuana reported raising about one-fifth of that, with its contributions totaling just under $130,000. 

South Dakota voters will decide on two marijuana proposals this year _ a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational cannabis and a program for medical marijuana.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The groups pushing for South Dakota to legalize marijuana in the November election have a large cash advantage over opponents of the proposal as the campaigns enter their final days. The Argus Leader reports that a pair of committees pushing for recreational and medical marijuana ballot measures have raised a combined $787,270, according to campaign finance reports filed this week. A group opposing recreational marijuana reported raising about one-fifth of that, with its contributions totaling just under $130,000. South Dakota voters will decide on two marijuana proposals this year _ a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational cannabis and a program for medical marijuana.

Groups pushing pot legalization in South Dakota report cash advantage

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603372432141.png" alt="On Thursday morning, Democrat Senators placed photos of&nbsp;constituents dependent on the Affordable Care Act in their chairs as the Judiciary Committee voted to send Judge Barrett's Nomination to the full Senate&nbsp; -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>On Thursday morning, Democrat Senators placed photos of&nbsp;constituents dependent on the Affordable Care Act in their chairs as the Judiciary Committee voted to send Judge Barrett's Nomination to the full Senate&nbsp; -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477034-1/senate-judiciary-committee-votes-amy-coney-barretts-nomination">CLICK here</a>&nbsp;to watch the hearing that began at 8a.m. CDTRepublicans powered past a Democratic boycott of the session Thursday to keep confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick on track before Election Day. Democratic senators refused to show up in protest of the GOP’s rush to install Trump’s nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Senate has never confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. Senators plan to convene a rare weekend session for procedural actions ahead of a final confirmation vote expected Monday.-----WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are set to boycott voting on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court&nbsp;</a>nominee Amy Coney Barrett at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, but there is little they can do to prevent Republicans from rushing to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick before Election Day.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477034-1/senate-judiciary-committee-votes-amy-coney-barretts-nomination">CLICK here</a> to watch the hearing that begins at 8a.m. CDTThe Judiciary Committee, which is controlled by Republicans, is expected to change the rules if necessary to recommend Barrett’s nomination to the full Senate. Senators are planning a rare weekend session to secure her confirmation on Monday.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer announced the planned boycott in a speech late Wednesday on the Senate floor.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602523493919.png" alt="Amy Coney Barrett as she waited for day one of her confirmation hearing to begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Amy Coney Barrett as she waited for day one of her confirmation hearing to begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“We should not be moving forward on this nomination,” he said, calling Barrett’s views “so far out of the mainstream.” No Supreme Court nominee has ever been confirmed so close to a presidential election.He immediately forced a vote to recess the Senate until after the Nov. 3 election, but it failed. “These are all such violations of American norms, values, decency and honor,” he said.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set Barrett’s confirmation on a fast-track following the death last month of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If confirmed Monday, Barrett could be seated on the high court that same day.With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Trump’s pick for the court is almost certain to be confirmed. Boycotting Thursday’s committee hearing won’t stop the process, but could potentially force Republicans on the panel to alter the rules to keep the confirmation on track.“Judge Barrett deserves a vote and she will receive a vote,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the committee chairman, in a statement. “Barrett deserves to be on the Supreme Court and she will be confirmed.”Committee rules say at least two members of the minority party, Democrats, would need to be present to constitute a quorum for doing business. Graham made no mention of the process ahead, if Democrats fail to show up.But Mike Davis, a former top aide on the panel who now advises Senate Republicans, said the committee was well within its normal practice to hold the vote, even if Democrats skip it. He said the longstanding practice has been to allow business to go forward if all members of the majority, Republicans, attend.Two Republican senators on the panel, Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, tested positive for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">COVID-19&nbsp;</a>after attending the Rose Garden event where Trump announced Barrett as his nominee. The panel established remote operations during the coronavirus pandemic. Those two senators have since returned to in-person sessions, saying their doctors cleared them from quarantine.Two other Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, have objected to the quick vote, but they are not on the panel. Even if they oppose Barrett’s confirmation, Republicans have the votes to push ahead. No Senate Democrats are expected to support Barrett’s confirmation.Barrett, a 48-year-old appellate court judge who has spoken out against abortion and a court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, is on track to lock in a 6-3 conservative majority on the high court for years to come.