upi--2020-10-22--Brokenhearted QB Ryan Fitzpatrick questions NFL future after demotion

MIAMI , Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- Journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick thinks his recent demotion from Miami Dolphins starter to Tua Tagovailoa 's backup could be the end of his run as a starting quarterback in the NFL .
The Dolphins informed Fitzpatrick and Tagovailoa of the move on Tuesday before the team announced Tagovailoa as their starter on Wednesday .
`` There was a lot of stuff going through my mind , just from a personal standpoint , not necessarily with the team ; but is this it ?
Was that my last game as an NFL player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going out there and playing ?
And you just kind of go through all those different scenarios , '' Fitzpatrick said in a video call with reporters .
`` I 've been a starter .
I 've been benched all kinds of different ways , but this one -- this one just really more so than any of them -- I think this organization and what we 've been through the last year and a half , this was kind of the first place , other than Buffalo , where I just felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was my team .
`` And so to have that , I think that 's a lot of the reason why my heart was so heavy .
That 's a direction that the organization is going .
I 've just got to accept it . ''
Fitzpatrick , 37 , started six games this season for the Dolphins .
He completed a career-best 70.1 percent of his passes for 1,535 yards , 10 scores and seven interceptions and led the team to a 3-3 record .
The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 NFL Draft .
Fitzpatrick joined the team before the 2019 season and is not under contract for the 2021 season .
The veteran quarterback said he did not ask for a trade after he learned of his demotion , which came despite his success on the field in 2020 and the team 's spot in second place in the AFC East .
He also said he prefers starting when asked about a potential return next season as Tagovailoa 's backup .
`` In terms of the other stuff , the long-term future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fitzpatrick said .
`` I know that I just love playing this game .
`` I love being out there and the camaraderie that that brings and dealing with the adversity with your teammates ; those are the kind of things that I truly love about this game , so I definitely like playing more than I like sitting and watching . ''
Fitzpatrick has one of the most remarkable career arcs in NFL history .
The Harvard product entered the league as a seventh-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cincinnati Bengals in 2007 before he joined the Buffalo Bills in 2009 .
Fitzpatrick spent four seasons in Buffalo before short tenures with the Tennessee Titans , Houston Texans and New York Jets .
He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 before he signed with the Dolphins before the 2019 season .
Fitzpatrick has 145 career starts for eight NFL franchises .
He has started games in 14 of his 16 seasons .
Fitzpatrick has started all 16 games in a season three times .
He started 13 games in 2019 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Player of the Week awards .
He also ranks 34th all-time in passing touchdowns ( 220 ) , which is more than Terry Bradshaw , Kurt Warner , Joe Namath , Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach .
Because of that experience , the Dolphins had the luxury to work Tagovailoa into their lineup at a slower pace than other franchises that selected quarterbacks early in the draft .
Tagovailoa also became close to Fitzpatrick this off-season and said Wednesday he considers himself to be in a father-son relationship with the veteran quarterback .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation about all of this , '' Tagovailoa said .
`` Like I 've continued to say , although it kind of hurts me in a way to see Fitz hurt , I 'm just very , very lucky to have someone like Fitz in my corner , regardless of the situation we 're in right now . ''
Dolphins coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier informed the two quarterbacks of the decision before they spoke to the rest of the team .
Flores said he was upset that other players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was able to explain the move .
He also said he thought the move was `` the best thing for the team , '' but did not expand on why Fitzpatrick was demoted .
Flores worked with Grier and the Dolphins personnel department to evaluate both players .
Tagovailoa has impressed the team with his decision-making and accuracy at practice .
Flores called Fitzpatrick a `` tremendous asset '' for the Dolphins and said he has been `` instrumental '' in helping to instill a new team culture for the franchise .
Fitzpatrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his new role despite an uncertain career outlook .
`` If you draft a guy fifth overall [ Tagovailoa ] and put him in , this is n't a temporary -- this is a forever decision , '' Fitzpatrick said .
`` This is a long-term decision .
...
I 'm always ready to go and I could probably come out of the stands and play in five years if I needed to without picking up a football ; but that 's just again , accepting the role that I 've now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best I can in that role . ''
The Dolphins have a Week 7 bye before they return to the field for Tagovailoa 's first start at 1 p.m. EDT on Nov. 1 in Miami Gardens , Fla. Tagovailoa will take on two-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald , fellow All-Pro Jalen Ramsey and the Los Angeles Rams in his debut as a starter .
The Rams have the No .
4 pass defense in the NFL .

1/3
Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) was demoted on Tuesday to a backup role and now questions his future as an NFL starter. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo
MIAMI, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick thinks his recent demotion from Miami Dolphins starter to Tua Tagovailoa's backup could be the end of his run as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Dolphins informed Fitzpatrick and Tagovailoa of the move on Tuesday before the team announced Tagovailoa as their starter on Wednesday. Advertisement
"There was a lot of stuff going through my mind, just from a personal standpoint, not necessarily with the team; but is this it? Was that my last game as an NFL player in terms of being the starter and going out there and playing? And you just kind of go through all those different scenarios," Fitzpatrick said in a video call with reporters.
"I've been a starter. I've been benched all kinds of different ways, but this one -- this one just really more so than any of them -- I think this organization and what we've been through the last year and a half, this was kind of the first place, other than Buffalo, where I just felt fully committed and invested and felt like it was my team.
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"And so to have that, I think that's a lot of the reason why my heart was so heavy. That's a direction that the organization is going. I've just got to accept it."
Fitzpatrick, 37, started six games this season for the Dolphins. He completed a career-best 70.1 percent of his passes for 1,535 yards, 10 scores and seven interceptions and led the team to a 3-3 record.
The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Fitzpatrick joined the team before the 2019 season and is not under contract for the 2021 season.
The veteran quarterback said he did not ask for a trade after he learned of his demotion, which came despite his success on the field in 2020 and the team's spot in second place in the AFC East. He also said he prefers starting when asked about a potential return next season as Tagovailoa's backup.
"In terms of the other stuff, the long-term future, I have no idea," Fitzpatrick said. "I know that I just love playing this game.
"I love being out there and the camaraderie that that brings and dealing with the adversity with your teammates; those are the kind of things that I truly love about this game, so I definitely like playing more than I like sitting and watching."
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Fitzpatrick has one of the most remarkable career arcs in NFL history. The Harvard product entered the league as a seventh-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in the 2005 NFL Draft. He joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2007 before he joined the Buffalo Bills in 2009. Fitzpatrick spent four seasons in Buffalo before short tenures with the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and New York Jets.
He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 before he signed with the Dolphins before the 2019 season.
Fitzpatrick has 145 career starts for eight NFL franchises. He has started games in 14 of his 16 seasons. Fitzpatrick has started all 16 games in a season three times. He started 13 games in 2019 for the Dolphins.
Fitzpatrick owns a 58-86-1 career record as a starter.
He has eight career Player of the Week awards. He also ranks 34th all-time in passing touchdowns (220), which is more than Terry Bradshaw, Kurt Warner, Joe Namath, Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach.
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Because of that experience, the Dolphins had the luxury to work Tagovailoa into their lineup at a slower pace than other franchises that selected quarterbacks early in the draft.
Tagovailoa also became close to Fitzpatrick this off-season and said Wednesday he considers himself to be in a father-son relationship with the veteran quarterback.
"Me and 'Fitz' had a conversation about all of this," Tagovailoa said. "Like I've continued to say, although it kind of hurts me in a way to see Fitz hurt, I'm just very, very lucky to have someone like Fitz in my corner, regardless of the situation we're in right now."
Dolphins coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier informed the two quarterbacks of the decision before they spoke to the rest of the team. Flores said he was upset that other players found out the news Tuesday before he was able to explain the move.
He also said he thought the move was "the best thing for the team," but did not expand on why Fitzpatrick was demoted. Flores worked with Grier and the Dolphins personnel department to evaluate both players.
Tagovailoa has impressed the team with his decision-making and accuracy at practice. Flores called Fitzpatrick a "tremendous asset" for the Dolphins and said he has been "instrumental" in helping to instill a new team culture for the franchise.
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Fitzpatrick said he'll continue to stay ready in his new role despite an uncertain career outlook.
"If you draft a guy fifth overall [Tagovailoa] and put him in, this isn't a temporary -- this is a forever decision," Fitzpatrick said.
"This is a long-term decision. ... I'm always ready to go and I could probably come out of the stands and play in five years if I needed to without picking up a football; but that's just again, accepting the role that I've now been given and trying to do the best I can in that role."
The Dolphins have a Week 7 bye before they return to the field for Tagovailoa's first start at 1 p.m. EDT on Nov. 1 in Miami Gardens, Fla. Tagovailoa will take on two-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, fellow All-Pro Jalen Ramsey and the Los Angeles Rams in his debut as a starter.
The Rams have the No. 4 pass defense in the NFL.


upi--2020-10-22--Southwest Airlines reports $1.2B loss in 3rd quarter

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- Southwest Airlines reported Thursday that its revenue fell by almost 70 % between July and October due to hardship the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought on the air travel industry .
Southwest reported the figure in its third-quarter report , in which the carrier said it earned $ 18 billion in operating revenue but saw a net loss of $ 1.2 billion .
The carrier ended the quarter with $ 15.6 billion with cash on hand .
The budget airline said it did see an uptick in leisure passenger demand and bookings .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on air travel demand , resulting in our third-quarter net loss , '' Southwest CEO Gary C. Kelly said in a statement .
`` We are encouraged by modest improvements in leisure passenger traffic trends since the slowdown in demand experienced in July . ''
Kelly said the absence of a vaccine or `` herd immunity '' means Southwest and the airline industry will continue to struggle with passengers returning to flight in the near future .
`` In response , we will continue to monitor demand and prudently adjust our available seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost opportunities , '' Kelly added .
`` I am grateful to our people for maintaining a safe and reliable operation with industry-leading customer service , which generated the best net promoter score in our history in the third quarter . ''
Southwest has made cost-cutting measures , saying it lowered its daily cash burn figure last month to $ 12 million per day , down from $ 23 million per day in the second quarter .
`` We estimate operating revenues will need to recover to an estimated 60 % to 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly double our third quarter 2020 levels , '' Kelly said .

A Southwest Airlines 737 Max 8 airliner is parked at Gate 40 at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Mo., on March 13, 2019. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Southwest Airlines reported Thursday that its revenue fell by almost 70% between July and October due to hardship the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought on the air travel industry. Southwest reported the figure in its third-quarter report, in which the carrier said it earned $18 billion in operating revenue but saw a net loss of $1.2 billion. The carrier ended the quarter with $15.6 billion with cash on hand. Advertisement
The budget airline said it did see an uptick in leisure passenger demand and bookings.
"The pandemic persists along with the negative effects on air travel demand, resulting in our third-quarter net loss," Southwest CEO Gary C. Kelly said in a statement. "We are encouraged by modest improvements in leisure passenger traffic trends since the slowdown in demand experienced in July."
Kelly said the absence of a vaccine or "herd immunity" means Southwest and the airline industry will continue to struggle with passengers returning to flight in the near future.
"In response, we will continue to monitor demand and prudently adjust our available seat miles, while pursuing further revenue and cost opportunities," Kelly added. "I am grateful to our people for maintaining a safe and reliable operation with industry-leading customer service, which generated the best net promoter score in our history in the third quarter."
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Southwest has made cost-cutting measures, saying it lowered its daily cash burn figure last month to $12 million per day, down from $23 million per day in the second quarter.
"We estimate operating revenues will need to recover to an estimated 60% to 70% of 2019 levels, which is roughly double our third quarter 2020 levels," Kelly said.
Another domestic carrier, Alaska Airlines, said Thursday it's reached an agreement with Microsoft that will have the tech giant provide an alternative, lower carbon emitting fuel for some flights.
The new "sustainable aviation fuel," which will be loaded onto Alaska Airlines flights at Los Angeles International Airport by SkyNRG, is a blend of traditional jet fuel and waste oil from cooking and agriculture products.
"[The fuel] enables us to fly cleaner and reduce our impact on the environment," Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said in a statement.
"However, we cannot do this alone -- we must work together with other industries and business leaders like Microsoft and SkyNRG, among others who are thinking big, to achieve our goals."
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The software company said the more efficient fuel will help lower carbon emissions from Alaska's busy business routes between its hub in Seattle and Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, which carry many Microsoft employees.


upi--2020-10-22--Russian media may be joining China and Iran in turning on Trump

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- It can be easy to overlook how the rest of the world is making sense of America 's chaotic campaign season .
But in many cases , people elsewhere are paying attention just as closely as U.S. voters are .
After all , who wins the U.S. presidency has implications for countries around the world .
Since Sept. 22 , we 've been using machine-learning algorithms to identify the predominant themes in foreign media coverage .
How different countries cover the race between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden can shed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the candidates and the American political process , especially in places that have strict state control of media like China , Russia and Iran .
Unlike in the United States , where there is a cacophony of perspectives , by and large the media in these three countries follow very similar narratives .
In 2016 , we did the same exercise .
Back then , one of the main themes that emerged was the decline of U.S. democracy .
With scandal and the disillusionment of voters dominating the headlines , America 's global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own political narratives about U.S. decline .
Some of these themes have emerged in the coverage of the current race .
But the biggest difference is their portrayal of Trump .
The last election cycle , candidate Trump was an unknown .
Although foreign nations acknowledged his political inexperience , they were cautiously optimistic about Trump 's deal-making ability .
Russian media outlets were particularly bullish on Trump 's potential .
Now , however , the feelings appear to have changed .
China , Iran and even Russia seem to crave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some extent , American leadership in the world .
To assess how America 's competitors make sense of the 2020 campaign , we tracked over 20 prominent news outlets from Chinese , Russian and Iranian native language media .
We used automatic clustering algorithms to identify key narrative themes in the coverage and sentiment analysis to track how each country viewed the candidates .
We then reviewed this AI-extracted information to validate our findings .
While our results are still preliminary , they shed light on how these countries ' media outlets are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moments from the 2020 campaign -- the first debate and Trump 's coronavirus diagnosis -- are particularly illustrative .
After the first debate , the Chinese media questioned its usefulness to voters and generally portrayed Trump 's performance in a negative light .
To them , the `` chaotic '' back-and-forth was a sobering reflection of America 's political turbulence .
They described Trump as purposely sabotaging the debate by interrupting his opponent and , in the days after the debate , noted that his performance failed to improve his lagging poll numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to articulate concrete policies , but was nonetheless praised for being able to avoid any major gaffes and -- as an article from the Xinhua News Agency put it -- responding to Trump with `` fierce words . ''
Unlike in 2016 , where former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was portrayed as anti-Russian , corrupt and elitist , Russian media appeared more willing to characterize the Democratic Party nominee in a positive light .
In fact , Russian coverage expressed surprise over Biden 's debate performance .
He did n't come across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the daily newspaper Kommersant wrote , a lively opponent who appeared to be `` criticizing , irritating and humiliating '' Trump by calling him a `` liar , racist and the worst president . ''
They did praise Trump 's especially aggressive rhetoric .
However , our analysis found that Russian media also repeatedly claimed that , unlike 2016 , voters today were tiring of his bombast .
While Trump 's post-debate posturing received some positive coverage , Russian media largely lamented his administration 's failure to deliver substantive progress toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They noted the debate neither clarified policies for voters nor for international observers .
Iranian media took the strongest anti-Trump stance .
Reports routinely pointed out that Trump has had no foreign policy successes and has only exacerbated relations with the country 's major rivals .
According to Iranian media outlets , Trump 's lack of accomplishments has left him with no choice but to rely on insults and personal attacks .
Biden , however , was said to have kept his calm .
As Al Alam News wrote , he used `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The former vice president , in their view , promised some semblance of normalized diplomatic relations .
The final month of the U.S. presidential race is known for last-minute surprises that can upend the race .
This year was no exception , with Trump 's Oct. 2 announcement of his COVID-19 diagnosis quickly shifting media coverage from the debate to Trump 's health .
He received little sympathy from foreign outlets .
Across the board , they were quick to note how his personal disregard for public health safety measures symbolized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
For example , one Chinese media outlet , The Beijing News , characterized the diagnosis as `` hitting '' the president `` in the face , '' given his previous downplaying of the epidemic .
Other reports claimed Trump lacked `` care about the epidemic , '' including disregard for `` protective measures such as wearing a mask . ''
Chinese outlets suggested Trump would use the diagnosis to win sympathy from voters , but also noted by being sidelined from holding campaign rallies , he could lose his `` self-confessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , on the other hand , remained confident that Trump would recover and repeated the White House line of Trump 's good health .
At the same time , Russian outlets tended to chastise Trump 's unwillingness to avoid large gatherings , practice social distancing or wear a mask , all of which violated his administration 's basic health guidelines .
Likewise , Russian reports criticized Trump 's post-diagnosis behavior -- like tweeting video messages while at the hospital and violating quarantine with his public appearances -- as `` publicity stunts '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service detail and supporters .
Again , Iranian media most directly criticized Trump .
Reports characterized Trump as `` determined to continue the same approach , '' despite his diagnosis , and remain `` without a muzzle , '' `` irresponsibly '' continuing to tweet misinformation falsely comparing COVID-19 to the flu .
Coverage centered on Trump 's inability to , as Al Alam put it , show `` any sympathy '' for the over 200,000 dead Americans .
This death toll , the same article noted , was attributed to Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupidity , '' highlighted by his cavalier disregard for safety guidelines such as wearing a mask .
In the bag for Biden ?
Many of the criticisms of the United States found in foreign media outlets in our 2016 study appear in this year 's coverage .
But since the 2016 election , geopolitics have changed quite a bit -- and , for many of these countries , not necessarily for the better .
That might best explain their collective ire toward Trump .
During Trump 's first term , Iranians absorbed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran nuclear deal , the reimposition of sanctions and the assassination of one of its top generals .
The Chinese entered into a trade war with the United States , while the U.S. government leveled accusations of intellectual property theft , mass murder and blame for the spread of what Trump has called the `` China virus . ''
Russians , meanwhile , have seen themselves -- fairly or not -- bound to Trump 's 2016 election victory and outed as an international provocateur .
That Trump has not been able to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of posturing and political rhetoric has perhaps made Trump more of a political liability than worthwhile ally .
Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic sparked unrest in Russia 's back yard , but mounting regional instability is also undermining President Vladimir Putin 's image as a master tactician .
As a result , these countries ' outlets appear to have shifted attention away from a broad critique of U.S. democracy toward exasperation with Trump 's leadership .
The two , of course , are n't mutually exclusive .
And these countries ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration likely wo n't last .
But even the country 's supposed adversaries seem to be craving a return to stability and predictability from the Oval Office .
Robert Hinck and Robert Utterback are assistant professors at Monmouth College .
Skye Cooley is an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

| License Photo President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he he departs the White House on Wednesday. Pool Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- It can be easy to overlook how the rest of the world is making sense of America's chaotic campaign season. But in many cases, people elsewhere are paying attention just as closely as U.S. voters are. After all, who wins the U.S. presidency has implications for countries around the world. Advertisement
Since Sept. 22, we've been using machine-learning algorithms to identify the predominant themes in foreign media coverage.
How different countries cover the race between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden can shed some light on how foreign citizens discern the candidates and the American political process, especially in places that have strict state control of media like China, Russia and Iran.
Unlike in the United States, where there is a cacophony of perspectives, by and large the media in these three countries follow very similar narratives.
Advertisement
In 2016, we did the same exercise. Back then, one of the main themes that emerged was the decline of U.S. democracy. With scandal and the disillusionment of voters dominating the headlines, America's global competitors used the 2016 election to advance their own political narratives about U.S. decline.
Some of these themes have emerged in the coverage of the current race. But the biggest difference is their portrayal of Trump.
The last election cycle, candidate Trump was an unknown. Although foreign nations acknowledged his political inexperience, they were cautiously optimistic about Trump's deal-making ability. Russian media outlets were particularly bullish on Trump's potential.
Now, however, the feelings appear to have changed. China, Iran and even Russia seem to crave a return to normalcy -- and, to some extent, American leadership in the world.
Dissecting debate
To assess how America's competitors make sense of the 2020 campaign, we tracked over 20 prominent news outlets from Chinese, Russian and Iranian native language media. We used automatic clustering algorithms to identify key narrative themes in the coverage and sentiment analysis to track how each country viewed the candidates. We then reviewed this AI-extracted information to validate our findings.
Advertisement
While our results are still preliminary, they shed light on how these countries' media outlets are portraying the two candidates. Two key moments from the 2020 campaign -- the first debate and Trump's coronavirus diagnosis -- are particularly illustrative.
After the first debate, the Chinese media questioned its usefulness to voters and generally portrayed Trump's performance in a negative light. To them, the "chaotic" back-and-forth was a sobering reflection of America's political turbulence.
They described Trump as purposely sabotaging the debate by interrupting his opponent and, in the days after the debate, noted that his performance failed to improve his lagging poll numbers. Biden was criticized for being unable to articulate concrete policies, but was nonetheless praised for being able to avoid any major gaffes and -- as an article from the Xinhua News Agency put it -- responding to Trump with "fierce words."
Unlike in 2016, where former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was portrayed as anti-Russian, corrupt and elitist, Russian media appeared more willing to characterize the Democratic Party nominee in a positive light.
In fact, Russian coverage expressed surprise over Biden's debate performance. He didn't come across as feeble; instead, he was, as the daily newspaper Kommersant wrote, a lively opponent who appeared to be "criticizing, irritating and humiliating" Trump by calling him a "liar, racist and the worst president." They did praise Trump's especially aggressive rhetoric. However, our analysis found that Russian media also repeatedly claimed that, unlike 2016, voters today were tiring of his bombast.
Advertisement
While Trump's post-debate posturing received some positive coverage, Russian media largely lamented his administration's failure to deliver substantive progress toward normalizing relations between the two countries. They noted the debate neither clarified policies for voters nor for international observers.
Iranian media took the strongest anti-Trump stance. Reports routinely pointed out that Trump has had no foreign policy successes and has only exacerbated relations with the country's major rivals. According to Iranian media outlets, Trump's lack of accomplishments has left him with no choice but to rely on insults and personal attacks.
Biden, however, was said to have kept his calm. As Al Alam News wrote, he used "more credible responses and attacks than Trump."
The former vice president, in their view, promised some semblance of normalized diplomatic relations.
'Intransigence' and 'ignorance'
The final month of the U.S. presidential race is known for last-minute surprises that can upend the race. This year was no exception, with Trump's Oct. 2 announcement of his COVID-19 diagnosis quickly shifting media coverage from the debate to Trump's health.
He received little sympathy from foreign outlets. Across the board, they were quick to note how his personal disregard for public health safety measures symbolized his administration's failed response to the pandemic.
Advertisement
For example, one Chinese media outlet, The Beijing News, characterized the diagnosis as "hitting" the president "in the face," given his previous downplaying of the epidemic. Other reports claimed Trump lacked "care about the epidemic," including disregard for "protective measures such as wearing a mask."
Chinese outlets suggested Trump would use the diagnosis to win sympathy from voters, but also noted by being sidelined from holding campaign rallies, he could lose his "self-confessed" ability to attract voters.
Russian media, on the other hand, remained confident that Trump would recover and repeated the White House line of Trump's good health.
At the same time, Russian outlets tended to chastise Trump's unwillingness to avoid large gatherings, practice social distancing or wear a mask, all of which violated his administration's basic health guidelines. Likewise, Russian reports criticized Trump's post-diagnosis behavior -- like tweeting video messages while at the hospital and violating quarantine with his public appearances -- as "publicity stunts" that jeopardized the safety of his Secret Service detail and supporters.
Again, Iranian media most directly criticized Trump. Reports characterized Trump as "determined to continue the same approach," despite his diagnosis, and remain "without a muzzle," "irresponsibly" continuing to tweet misinformation falsely comparing COVID-19 to the flu.
Advertisement
Coverage centered on Trump's inability to, as Al Alam put it, show "any sympathy" for the over 200,000 dead Americans. This death toll, the same article noted, was attributed to Trump's "mismanagement, intransigence, ignorance and stupidity," highlighted by his cavalier disregard for safety guidelines such as wearing a mask.
In the bag for Biden?
Many of the criticisms of the United States found in foreign media outlets in our 2016 study appear in this year's coverage. But since the 2016 election, geopolitics have changed quite a bit -- and, for many of these countries, not necessarily for the better. That might best explain their collective ire toward Trump.
During Trump's first term, Iranians absorbed the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the reimposition of sanctions and the assassination of one of its top generals.
The Chinese entered into a trade war with the United States, while the U.S. government leveled accusations of intellectual property theft, mass murder and blame for the spread of what Trump has called the "China virus."
Russians, meanwhile, have seen themselves -- fairly or not -- bound to Trump's 2016 election victory and outed as an international provocateur. That Trump has not been able to deliver on normalizing U.S. Russian relations despite four years of posturing and political rhetoric has perhaps made Trump more of a political liability than worthwhile ally. Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic sparked unrest in Russia's back yard, but mounting regional instability is also undermining President Vladimir Putin's image as a master tactician.
Advertisement
As a result, these countries' outlets appear to have shifted attention away from a broad critique of U.S. democracy toward exasperation with Trump's leadership.
The two, of course, aren't mutually exclusive. And these countries' relatively positive characterizations of a potential Biden administration likely won't last.
But even the country's supposed adversaries seem to be craving a return to stability and predictability from the Oval Office.
Robert Hinck and Robert Utterback are assistant professors at Monmouth College. Skye Cooley is an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


upi--2020-10-22--WWE NXT: Pat McAfee returns, joins Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- Former NFL star and ESPN analyst Pat McAfee returned to WWE NXT and joined forces with Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan .
Burch and Lorcan were not scheduled to compete on Wednesday , but were slotted into a match against reigning champs Breezango for the NXT Tag Team Championships after Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong of The Undisputed Era were attacked backstage .
McAfee has had issues with The Undisputed Era in the past and faced their leader Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver : XXX in August .
Cole was not present at WWE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O'Reilly left for the hospital to be with Fish and Strong .
Breezango fought hard against Burch and Lorcan who received a major assist from a man wearing a silver mask .
The masked assailant pushed Breezango member Fandango off the top rope .
Burch took advantage of the situation and delivered a low blow to Breezango 's Tyler Breeze .
Burch and Lorcan then nailed Breeze with an Elevated DDT to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions .
The masked man entered the ring and revealed himself to be McAfee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Undisputed Era .
Also on WWE NXT , Dakota Kai crashed Ember Moon 's victory over Jessi Kamea in Moon 's first singles match in over a year .
Kai tripped Moon and kicked her directly in the face as she talked trash .
Elsewhere in the women 's division , Kacey Catanzaro defeated Xia Li in a bout that Li said was a must win .
Li attacked Catanzaro afterwards but both women including Catanzaro 's partner Kayden Carter , were all taken out by Raquel Gonzalez .
Gonzalez picked up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she called out her rival Rhea Ripley on the microphone .
Gonzalez will face Ripley next week at WWE NXT : Halloween Havoc .
Li , afterwards , received another mysterious letter from Boa .
Other moments from WWE NXT included Kushida defeating Tommaso Ciampa and Velveteen Dream in a Triple Threat match ; Bronson Reed defeating Austin Theory twice ; Legado del Fantasma defeating Isaiah 'Swerve ' Scott , Jake Atlas and Ashante 'Thee ' Adonis ; Ever-Rise defeating Killian Dain and Drake Maverick after Maverick used a chair in anger ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Former NFL star and ESPN analyst Pat McAfee returned to WWE NXT and joined forces with Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan.
Burch and Lorcan were not scheduled to compete on Wednesday, but were slotted into a match against reigning champs Breezango for the NXT Tag Team Championships after Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong of The Undisputed Era were attacked backstage.
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McAfee has had issues with The Undisputed Era in the past and faced their leader Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: XXX in August. Cole was not present at WWE NXT while fellow Undisputed Era member Kyle O'Reilly left for the hospital to be with Fish and Strong.
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Breezango fought hard against Burch and Lorcan who received a major assist from a man wearing a silver mask. The masked assailant pushed Breezango member Fandango off the top rope.
Burch took advantage of the situation and delivered a low blow to Breezango's Tyler Breeze. Burch and Lorcan then nailed Breeze with an Elevated DDT to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
The masked man entered the ring and revealed himself to be McAfee, the likely mastermind behind the attack on The Undisputed Era.
Also on WWE NXT, Dakota Kai crashed Ember Moon's victory over Jessi Kamea in Moon's first singles match in over a year. Kai tripped Moon and kicked her directly in the face as she talked trash.
Elsewhere in the women's division, Kacey Catanzaro defeated Xia Li in a bout that Li said was a must win. Li attacked Catanzaro afterwards but both women including Catanzaro's partner Kayden Carter, were all taken out by Raquel Gonzalez.
Gonzalez picked up Catanzaro and threw her into Carter before she called out her rival Rhea Ripley on the microphone. Gonzalez will face Ripley next week at WWE NXT: Halloween Havoc. Li, afterwards, received another mysterious letter from Boa.
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Other moments from WWE NXT included Kushida defeating Tommaso Ciampa and Velveteen Dream in a Triple Threat match; Bronson Reed defeating Austin Theory twice; Legado del Fantasma defeating Isaiah 'Swerve' Scott, Jake Atlas and Ashante 'Thee' Adonis; Ever-Rise defeating Killian Dain and Drake Maverick after Maverick used a chair in anger; and Timothy Thatcher defeating Anthony Greene.


upi--2020-10-22--Gallup: Most U.S. voters say President Donald Trump doesn't deserve 2nd term

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- A majority of American voters say President Donald Trump does not deserve to be re-elected and almost 70 % say most members of Congress do n't , either , according to a Gallup poll Thursday .
The survey , taken between Sept. 30 and Oct. 15 , found that 56 % of registered voters said Trump does n't deserve a second term .
Additionally , 68 % said `` most '' federal lawmakers also do n't deserve to keep their seats in Congress .
The survey was taken after the first presidential debate between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during which the president was criticized for repeatedly talking over Biden , and after Trump picked up COVID-19 and underwent several days of constant treatment .
The poll found that 43 % of voters said Trump deserves re-election and 29 % said most members of Congress do also .
However , 60 % said their home district representatives in Congress deserve to keep their seats .
Gallup has found that since 1998 , at least 50 % of respondents have said their representative deserves re-election .
`` The percentage of voters who say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is down seven percentage points from Gallup 's previous measure in January -- a much different time in Trump 's presidency , when confidence in the U.S. economy was high , the Senate was preparing to vote to keep Trump in office during his impeachment trial , and only a few cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the U.S. , '' Gallup wrote .
Politically , 93 % of Republicans , 36 % of independents and 3 % of Democrats said Trump deserves a second term .
Trump and Biden will face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 campaign on Thursday night , but whatever the outcome , Gallup says it will unlikely be enough to move the needle with voters .
Recent surveys have showed Trump winning small majorities for his handling of the economy and his recent nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults in all 50 states and Washington , D.C. , for Thursday 's survey , which has a margin of error of 4 points .

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on Wednesday before he leaves for a campaign trip to North Carolina. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI/Pool | License Photo
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A majority of American voters say President Donald Trump does not deserve to be re-elected and almost 70% say most members of Congress don't, either, according to a Gallup poll Thursday. The survey, taken between Sept. 30 and Oct. 15, found that 56% of registered voters said Trump doesn't deserve a second term. Additionally, 68% said "most" federal lawmakers also don't deserve to keep their seats in Congress. Advertisement
The survey was taken after the first presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, during which the president was criticized for repeatedly talking over Biden, and after Trump picked up COVID-19 and underwent several days of constant treatment.
The poll found that 43% of voters said Trump deserves re-election and 29% said most members of Congress do also.
However, 60% said their home district representatives in Congress deserve to keep their seats. Gallup has found that since 1998, at least 50% of respondents have said their representative deserves re-election.
"The percentage of voters who say Trump deserves re-election to a second term is down seven percentage points from Gallup's previous measure in January -- a much different time in Trump's presidency, when confidence in the U.S. economy was high, the Senate was preparing to vote to keep Trump in office during his impeachment trial, and only a few cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the U.S.," Gallup wrote.
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Politically, 93% of Republicans, 36% of independents and 3% of Democrats said Trump deserves a second term.
Trump and Biden will face off in their final debate of the 2020 campaign on Thursday night, but whatever the outcome, Gallup says it will unlikely be enough to move the needle with voters.
"Historically, debates have rarely changed voter preferences."
Recent surveys have showed Trump winning small majorities for his handling of the economy and his recent nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., for Thursday's survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points.
2020 election: scenes from final stretch of presidential campaign


upi--2020-10-22--Supreme Court rejects COVID-19-related curbside voting in Alabama

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- The Supreme Court has upheld an effort by Alabama state officials to ban curbside voting , which would allow voters with impaired mobility or those vulnerable to COVID-19 to cast ballots from their vehicles .
In an order late Wednesday , the court 's five-member conservative majority permanently stayed a lower court ruling that permitted the curbside voting , which allows impaired voters to hand off their ballots to an election worker outside polling places .
The majority issued no comment or explanation with the order .
Justices Sonia Sotomayor , Stephen Breyer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining liberal members , voted against the stay .
Jefferson and Montgomery counties in Alabama had planned to allow curbside voting as a safety precaution for voters vulnerable to COVID-19 -- as the state does not require face masks at polling places .
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill barred the practice in May , leading to a lawsuit from several at-risk voters .
A federal court ruled that Merrill 's move violated the Americans with Disabilities Act , and said a state policy allowing , but not requiring , counties to permit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appealed to the Supreme Court , which in July temporarily blocked the appellate ruling .
Sotomayor wrote in dissent that Merrill `` does not meaningfully dispute that the plaintiffs have disabilities , that COVID-19 is disproportionately likely to be fatal to these plaintiffs , and that traditional-in-person voting will meaningfully increase their risk of exposure . ''
She also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed curbside voting as an appropriate pandemic-related measure .
Republicans nationwide , including President Donald Trump , have been criticized in recent months and accused @ @ @ @ @ @

A voter waits in line to cast an early ballot at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax, Va., on Monday. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court has upheld an effort by Alabama state officials to ban curbside voting, which would allow voters with impaired mobility or those vulnerable to COVID-19 to cast ballots from their vehicles. In an order late Wednesday, the court's five-member conservative majority permanently stayed a lower court ruling that permitted the curbside voting, which allows impaired voters to hand off their ballots to an election worker outside polling places. Advertisement
The majority issued no comment or explanation with the order.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan, the court's only remaining liberal members, voted against the stay.
Jefferson and Montgomery counties in Alabama had planned to allow curbside voting as a safety precaution for voters vulnerable to COVID-19 -- as the state does not require face masks at polling places.
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill barred the practice in May, leading to a lawsuit from several at-risk voters.
A federal court ruled that Merrill's move violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, and said a state policy allowing, but not requiring, counties to permit curbside voting was reasonable.
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The state appealed to the Supreme Court, which in July temporarily blocked the appellate ruling.
Sotomayor wrote in dissent that Merrill "does not meaningfully dispute that the plaintiffs have disabilities, that COVID-19 is disproportionately likely to be fatal to these plaintiffs, and that traditional-in-person voting will meaningfully increase their risk of exposure."
She also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed curbside voting as an appropriate pandemic-related measure.
Republicans nationwide, including President Donald Trump, have been criticized in recent months and accused of trying to suppress voting.


upi--2020-10-22--AEW Dynamite: Chris Jericho, MJF perform musical number, tournament begins

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- Chris Jericho and MJF gave a theatrical performance of `` Me and My Shadow '' on AEW Dynamite .
The duo met for a steak dinner on Wednesday to discuss MJF possibly joining Jericho 's group , The Inner Circle .
The segment was titled Le Dinner Debonair .
MJF and Jericho kept trying to one-up each other by ordering increasingly rare steak .
Jericho then stated that a town hall meeting with The Inner Circle will be held next week to figure out the general consensus as to whether or not MJF should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MJF then broke out into their rendition of `` Me and My Shadow . ''
The grapplers sang the song without any assistance and were joined by a number of dancers wearing gold dresses .
The Broadway-like performance featured lyrics poking fun at TNT Champion Cody and ended with Jericho and MJF back at the dinner table where they were disappointed at just how rare their steaks were .
Also on Dynamite , the World Title Eliminator Tournament began with four matches taking place in the first round .
The finals of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gear pay-per-view event on Nov. 7 .
The winner will get to challenge for the AEW World Championship , currently held by Jon Moxley .
The champ will be defending his title against Eddie Kingston in an I Quit Match at Full Gear .
Wardlow , the bodyguard of MJF , faced Jungle Boy first as part of the tournament and won the match after performing the F-10 twice to earn the three count .
Kenny Omega was in action against Sonny Kiss as the first round of the tournament continued .
Omega @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Janela was exposed to a known COVID-19 positive person and was kept off the show .
Omega arrived to the ring with a new attitude and entrance that included women dancing with brooms to symbolize his nickname as The Cleaner .
Omega won the match in convincing fashion as he immediately nailed Kiss with the V-trigger followed by the One-Winged Angel to win the match in mere seconds .
Hangman Adam Page , the former tag team partner of Omega , also won his tournament match by defeating Colt Cabana .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Penta El Zero M , faced each other as part of the tournament in a highly-competitive match which Fenix won with a Destroyer .
The Young Bucks , Private Party , John Silver and Alex Reynolds of The Dark Order and The Butcher and The Blade competed in a Four-Way Tag Team match to determine who will face FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Full Gear .
The Young Bucks won after Matt Jackson was able to reverse a roll up pin into his own on Private Party 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bucks afterwards along with their manager Tully Blanchard who used a steel chair during the attack .
FTR placed Jackson 's leg into a steel chair and crashed down onto it from the top turnbuckle , hoping to inflict a serious injury .

Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Chris Jericho and MJF gave a theatrical performance of "Me and My Shadow" on AEW Dynamite.
The duo met for a steak dinner on Wednesday to discuss MJF possibly joining Jericho's group, The Inner Circle. The segment was titled Le Dinner Debonair.
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MJF and Jericho kept trying to one-up each other by ordering increasingly rare steak. Jericho then stated that a town hall meeting with The Inner Circle will be held next week to figure out the general consensus as to whether or not MJF should join the group.
Le Champion and MJF then broke out into their rendition of "Me and My Shadow." The grapplers sang the song without any assistance and were joined by a number of dancers wearing gold dresses.
The Broadway-like performance featured lyrics poking fun at TNT Champion Cody and ended with Jericho and MJF back at the dinner table where they were disappointed at just how rare their steaks were.
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Also on Dynamite, the World Title Eliminator Tournament began with four matches taking place in the first round.
The finals of the tournament will take place at the Full Gear pay-per-view event on Nov. 7. The winner will get to challenge for the AEW World Championship, currently held by Jon Moxley. The champ will be defending his title against Eddie Kingston in an I Quit Match at Full Gear.
Wardlow, the bodyguard of MJF, faced Jungle Boy first as part of the tournament and won the match after performing the F-10 twice to earn the three count.
Kenny Omega was in action against Sonny Kiss as the first round of the tournament continued. Omega was originally scheduled to face Joey Janela but Janela was exposed to a known COVID-19 positive person and was kept off the show.
Omega arrived to the ring with a new attitude and entrance that included women dancing with brooms to symbolize his nickname as The Cleaner. Omega won the match in convincing fashion as he immediately nailed Kiss with the V-trigger followed by the One-Winged Angel to win the match in mere seconds.
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Hangman Adam Page, the former tag team partner of Omega, also won his tournament match by defeating Colt Cabana.
The Lucha Bros., consisting of Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M, faced each other as part of the tournament in a highly-competitive match which Fenix won with a Destroyer.
The Young Bucks, Private Party, John Silver and Alex Reynolds of The Dark Order and The Butcher and The Blade competed in a Four-Way Tag Team match to determine who will face FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Full Gear.
The Young Bucks won after Matt Jackson was able to reverse a roll up pin into his own on Private Party's Isiah Kassidy. FTR attacked The Young Bucks afterwards along with their manager Tully Blanchard who used a steel chair during the attack.
FTR placed Jackson's leg into a steel chair and crashed down onto it from the top turnbuckle, hoping to inflict a serious injury.
In addition, Dr. Britt Baker defeated Kilynn King on Dynamite.


upi--2020-10-22--Former Bears DE Aaron Lynch ends retirement, to rejoin Jaguars

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- Former Chicago Bears defensive end Aaron Lynch has ended his retirement and is set to rejoin the Jacksonville Jaguars .
Lynch was reinstated on Wednesday from the NFL 's reserve/retired list and added to the Jaguars ' exempt list .
He now needs to go through five days of COVID-19 testing as part of the league 's protocol .
Lynch could be eligible to report to the Jaguars facility as soon as Monday .
The 6-foot-5 , 285-pound defensive end entered the league as a fifth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bears before the 2018 season .
He signed with the Jaguars on May 5 before he retired three months later due to personal reasons .
Lynch , 27 , had a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2015 .
He had six total tackles , three tackles for a loss , two sacks and two passes defensed in 16 games during his final season in 2019 with the Bears .
The South Florida product has 105 total tackles , 36 tackles for a loss , 20 sacks , 10 passes defensed , an interception and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has 22 career starts .
The Jaguars face the Los Angeles Chargers at 4:25 p.m. EDT on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood , Calif .

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Former Chicago Bears defensive end Aaron Lynch retired in August due to personal reasons, but was reinstated on Wednesday. File Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Former Chicago Bears defensive end Aaron Lynch has ended his retirement and is set to rejoin the Jacksonville Jaguars. Lynch was reinstated on Wednesday from the NFL's reserve/retired list and added to the Jaguars' exempt list. He now needs to go through five days of COVID-19 testing as part of the league's protocol. Lynch could be eligible to report to the Jaguars facility as soon as Monday. Advertisement
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive end entered the league as a fifth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2014 NFL Draft. Lynch joined the Bears before the 2018 season. He signed with the Jaguars on May 5 before he retired three months later due to personal reasons.
Lynch, 27, had a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2015. He had six total tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks and two passes defensed in 16 games during his final season in 2019 with the Bears.
The South Florida product has 105 total tackles, 36 tackles for a loss, 20 sacks, 10 passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery in 73 career appearances. He has 22 career starts.
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The Jaguars face the Los Angeles Chargers at 4:25 p.m. EDT on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.


upi--2020-10-22--Watch live: Trump, Biden square off in final presidential debate

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- With 12 days left before Election Day , President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are set to square off in person in Tennessee for the final time Thursday night .
The debate will begin at 9 p.m. EDT and will last for 90 minutes .
It will be held at Belmont University in Nashville .
Thursday 's debate was supposed to be the third of the 2020 campaign , but the Oct. 15 event in Miami was canceled after the Trump refused to participate .
He backed out of the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a virtual format in response to his COVID-19 diagnosis days before .
NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker will moderate Thursday 's debate , which will touch on issues of leadership , COVID-19 , national security , climate change , race and families .
Trump said Wednesday he thought it was `` unfair '' the debate was n't focused entirely on foreign affairs .
The commission said Monday it will mute each candidate 's microphone to allow the other to speak uninterrupted at the start of each segment .
The change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first debate in Cleveland on Sept. 29 , which devolved into a shouting match at several points .

From left to right, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand onstage as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Joe Biden gets a hug from his wife, Jill Biden, after the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville on Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Thursday night during the final presidential debate that anyone responsible for as many deaths as President Donald Trump has overseen during the COVID-19 pandemic should not be president. In the opening section of Thursday's debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Biden cited the 222,977 Americans who have died in the pandemic, which has also sickened 8.4 million people in the country, as he criticized Trump's response to the virus. Advertisement
"If you hear nothing else I say tonight, hear this: Anyone who's responsible for not taking control, in fact ... saying 'I take no responsibility' initially, anyone who's responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America," Biden said.
The former vice president went on to say that Trump has "no comprehensive plan" to respond to the virus. If Biden were elected, he said he would encourage Americans to wear masks, implement rapid testing and set up national standards to safely open schools and businesses.
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Trump asserted that his administration has managed to control the virus, stating that spikes in states such as Florida, Arizona and Texas are "now gone" and surges in other states will "soon be gone."
"It will go away and, as I say, we're rounding the turn, we're rounding the corner. It's going away," the president said.
In fact, on Thursday, Florida saw it's highest single-day increase in cases since Aug. 15. Arizona health experts said Wednesday the state is experiencing a surge. Texas is mobilizing medical equipment and personnel to fight a record number of cases in El Paso.
Trump said that in the meantime, a vaccine will be available "within weeks," citing developments by pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer, while later stating that his comment was "not a guarantee."
The president also said Americans are "learning to live with the virus" while declaring he would not shut down the country again in response to rising cases.
"We can't close our nation," Trump said. "We can't lock ourselves up in a basement like Joe does."
Biden countered the president's statement about Americans learning to adapt to the virus, citing projections that 200,000 more Americans may die.
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"He says, 'we're learning to live with it.' People are learning to die with it," Biden said.
Immigration
Candidates responded Thursday night to filings released earlier this week stating that court-appointed lawyers have been unable to contact the parents of 545 migrant children who were separated from their families by U.S. border officials.
Trump said his administration is working "very hard" to locate the children but accused some migrants of attempting to use children that are not their own to enter the United States.
"Children are brought here by coyotes and lots of bad people, cartels and they're brought here and they used to use them to get into our country," Trump said.
Biden disputed Trump's claims, insisting that the children came to the U.S. border with their parents and were separated under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy to serve as a disincentive for attempting to enter the country.
"Coyotes didn't bring them over, their parents were with them. They got separated from their parents," Biden said. "And it makes us a laughing stock and violates every notion of who we are as a nation."
Trump touted progress on the physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border and accused Biden and former President Barack Obama of building cages at the border to hold migrant children.
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The president also accused Biden of failing to make significant progress on immigration reform during his eight years as vice president.
Biden responded to criticism of the Obama administration's immigration policy saying "it took too long to get it right" and stating he would take swift action as president.
"I've made it very clear within 100 days I'm going to send to the United States Congress a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people. And all of those so-called 'Dreamers,' those DACA kids, they're going to be immediately certified again to be able to stay in this country and put on a path to citizenship," Biden said.
Election security
Trump and Biden also responded to a report by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe that Iran and Russia have obtained voter information ahead of the U.S. presidential election and that Tehran was behind an email campaign to intimidate Democratic voters.
Ratcliffe on Wednesday said the emails were meant to harm Trump but did not elaborate how, as the emails were sent to Democratic voters, threatening them against voting for Biden.
The president said that he "knew all about" the election interference efforts and claimed Ratliffe told him the countries wanted Trump to lose the election.
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"He said, 'the one thing that's common to both of them, they both want you to lose because there has been nobody tougher to Russia,'" Trump said.
Biden said that he would impose consequences on country's that interfere with America's elections.
"They will pay a price if I'm elected," Biden said of China, Russia and Iran. "They're interfering with American sovereignty. That's what's going on."
Healthcare
Trump repeated his assertion that he would seek to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which faces a challenge in the Supreme Court, but did not provide specific details of his healthcare plan.
"I'd like to terminate Obamacare, come up with a brand-new, beautiful healthcare. The Democrats will do it because there'll be tremendous pressure on them, and we might even have the House by that time," Trump said.
He also alleged that the ACA "no longer is Obamacare" after he removed the individual mandate, which requires people to carry a minimum level of health insurance coverage with a tax penalty imposed against those who do not comply, as part of Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
"Through the legislature, I terminated the individual mandate, that is the worst part of Obamacare as we call it," Trump said.
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Trump has repeatedly pledged he would continue protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions provided in the ACA, although Biden said he had "no way" of doing that.
The president also accused Biden of seeking to implement "socialized medicine," which Biden denied.
"I think healthcare is not a privilege it's a right. Everyone should have the right to have affordable healthcare," Biden said.
Biden again described his plan as a modification of Obamacare that would include a so-called public option, that would provide a government-funded health insurance option to compete with private plans.
He added his healthcare plan, which he said would cost $750 billion over 10 years, would seek to reduce premiums and reduce drug prices by introducing competition.
Climate change
Trump said he would strive for a clean environment but added he believes the U.S. economy would suffer if it commits to stricter global standards on environmental issues.
"So we have the trillion trees program. We have so many different programs. I do love the environment, but what I want is the cleanest, crystal clear water, the cleanest air," Trump said.
The president also defended his decision to exit the Paris climate accord, criticizing other nations as primary polluters.
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"Look at China. How filthy it is. Look at Russia, look at India. It's filthy. The air is filthy," Trump said. "The Paris accord. I took us out because we were going to have to spend trillions of dollars and we were treated very unfairly ... It would have destroyed our businesses."
Biden described global warming as an "existential threat to humanity," adding that Americans have "a moral obligation to deal with it."
"We're going to pass the point of no return within the next eight, 10 years," Biden said, citing scientists. "Four more years of this man, eliminating all the regulations that were put in by us to clean up the climate ... will put us in a position where we are going to be in real trouble."
He also restated his commitment to rejoin the Paris climate accord and said his plans would create new jobs in the clean-energy industry.
"The whole idea of what this is all going to do, it's going to create millions of jobs and it's going to clean the environment. Our health and our jobs are at stake," Biden said.
Race in America
Trump touted his administration's achievements on race relations, specifically citing criminal justice reform efforts, funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the establishment of so-called Opportunity Zones.
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"Nobody has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump," he said. "And if you look, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln ... nobody has done what I've done."
Trump also again accused Biden of doing a "poor job" in making significant strides on race during his time as president, saying "I ran because of you."
Biden criticized Trump for his rhetoric on race, including his condemnation of the Black Lives Matter movement, stating the president "pours fuel on every single racist fire, every single one."
He also responded to Trump's repeated criticism of his support for crime bills in the 1980s and 1990s, calling the support of legislation that incarcerated people for drug offenses "a mistake."
"I've been trying to change it since then, particularly the portion on cocaine," Biden said. "That's why I've been arguing that, in fact, we should not send anyone to jail for a pure drug offense. They should be going into treatment across the board."
Thursday's debate was supposed to be the third of the 2020 campaign, but the Oct. 15 event in Miami was canceled after Trump refused to participate. He backed out of the debate because the Commission on Presidential Debates switched to a virtual format in response to his COVID-19 diagnosis days before.
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NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker moderated Thursday's debate before a small audience.
Trump said Wednesday he thought it was "unfair" the debate wasn't to be focused entirely on foreign affairs.


upi--2020-10-22--Epsilon wobbles toward Bermuda as major hurricane

Oct. 21 -- Hurricane Epsilon was wobbling toward Bermuda early Thursday after reaching major hurricane status a day prior .
The Category 3 storm has maximum sustained winds of 115 mph , the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory at 5 a.m. EDT Thursday .
The eye of the storm was located about 260 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and was moving northwest at 7 mph .
Epsilon has been wobbling since Wednesday night but is forecast to make its closest approach to Bermuda Thursday evening , the NHC said .
`` Small fluctuations in intensity are possible through this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to begin later today and continue into the weekend , '' the advisory said .
Though the closest it is expected to get to Bermuda will still be far east of the island , Epsilon is forecast to impact the British territory with tropical storm conditions later Thursday .
The 26th storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season strengthened into a hurricane on Tuesday night and continued to rapidly intensify throughout the remainder of the night and early on Wednesday .
On Wednesday afternoon , it became just the fourth major hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outward from the storm 's center by about 25 miles , but tropical-storm-force winds extended even further at about 435 miles .
`` By definition , Epsilon has rapidly intensified , its intensity increasing more than 30 kt [ 35 mph ] during the past 24 hours , '' the NHC said in its early Wednesday advisory when winds had picked up to 85 mph .
The hurricane 's well-defined eye was visible on satellite images on Wednesday as it churned 340 miles east-southeast of Bermuda .
The Bermuda Weather Service upgraded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bermuda .
The latest indications are for the storm and the hurricane-force winds near its core to stay east of the islands with tropical-storm conditions anticipated .
However , a shift in the track farther to the west by as little as a few dozen miles could put the eyewall and its damaging winds and torrential rain over the islands .
For only the second time in recorded history , the Atlantic Basin spawned a storm named Epsilon on Monday , within 3 hours after it developed into a tropical depression .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusually late storm , and it formed just before the official end of hurricane season on Nov. 30 in the open Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 29 , 2005 .
It went on to strengthen into Hurricane Epsilon on Dec. 2 .
By the time winds subsided back below hurricane strength on Dec. 7 , it had become the longest-lived December hurricane on record .
The formation of Epsilon brought this season even closer to the record of 28 named storms set in 2005 -- the only other year to use the Greek alphabet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10th hurricane to develop in the basin this season .
Epsilon formed in 2020 over a month earlier than the previous record holder .
Now , only one Greek letter , Zeta , that has been used before to name a tropical system will remain on the list for the next tropical storm that brews .
After that , should storms continue to form through the end of the year , it would be uncharted territory .
AccuWeather is rating Epsilon less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes for Bermuda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company in 2019 to offer a more comprehensive outlook for tropical storm and hurricane impacts than the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale .
The current forecast would bring a glancing blow to the nation , with tropical-storm-force winds ( 39-73 mph ) , gusts and occasional downpours from the outer bands of the system .
`` In this scenario , damage and adverse impacts would likely be isolated , but some downed tree limbs and power lines as well as localized street and poor drainage flooding would remain possible , '' AccuWeather senior meteorologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meteorologists warn that residents should still prepare for the worst .
`` It 's still possible that the system tracks a little farther west and makes a direct hit on Bermuda as a hurricane , '' Miller warned .
Back in mid-September , Hurricane Paulette ended up making a direct hit on the island as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale .
Paulette became the first storm to make landfall in Bermuda since Hurricane Gonzalo on Oct.17 , 2014 .
Paulette ended up causing an island-wide power outage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for days .
`` For a small island like Bermuda out in the middle of the ocean , small changes in the track , size and intensity of a storm can all have a big effect on the impacts , '' Miller said .
`` The time to make preparations is now , before you realize a dangerous storm is in fact bearing down on you and it 's too late . ''
The fall of 2014 was also the last and only time that Bermuda endured two direct hits from hurricanes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made landfall in Bermuda less than a week before Gonzalo .

Forecasters warned that large swells generated by Hurricane Epsilon will affect the eastern coast of the United States over the next few days. Photo courtesy of NOAA
Oct. 25 -- Hurricane Epsilon headed northeast away from the U.S. mainland and was projected to become a powerful post-tropical cyclone by Sunday night. In its 9 p.m. GMT update Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said Epsilon had 70 mph maximum sustained winds. The storm was 420 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland, and was moving east-northeast at 46 mph. Advertisement
No coastal watches or warnings are in effect.
A faster east-northeastward to northeastward motion is expected later Sunday through Monday.
The 26th storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season strengthened into a hurricane on Tuesday night and continued to rapidly intensify throughout the remainder of the night and early on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, it became the fourth major hurricane of the season when its maximum sustained winds peaked at 115 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended outward from the storm's center by about 25 miles, but tropical-storm force winds extended even farther out from the center at about 310 miles.
For the second time in recorded history, the Atlantic Basin spawned a storm named Epsilon on Monday, within 3 hours after it developed into a tropical depression.
The only other Epsilon in history was an unusually late storm, and it formed just before the official end of hurricane season on Nov. 30 in the open Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 29, 2005. It went on to strengthen into Hurricane Epsilon on Dec. 2. By the time winds subsided back below hurricane strength on Dec. 7, it had become the longest-lived December hurricane on record.
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The formation of Epsilon brought this season even closer to the record of 28 named storms set in 2005 -- the only other year to use the Greek alphabet to name storms. Epsilon is the 10th hurricane to develop in the basin this season.
Epsilon formed in 2020 over a month earlier than the previous record holder. Now, only one Greek letter, Zeta, that has been used before to name a tropical system will remain on the list for the next tropical storm that brews. After that, should storms continue to form through the end of the year, it would be uncharted territory.
AccuWeather is rating Epsilon less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes for Bermuda. The scale was created by the company in 2019 to offer a more comprehensive outlook for tropical storm and hurricane impacts than the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The fall of 2014 was also the last and only time that Bermuda endured two direct hits from hurricanes in the same season, when Hurricane Fay made landfall in Bermuda less than a week before Gonzalo.


upi--2020-10-22--U.S. designates 6 more Chinese media companies as foreign missions

Oct. 22 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. State Department has designated six more Chinese media companies operating in the United States as foreign missions .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the move Wednesday during a press briefing in Washington , D.C. , describing it as `` pushing back '' against Chinese communist propaganda within U.S. borders .
`` We 're not placing any restrictions on what these outlets can publish in the United States , '' he said .
`` We simply want to ensure that American people , consumers of information , can differentiate between news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distributed by the Chinese Communist Party itself . ''
The State Department in a statement listed the U.S. operations of Yicai Global , Jiefang Daily , Xinmin Evening News , Social Sciences in China Press , Beijing Review and Economic Daily as newly designated foreign missions .
`` These six entities all meet the definition of a foreign mission under the Foreign Missions Act in that they are 'substantially owned or effectively controlled ' by a foreign government , '' said Morgan Ortagus , the State Department spokeswoman .
`` In this case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government of the People 's Republic of China . ''
The designation requires the companies to register with the United States as if they were an embassy or consulate and disclose to the Office of Foreign Missions within the State Department information about their employees , including where they live .
It also requires them to get approval from the State Department before buying or leasing real estate .
The designation `` simply recognizes them for what they are -- PRC-controlled propaganda outlets , '' said Ortagus .
Pompeo added during the press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borrell , the high representative of the European Union , on Friday when he will launch a U.S.-EU dialogue on China .
Then on Sunday , he will be starting a tour of India , Sri Lanka , the Maldives and Indonesia , Pompeo said .
`` I 'm sure that my meetings will also include discussions on how free nations can work together to thwart threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party , '' Pompeo said .
The Trump administration has designated a total of 15 Chinese media organizations operating in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feb. 18 and four on June 22 .
In March , Pompeo imposed a cap on the number of employees these Chinese state-run media could employ .
The moves have attracted harsh comments and retaliatory measures from China , including expelling journalists from several U.S. news organizations and ordering certain U.S. bureaus in the Asian nation to hand over information about their staff , finances , operations and real estate .

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Wednesday designated six more Chinese media firms operating in the United States as foreign missions for a total of 15 since February. Photo by Greg Nash/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department has designated six more Chinese media companies operating in the United States as foreign missions. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the move Wednesday during a press briefing in Washington, D.C., describing it as "pushing back" against Chinese communist propaganda within U.S. borders. Advertisement
"We're not placing any restrictions on what these outlets can publish in the United States," he said. "We simply want to ensure that American people, consumers of information, can differentiate between news written by a free press and propaganda distributed by the Chinese Communist Party itself."
The State Department in a statement listed the U.S. operations of Yicai Global, Jiefang Daily, Xinmin Evening News, Social Sciences in China Press, Beijing Review and Economic Daily as newly designated foreign missions.
"These six entities all meet the definition of a foreign mission under the Foreign Missions Act in that they are 'substantially owned or effectively controlled' by a foreign government," said Morgan Ortagus, the State Department spokeswoman. "In this case, they are effectively controlled by the government of the People's Republic of China."
The designation requires the companies to register with the United States as if they were an embassy or consulate and disclose to the Office of Foreign Missions within the State Department information about their employees, including where they live. It also requires them to get approval from the State Department before buying or leasing real estate.
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The designation "simply recognizes them for what they are -- PRC-controlled propaganda outlets," said Ortagus.
Pompeo added during the press conference that he was meeting with Josep Borrell, the high representative of the European Union, on Friday when he will launch a U.S.-EU dialogue on China. Then on Sunday, he will be starting a tour of India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia, Pompeo said.
"I'm sure that my meetings will also include discussions on how free nations can work together to thwart threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party," Pompeo said.
The Trump administration has designated a total of 15 Chinese media organizations operating in the United States since February -- five on Feb. 18 and four on June 22. In March, Pompeo imposed a cap on the number of employees these Chinese state-run media could employ.
The moves have attracted harsh comments and retaliatory measures from China, including expelling journalists from several U.S. news organizations and ordering certain U.S. bureaus in the Asian nation to hand over information about their staff, finances, operations and real estate.


upi--2020-10-22--U.S. intelligence blames Iran for emails threatening Democratic voters

Oct. 21 ( UPI ) -- Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe announced Wednesday that Iran and Russia have obtained voter information ahead of the U.S. presidential election and blamed Tehran for an email campaign to intimidate Democratic voters .
Ratcliffe appeared with FBI Director Chris Wray in a last-minute primetime event to reveal the attempts to interfere in the 2020 election .
`` Iran and Russia have taken specific actions to influence public opinion related to our elections , '' Ratcliffe said .
`` First , we have confirmed that some voter registered information has been obtained by Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` This data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will sow confusion chaos and undermine your confidence in American democracy . ''
Wray said that despite the efforts , it 's not possible for either country to change Americans ' votes .
`` You should be confident that your vote counts , '' he said .
Ratcliffe said Iranian intelligence sent `` spoof emails designed to intimidate voters , incite unrest and damage '' President Donald Trump .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would harm Trump since the emails were sent to Democratic voters , threatening them against voting for former Vice President Joe Biden .
The emails were first identified by law enforcement and elections officials in Florida and Alaska before being turned over to federal authorities , U.S. officials told The Washington Post earlier Wednesday .
`` You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you , '' the emails warned The emails were purportedly sent by the Proud Boys , which were `` in possession of all your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their party registration and cast a vote for Trump .
`` Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply , '' the emails state .
`` We will know which candidate you voted for .
I would take it seriously if I were you . ''
The Proud Boys are a far-right , male-only organization that supports Trump .
The group also has ties to White supremacy .
The emails show a sender with the address info @ officialproudboys.com but Google Cloud spokesman Ted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both said the domain was recently dropped from Google Cloud Services , leaving it without a secure host and potentially vulnerable to outside exploitation .
`` There is no reason for us to send an email like that .
To whoever did this , I condemn these people , '' Tarrio said , adding he believes the email address was `` spoofed . ''
Officials in Florida 's Alachua County and the Alaska Democratic Party said they were made aware of the emails on Tuesday morning and that the FBI had since become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post also reported instances of individual voters in Pennsylvania and Arizona receiving the emails , seemingly targeting Democrats using digital databases .
`` The email appears to be a scam and we will be initiating an investigation into the source of the email along with assistance from our partners on the federal level , '' Alachua County Sheriff 's Office officials said .
Cristopher C. Krebs , director of the Department of Homeland Security 's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , said his office was aware of the emails while tweeting a warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ballot secrecy is guaranteed by law in all states , '' Krebs wrote .
`` These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters ' confidence in our elections . ''
Following the news conference , Democrats were quick to refute Ratcliffe 's assertion about the emails ' target , questioning whether his assessment that they were intended to harm Trump was founded in facts or just partisan spin .
`` DO NOT listen to Ratcliffe .
Partisan hack , '' Democrats of the House homeland security committee said in a now-deleted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` TO CLARIFY : These election interference operations are clearly not meant to harm President Trump . ''
`` Ratcliffe has TOO OFTEN politicized the Intelligence community to carry water for the President , '' it said .
Rep. Adam Schiff , chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , told MSNBC that the intention by Iran in the two examples Ratcliffe gave concerning Tehran 's election interference were unclear , especially since fears over mail-in ballots is a `` Trump talking point . ''
`` So , we do n't know whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's the assessment of the analysts , '' he said .
In early August , the National Cyber Security Center issued a statement that it assessed Iran and China were attempting to influence the election , stating Russia 's goal was primarily to `` denigrate '' Trump 's Democratic challenger , former Vice President Joe Biden , while Iran `` seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions , President Trump and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections . ''
The analysis said Tehran 's motivations were driven by worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call for regime change in the Middle Eastern country .

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said Iranian intelligence attempted to harm President Donald Trump with an email campaign threatening Democrats. Pool Photo by Andrew Harnik/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe announced Wednesday that Iran and Russia have obtained voter information ahead of the U.S. presidential election and blamed Tehran for an email campaign to intimidate Democratic voters. Ratcliffe appeared with FBI Director Chris Wray in a last-minute primetime event to reveal the attempts to interfere in the 2020 election. Advertisement
"Iran and Russia have taken specific actions to influence public opinion related to our elections," Ratcliffe said.
"First, we have confirmed that some voter registered information has been obtained by Iran and separately by Russia," he said. "This data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will sow confusion chaos and undermine your confidence in American democracy."
Wray said that despite the efforts, it's not possible for either country to change Americans' votes.
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"You should be confident that your vote counts," he said.
Ratcliffe said Iranian intelligence sent "spoof emails designed to intimidate voters, incite unrest and damage" President Donald Trump. He didn't elaborate on how the effort would harm Trump since the emails were sent to Democratic voters, threatening them against voting for former Vice President Joe Biden.
The emails were first identified by law enforcement and elections officials in Florida and Alaska before being turned over to federal authorities, U.S. officials told The Washington Post earlier Wednesday.
"You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you," the emails warned
The emails were purportedly sent by the Proud Boys, which were "in possession of all your information," instructing voters to change their party registration and cast a vote for Trump.
"Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply," the emails state. "We will know which candidate you voted for. I would take it seriously if I were you."
The Proud Boys are a far-right, male-only organization that supports Trump. The group also has ties to White supremacy.
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The emails show a sender with the address [email protected] but Google Cloud spokesman Ted Ladd and Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio both said the domain was recently dropped from Google Cloud Services, leaving it without a secure host and potentially vulnerable to outside exploitation.
"There is no reason for us to send an email like that. To whoever did this, I condemn these people," Tarrio said, adding he believes the email address was "spoofed."
Officials in Florida's Alachua County and the Alaska Democratic Party said they were made aware of the emails on Tuesday morning and that the FBI had since become involved in the investigation. The Washington Post also reported instances of individual voters in Pennsylvania and Arizona receiving the emails, seemingly targeting Democrats using digital databases.
"The email appears to be a scam and we will be initiating an investigation into the source of the email along with assistance from our partners on the federal level," Alachua County Sheriff's Office officials said.
Cristopher C. Krebs, director of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said his office was aware of the emails while tweeting a warning on election-related rumors.
"FACT: Ballot secrecy is guaranteed by law in all states," Krebs wrote. "These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters' confidence in our elections."
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Following the news conference, Democrats were quick to refute Ratcliffe's assertion about the emails' target, questioning whether his assessment that they were intended to harm Trump was founded in facts or just partisan spin.
"DO NOT listen to Ratcliffe. Partisan hack," Democrats of the House homeland security committee said in a now-deleted tweet, which was followed up with, "TO CLARIFY: These election interference operations are clearly not meant to harm President Trump."
"Ratcliffe has TOO OFTEN politicized the Intelligence community to carry water for the President," it said.
Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told MSNBC that the intention by Iran in the two examples Ratcliffe gave concerning Tehran's election interference were unclear, especially since fears over mail-in ballots is a "Trump talking point."
"So, we don't know whether this is Ratcliffe's spin or whether it's the assessment of the analysts," he said.
In early August, the National Cyber Security Center issued a statement that it assessed Iran and China were attempting to influence the election, stating Russia's goal was primarily to "denigrate" Trump's Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, while Iran "seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections."
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The analysis said Tehran's motivations were driven by worry that Trump's re-election could see a call for regime change in the Middle Eastern country.


upi--2020-10-22--Fantasy football: Murray, Rodgers top Week 7 quarterback rankings

Aaron Rodgers , Patrick Mahomes , Russell Wilson and Justin Herbert round out my Top 5 options for Week 7 .
Josh Allen , Tom Brady , Ben Roethlisberger , Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson land in my Top 10 .
I also would consider starting Teddy Bridgewater , Andy Dalton and Kyle Allen this week if you are desperate at the position .
Monitor the status for each of your players ' games this week as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the NFL schedule .
Minnesota Vikings , Miami Dolphins , Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts players should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as those teams have Week 7 byes .
Check out my weekly waiver wire article for options of players to add at each position .
Here are some of my favorite players in this week 's top 20 quarterback rankings : The Arizona Cardinals ' Kyler Murray threw two touchdown passes and ran for 74 yards and a touchdown in Week 6 .
He is my No .
1 quarterback for Week 7 as he heads into a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks .
The Seahawks have allowed the second-most fantasy points per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona Cardinals and Seahawks to have a shootout , with Murray reaching the end zone at least once on the ground and twice through the air .
He is an elite option for the rest of the season .
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is my No .
2 option .
Rodgers threw at least two touchdown passes in each of his first four games this season before he failed to reach the end zone in Week 6 .
I expect the future Hall of Famer to rebound this week with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have allowed 13 touchdown passes and have just one interception this season .
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has eight touchdown passes over his last three games .
I expect him to throw for three more scores in Week 7 when the Buccaneers battle the Las Vegas Raiders .
The Raiders are tied for allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks .
Brady is my No .
7 option for Week 7 .
Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is my No .
11 option .
Bridgewater is a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in as he heads into a matchup against the New Orleans Saints , who have allowed the second-most passing scores this season despite already having their bye week .
The Saints have also allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks .
I expect Bridgewater to throw at least two touchdown passes .
Andy Dalton had a forgettable debut on Monday for the Dallas Cowboys , but I expect the veteran quarterback to improve down the stretch .
Dalton should be a usable bye week fill in if you are desperate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throw at least two touchdown passes this week when the Cowboys face the Washington Football Team .
Washington has tied for allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks .
Dalton is my No .
18 option .
Kyle Allen is another player who should only by in your Week 7 lineup if you are desperate at quarterback .
Allen threw two touchdown passes in Week 6 .
The Washington Football Team quarterback should post similar statistics in Week 7 when Washington battles the Dallas Cowboys , who just allowed Kyler Murray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cowboys have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and have allowed the most points in the NFL , on a per-game basis .
Allen is my No .
20 quarterback for Week 7 .

1/3
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has been one of the best fantasy football players this season and is my No. 1 quarterback for Week 7. File Photo by Bruce Gordon/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Kyler Murray tops my Week 7 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2020. Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Justin Herbert round out my Top 5 options for Week 7. Josh Allen, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson land in my Top 10. Advertisement
I also would consider starting Teddy Bridgewater, Andy Dalton and Kyle Allen this week if you are desperate at the position.
Monitor the status for each of your players' games this week as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the NFL schedule. Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts players should be removed from all starting lineups, as those teams have Week 7 byes.
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Check out my weekly waiver wire article for options of players to add at each position.
Here are some of my favorite players in this week's top 20 quarterback rankings:
TOP SHELF
The Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray threw two touchdown passes and ran for 74 yards and a touchdown in Week 6. He is my No. 1 quarterback for Week 7 as he heads into a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
I expect the Arizona Cardinals and Seahawks to have a shootout, with Murray reaching the end zone at least once on the ground and twice through the air. He is an elite option for the rest of the season.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is my No. 2 option. Rodgers threw at least two touchdown passes in each of his first four games this season before he failed to reach the end zone in Week 6.
I expect the future Hall of Famer to rebound this week with a three-touchdown performance against the Houston Texans, who have allowed 13 touchdown passes and have just one interception this season.
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SNEAKY PLAYS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has eight touchdown passes over his last three games. I expect him to throw for three more scores in Week 7 when the Buccaneers battle the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are tied for allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
Brady is my No. 7 option for Week 7.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is my No. 11 option. Bridgewater is a great streaming option or a bye week fill in as he heads into a matchup against the New Orleans Saints, who have allowed the second-most passing scores this season despite already having their bye week.
The Saints have also allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. I expect Bridgewater to throw at least two touchdown passes.
LONGSHOTS
Andy Dalton had a forgettable debut on Monday for the Dallas Cowboys, but I expect the veteran quarterback to improve down the stretch. Dalton should be a usable bye week fill in if you are desperate for a quarterback.
I expect Dalton to throw at least two touchdown passes this week when the Cowboys face the Washington Football Team. Washington has tied for allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Dalton is my No. 18 option.
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Kyle Allen is another player who should only by in your Week 7 lineup if you are desperate at quarterback.
Allen threw two touchdown passes in Week 6. The Washington Football Team quarterback should post similar statistics in Week 7 when Washington battles the Dallas Cowboys, who just allowed Kyler Murray to light up their defense.
The Cowboys have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and have allowed the most points in the NFL, on a per-game basis. Allen is my No. 19 quarterback for Week 7.
Week 7 fantasy football quarterback rankings
1. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. SEA
2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers at HOU
3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs at DEN
4. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks at ARI
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers vs. JAX
6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills at NYJ
7. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at LV
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers at TEN
9. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions at ATL
10. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans vs. GB
11. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers at NO
12. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. DET
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13. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs. CAR
14. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals vs. CLE
15. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns at CIN
16. Cam Newton, New England Patriots vs. SF
17. Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars at LAC
18. Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys at WAS
19. Kyle Allen, Washington Football Team vs. DAL
20. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans vs. PIT