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| Trump and Biden head to Ohio for first presidential TV debate – US politics live | Trump and Biden head to Ohio for first presidential TV debate – US politics live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The first of three presidential debates takes place tonight in Cleveland, Ohio, in the shadow of Trump’s tax return revelations | The first of three presidential debates takes place tonight in Cleveland, Ohio, in the shadow of Trump’s tax return revelations |
| Well, diolch yn fawr iawn* A British member of parliament has announced that he’s nominated US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for the Nobel peace prize. | |
| Chris Bryant, the member for Rhondda, in Wales, made the extraordinary move and told London’s Evening Standard of Biden that: “When others have resorted to violent solutions, he has argued that the best force is the force of argument. Because guns can stop a heart but well-placed words can change many hearts, and many hearts can change a world.” | |
| Any head of state or national politician can nominate someone for the prize. As The Hill notes, the far-right member of the Norwegian Parliament, Christian Tybring-Gjedde, has nominated Donald Trump for the honor in both 2018 and 2020. Unsuccessfully, in case anyone needed clarification. | |
| Barack Obama and Al Gore have both won the prize. What are Biden’s chances? At this point one would say negligible, but the nomination can’t hurt, coming just before the first presidential debate of 2020, tonight. | |
| *Diolch yn fawr iawn means thank you very much, in Welsh. Bryant is a former vicar, a former shadow leader of the commons, born in Cardiff, who married his husband at the Palace of Westminster (aka the Houses of Parliament) in 2010. | |
| As it happens, Joe Biden was deemed instrumental, when Vice President, in pushing president Barack Obama to back the legalization of gay marriage in the US, a right accorded by the supreme court in a landmark ruling in 2015 - and which some liberals fear will be under threat if Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the supreme court and tips it firmly to the right with a 6-3 conservative majority. | |
| Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump’s controversial nominee for the US supreme court, just met with Vice President Mike Pence and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on Capitol Hill. | Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump’s controversial nominee for the US supreme court, just met with Vice President Mike Pence and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on Capitol Hill. |
| Barrett was officially nominated on Saturday. | Barrett was officially nominated on Saturday. |
| Pence moments ago said that Barrett “represents the best of America”, lauding her “great intellect and background”. | |
| Arch-conservative Barrett, in a plain blue dress and a string of pearls, looked somehow simultaneously impassive and resolute as she stared at the assembled press. | Arch-conservative Barrett, in a plain blue dress and a string of pearls, looked somehow simultaneously impassive and resolute as she stared at the assembled press. |
| Pence said: “We believe the Senate has the opportunity for a fair and respectful consideration. We urge our Democratic colleagues in the Senate to meet with the justice....we look forward to a vote in the Senate in the near future.” | Pence said: “We believe the Senate has the opportunity for a fair and respectful consideration. We urge our Democratic colleagues in the Senate to meet with the justice....we look forward to a vote in the Senate in the near future.” |
| Word has it that the Republican-controlled Senate will schedule Barrett’s confirmation hearing for the week beginning October 12 in an effort to seat her to the bench before the presidential election on November 3. | Word has it that the Republican-controlled Senate will schedule Barrett’s confirmation hearing for the week beginning October 12 in an effort to seat her to the bench before the presidential election on November 3. |
| Reporters called out questions but no questions were taken. Barrett’s nomination is controversial coming so soon after the death earlier this month of liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who’s dying wish, which chimes with a Republican decision on an open court seat back in 2016, was that she not be replaced until the new president has been inaugurated in January 2021. | |
| Barrett is controversial herself because of her ultra-conservative track record and apparent adherence to a Federalist Society-style philosophy that interpretation of the US Constitution doesn’t move with the times to relate to society today but is frozen in the outlook of the older white men Founding Fathers when they drafted it in the 18th Century. | |
| And as my colleague Stephanie Kirchgaessner reported, Barrett has drawn attention to a secretive Catholic “covenant community” called People of Praise that counts her as a member and faces claims of adhering to a “highly authoritarian” structure. | |
| In a new national Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday among all likely US voters, Democratic candidate for the White House Joe Biden has a lead over Republican incumbent Donald Trump of eight percentage points. | In a new national Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday among all likely US voters, Democratic candidate for the White House Joe Biden has a lead over Republican incumbent Donald Trump of eight percentage points. |
| Many people have decided. The survey found 79% of Americans who said they favored Biden were “completely certain” of their candidate. | Many people have decided. The survey found 79% of Americans who said they favored Biden were “completely certain” of their candidate. |
| However in certain battleground states, the presidential race is much closer than national surveys suggest, Reuters reports, according to its Reuters/Ipsos opinion polls there. | However in certain battleground states, the presidential race is much closer than national surveys suggest, Reuters reports, according to its Reuters/Ipsos opinion polls there. |
| They show Biden with only a slim lead over Trump in three highly competitive states and in a dead heat in three others. | They show Biden with only a slim lead over Trump in three highly competitive states and in a dead heat in three others. |
| The online state polls, conducted earlier in September and released this week, found Biden and Trump tied among likely voters in Florida and North Carolina. Biden led by 1% in Arizona, 3% in Pennsylvania and 5% in Wisconsin and Michigan. | The online state polls, conducted earlier in September and released this week, found Biden and Trump tied among likely voters in Florida and North Carolina. Biden led by 1% in Arizona, 3% in Pennsylvania and 5% in Wisconsin and Michigan. |
| All six are critical to determining who wins the November 3 election, given their population size and potential to swing to either party. In each of the states, the difference between the two candidates was near or within the poll’s sampling error, meaning that neither candidate has a clear advantage. | All six are critical to determining who wins the November 3 election, given their population size and potential to swing to either party. In each of the states, the difference between the two candidates was near or within the poll’s sampling error, meaning that neither candidate has a clear advantage. |
| Taken together, the state and national surveys show the 2020 election may wind up with the same mixed result as 2016, with the Democrats receiving a majority of the votes but the Republicans winning the Electoral College and, therefore, the White House. | Taken together, the state and national surveys show the 2020 election may wind up with the same mixed result as 2016, with the Democrats receiving a majority of the votes but the Republicans winning the Electoral College and, therefore, the White House. |
| Hello everyone, Joanna Walters here taking over from my colleague Martin Belam in London. Martin will fire up the US live blog extra early tomorrow to catch the news fall-out from the first presidential debate, so do please look out for that from around 4am ET/9am BST on Wednesday. | Hello everyone, Joanna Walters here taking over from my colleague Martin Belam in London. Martin will fire up the US live blog extra early tomorrow to catch the news fall-out from the first presidential debate, so do please look out for that from around 4am ET/9am BST on Wednesday. |
| We’ll have our top team covering the debate tonight. Guardian US will livestream the event from Cleveland, Ohio. | We’ll have our top team covering the debate tonight. Guardian US will livestream the event from Cleveland, Ohio. |
| And here’s our staff line-up and what you can expect. | And here’s our staff line-up and what you can expect. |
| US blog skipper Joan E Greve will be helming the special debate live blog tonight, from 8pm ET, keeping you abreast and appraised on the event in real time. Our west coast politics reporter Maanvi Singh, who blogs regularly and sharply in the evenings, will also work on the blog tonight. And online audience expert Max Benwell will contribute from New York by swiftly retrieving extra video clips and social media entries to slip into the blog. | US blog skipper Joan E Greve will be helming the special debate live blog tonight, from 8pm ET, keeping you abreast and appraised on the event in real time. Our west coast politics reporter Maanvi Singh, who blogs regularly and sharply in the evenings, will also work on the blog tonight. And online audience expert Max Benwell will contribute from New York by swiftly retrieving extra video clips and social media entries to slip into the blog. |
| Outside the blog, on our US and global online pages and for the daily Guardian newspaper, published in Britain, senior politics reporter Lauren Gambino will cover the main news story. Senior politics reporter Daniel Strauss will carve out the key takeaway points from the night and Washington, DC, bureau chief David Smith will bring you analysis. | Outside the blog, on our US and global online pages and for the daily Guardian newspaper, published in Britain, senior politics reporter Lauren Gambino will cover the main news story. Senior politics reporter Daniel Strauss will carve out the key takeaway points from the night and Washington, DC, bureau chief David Smith will bring you analysis. |
| Also working from the west coast, senior reporter Lois Beckett will be remotely attending an online Republican watch party, where voters congregate to watch the debate online or on TV. And tech reporter Kari Paul will attend a remote Democratic watch party. | Also working from the west coast, senior reporter Lois Beckett will be remotely attending an online Republican watch party, where voters congregate to watch the debate online or on TV. And tech reporter Kari Paul will attend a remote Democratic watch party. |
| Normally, of course, our politics team would be in Cleveland to cover the event in person and at this stage of the election cycle they’d be living out of suitcases, whizzing around the US on the campaign trails. But with limited in-person campaigning and reporting, you can still rely on the Guardian US top team to bring you all the drama and, ahem, the FACTS. | Normally, of course, our politics team would be in Cleveland to cover the event in person and at this stage of the election cycle they’d be living out of suitcases, whizzing around the US on the campaign trails. But with limited in-person campaigning and reporting, you can still rely on the Guardian US top team to bring you all the drama and, ahem, the FACTS. |
| Jonathan Allen has had a go at teeing up tonight’s debate for NBC News. He writes: | Jonathan Allen has had a go at teeing up tonight’s debate for NBC News. He writes: |
| Read it here: NBC News – The soft bigotry of Trump’s low expectations may give Biden a debate edge | Read it here: NBC News – The soft bigotry of Trump’s low expectations may give Biden a debate edge |
| That is it from me, Martin Belam, in London today. I am handing the baton on to Joanna Walters. Have a good day, and I will see you tomorrow… | That is it from me, Martin Belam, in London today. I am handing the baton on to Joanna Walters. Have a good day, and I will see you tomorrow… |
| Annie Linskey at the Washington Post this morning looks at what Joe Biden is planning to do after tonight’s debate – and the answer is catch a train. | Annie Linskey at the Washington Post this morning looks at what Joe Biden is planning to do after tonight’s debate – and the answer is catch a train. |
| Earlier the Post reported a new poll keeping Biden ahead in battleground Pennsylvania. | Earlier the Post reported a new poll keeping Biden ahead in battleground Pennsylvania. |
| Read it here: Washington Post – Inside Joe Biden’s whistle-stop tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania | Read it here: Washington Post – Inside Joe Biden’s whistle-stop tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania |
| Olivia Troye, a former top adviser to vice president Mike Pence, confirmed to CNN last night that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was pushed to play down the risks of the coronavirus pandemic in reopening schools for in-person classes. | Olivia Troye, a former top adviser to vice president Mike Pence, confirmed to CNN last night that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was pushed to play down the risks of the coronavirus pandemic in reopening schools for in-person classes. |
| “Unfortunately, this was an effort, you know, at times where I would get blindsided, where there would be junior staffers being tasked to find different data for charts to show that the virus wasn’t as bad for certain populations, ages or demographics” she said. | “Unfortunately, this was an effort, you know, at times where I would get blindsided, where there would be junior staffers being tasked to find different data for charts to show that the virus wasn’t as bad for certain populations, ages or demographics” she said. |
| She recalled an incident in June when Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short pushed her and others to go behind the CDC’s back to try get alternative data that would better support the Trump stance that schools needed to re-open and that children were at little risk from the virus. | She recalled an incident in June when Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short pushed her and others to go behind the CDC’s back to try get alternative data that would better support the Trump stance that schools needed to re-open and that children were at little risk from the virus. |
| “I think it put these task force members and doctors in a very challenging position, what was going on behind the scenes. I think you’ve seen from the beginning the President’s narrative has been ‘everything’s fine. Everything’s OK. Time to get back to normal. Let’s get the economy going again,” the whistleblower said. | “I think it put these task force members and doctors in a very challenging position, what was going on behind the scenes. I think you’ve seen from the beginning the President’s narrative has been ‘everything’s fine. Everything’s OK. Time to get back to normal. Let’s get the economy going again,” the whistleblower said. |
| Read it here: CNN – CDC was pushed to play down the risks of Covid-19 in reopening schools, former Pence staffer says | Read it here: CNN – CDC was pushed to play down the risks of Covid-19 in reopening schools, former Pence staffer says |
| Tom McCarthy has a scene-setter for tonight’s debate, with a view on the tactics the two candidates might employ. | Tom McCarthy has a scene-setter for tonight’s debate, with a view on the tactics the two candidates might employ. |
| Read it here: Debate offers Trump chance to yank stubbornly stable 2020 race his way | Read it here: Debate offers Trump chance to yank stubbornly stable 2020 race his way |
| Talking of the supreme court and Amy Coney Barrett, Reuters have this on her plans for today at the US Capitol. | Talking of the supreme court and Amy Coney Barrett, Reuters have this on her plans for today at the US Capitol. |
| She will meet with Republican senate majority leader Mitch McConnell in the morning in what will be a day packed with informal visits, part of a long-standing tradition leading into multi-day confirmation hearings set to begin on 12 October. | She will meet with Republican senate majority leader Mitch McConnell in the morning in what will be a day packed with informal visits, part of a long-standing tradition leading into multi-day confirmation hearings set to begin on 12 October. |
| Barrett is also scheduled today to meet Senate judiciary committee chairman Lindsey Graham at 5:30pm, as well as other Republican judiciary committee members, including senators Chuck Grassley, Mike Lee and Mike Crapo. | Barrett is also scheduled today to meet Senate judiciary committee chairman Lindsey Graham at 5:30pm, as well as other Republican judiciary committee members, including senators Chuck Grassley, Mike Lee and Mike Crapo. |
| Graham has said that his committee will likely vote on the nomination on 22 October, setting up a final vote on the Senate floor by the end of the month. | Graham has said that his committee will likely vote on the nomination on 22 October, setting up a final vote on the Senate floor by the end of the month. |
| Shira A Scheindlin served as a United States district judge for the southern district of New York for 22 years. She writes for us today on what she considers to be Trump and the Rpublicans’s assault on the supreme court: | Shira A Scheindlin served as a United States district judge for the southern district of New York for 22 years. She writes for us today on what she considers to be Trump and the Rpublicans’s assault on the supreme court: |
| Read it here: Shira A Scheindlin – Conservatives’ assault on the supreme court is a judicial tragedy in the making | Read it here: Shira A Scheindlin – Conservatives’ assault on the supreme court is a judicial tragedy in the making |