cnbc--2020-10-24--Trump votes early in Florida as 2020 campaign enters final days

President Donald Trump leaves the polling station after casting his ballot at the Palm Beach County Public Library , during early voting for the November 3 election , in West Palm Beach , Florida , on October 24 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump cast his early ballot in West Palm Beach , Florida Saturday morning , as the 2020 presidential campaign enters its final week with tens of millions of Americans having already voted .
Trump exited the voting area at the West Palm Library while wearing a mask .
`` I voted for a guy named Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then repeated his unsubstantiated claim that in-person voting is more secure than mail-in voting .
With just about 10 days until the Nov. 3 election , more than 56 million Americans have cast their votes early , about 38.6 million by mail and around 17.5 million in person , according to the U.S .
Elections Project .
Voter turnout is already at 40.6 % of the 2016 election .
Many states have expanded mail-in voting this year as a health precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump 's repeated attacks on mail-in voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not every state reports party registration data , but numbers show that Democrats have favored vote-by-mail , while Republicans are making up ground at in-person polls now that early voting is underway .
Republicans represent 39.8 % of in-person early votes so far , while Democrats represent 37.9 % , according to the U.S .
Elections Project .
Democrats represent 45.8 % of mail-in ballots , while Republicans make up 37.3 % .
Trump departed Florida to hit a busy schedule of rallies in Lumberton , North Carolina ; Circleville , Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump will speak at another rally in Manchester , New Hampshire .
The president 's rallies have raised concern among public health experts , who fear they could become super-spreader events with coronavirus cases already hitting daily records as the nation heads into winter , the most dangerous season for viral transmission .
The Trump campaign says it provides temperature checks , masks and hand sanitizer to attendees , though many of the president 's supporters do not wear masks at the rallies .
Joe Biden 's campaign criticized Trump 's response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally in Wisconsin , a state that has been particularly hard hit in recent weeks with record hospitalizations .
`` Just this week , 47 Wisconsinites lost their lives in a single day , and the sad truth is that it did n't have to be this bad , '' the Biden-Harris campaign said .
`` President Trump knew the severity of this virus and failed to tell the American people the truth . ''
The Trump campaign defended the president 's record , pointing to the travel restrictions imposed on China at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration 's efforts to rapidly develop a vaccine .
More than 224,000 people in the U.S. have died from the virus and more than 8.5 million have been infected .
Biden and his wife Jill will are campaigning in Pennsylvania Saturday , a key swing state , where they are holding socially distanced drive-in events .

President Donald Trump after casting his ballot at the Palm Beach County Public Library in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Oct. 24, 2020.
President Donald Trump cast his early ballot in West Palm Beach, Florida Saturday morning, as the 2020 presidential campaign enters its final week with tens of millions of Americans having already voted.
Trump exited the voting area at the West Palm Library while wearing a mask.
"I voted for a guy named Trump," he told reporters. The president then repeated his unsubstantiated claim that in-person voting is more secure than mail-in voting.
With just about 10 days until the Nov. 3 election, more than 56 million Americans have cast their votes early, about 38.6 million by mail and around 17.5 million in person, according to the U.S. Elections Project. Voter turnout is already at 40.6% of the 2016 election.
Many states have expanded mail-in voting this year as a health precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic. Trump's repeated attacks on mail-in voting may be influencing behavior among his supporters.
Not every state reports party registration data, but numbers show that Democrats have favored vote-by-mail, while Republicans are making up ground at in-person polls now that early voting is underway.
Republicans represent 39.8% of in-person early votes so far, while Democrats represent 37.9%, according to the U.S. Elections Project. Democrats represent 45.8% of mail-in ballots, while Republicans make up 37.3%.
Trump departed Florida to hit a busy schedule of rallies in Lumberton, North Carolina; Circleville, Ohio; and Waukesha, Wisconsin. Tomorrow, Trump will speak at another rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.
The president's rallies have raised concern among public health experts, who fear they could become super-spreader events with coronavirus cases already hitting daily records as the nation heads into winter, the most dangerous season for viral transmission.
The Trump campaign says it provides temperature checks, masks and hand sanitizer to attendees, though many of the president's supporters do not wear masks at the rallies.
Joe Biden's campaign criticized Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic ahead of his rally in Wisconsin, a state that has been particularly hard hit in recent weeks with record hospitalizations.
"Just this week, 47 Wisconsinites lost their lives in a single day, and the sad truth is that it didn't have to be this bad," the Biden-Harris campaign said. "President Trump knew the severity of this virus and failed to tell the American people the truth."
The Trump campaign defended the president's record, pointing to the travel restrictions imposed on China at the beginning of the pandemic and the administration's efforts to rapidly develop a vaccine.
More than 224,000 people in the U.S. have died from the virus and more than 8.5 million have been infected.
Biden and his wife Jill will are campaigning in Pennsylvania Saturday, a key swing state, where they are holding socially distanced drive-in events.


cnbc--2020-10-24--Joe Biden calls climate change the ‘number one issue facing humanity’

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participates in the final presidential debate against U.S. President Donald Trump at Belmont University on October 22 , 2020 in Nashville , Tennessee .
Joe Biden declared climate change the `` number one issue facing humanity '' and vowed a national transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy that could create millions of new jobs .
`` It 's the number one issue facing humanity .
And it 's the number one issue for me , '' Biden said of climate change during an episode of Pod Save America released Saturday .
He was interviewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisor to President Barack Obama .
`` Climate change is the existential threat to humanity , '' the former vice president said .
`` Unchecked , it is going to actually bake this planet .
This is not hyperbole .
It 's real .
And we have a moral obligation . ''
Scientists have repeatedly warned that climate-change fueled disasters will continue to get worse and parts of the world will become unlivable as global temperatures rise and governments fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the burning of oil , gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential nominee , has boasted a $ 2 trillion plan that invests significantly in clean energy in the transportation , electricity and building industry , cuts fossil fuel emissions and improves infrastructure .
Biden 's plan also puts the U.S. on a path to zero carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050 .
Coal and natural gas comprise more than 60 % of the electricity sector , according to the Energy Information Association .
`` It 's going to create millions of jobs ... We ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have on how we 're going to transition to do all this , '' Biden said of his plan on the podcast .
`` But I just think it 's a gigantic opportunity , a gigantic opportunity to create really good jobs . ''
Scientists say that Biden 's transition plan is required to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participates in the final presidential debate against U.S. President Donald Trump at Belmont University on October 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Joe Biden declared climate change the "number one issue facing humanity" and vowed a national transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy that could create millions of new jobs.
"It's the number one issue facing humanity. And it's the number one issue for me," Biden said of climate change during an episode of Pod Save America released Saturday. He was interviewed by Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama.
"Climate change is the existential threat to humanity," the former vice president said. "Unchecked, it is going to actually bake this planet. This is not hyperbole. It's real. And we have a moral obligation."
Scientists have repeatedly warned that climate-change fueled disasters will continue to get worse and parts of the world will become unlivable as global temperatures rise and governments fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the burning of oil, gas and coal.
Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, has boasted a $2 trillion plan that invests significantly in clean energy in the transportation, electricity and building industry, cuts fossil fuel emissions and improves infrastructure.
Biden's plan also puts the U.S. on a path to zero carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Coal and natural gas comprise more than 60% of the electricity sector, according to the Energy Information Association.
"It's going to create millions of jobs ... We can't be cavalier about the impact it's going to have on how we're going to transition to do all this," Biden said of his plan on the podcast. "But I just think it's a gigantic opportunity, a gigantic opportunity to create really good jobs."
Scientists say that Biden's transition plan is required to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.


cnbc--2020-10-24--These Atlanta suburbs show how Georgia has become a 2020 battleground state

`` What we 're seeing happen in the 7th Congressional District is a microcosm of what 's happening in a lot of these inner suburbs surrounding major metropolitan areas , '' said Alan Abramowitz , a political scientist at Emory University .
The competitive race in GA-7 provides a glimpse into Georgia 's shift toward a battleground state and suburban America 's changing political landscape .
Now Woodall is retiring , ushering in a fierce battle for the open House seat .
Bourdeaux is running again , facing Republican newcomer Rich McCormick in a contest that CNN has identified as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 .
Democrats are looking to consolidate their majority in the House while Republicans are hoping to defend a seat that was once one of their strongest districts .
The reliably Republican Forsyth and increasingly Democratic Gwinnett meet in Georgia 's 7th Congressional District .
In 2018 , the 7th District was the closest House election in the nation .
Incumbent Republican Rep .
Rob Woodall narrowly fended off Democratic challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux by 0.2 % after a recount .
Neighboring Gwinnett County tells a different story .
In 2016 , Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the first time Gwinnett chose a Democratic presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter in 1976 .
In 2018 , Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams won Gwinnett County by 14 percentage points .
Clink is the chairwoman of the local Democratic Party in a county that has long been a Republican stronghold .
Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential race by 71.71 % and Republican Brian Kemp won the 2018 gubernatorial race by 70.57 % .
`` We 've been working on normalizing being a Democrat in Forsyth County for quite some time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county northeast of Atlanta , Melissa Clink has been pursuing an ambitious goal .
In the last decade , the 7th District has become more racially diverse , higher educated and wealthier — all characteristics that trend Democratic .
That change has been led by Gwinnett County , which makes up the bulk of the district .
Known as a `` majority minority '' area , Gwinnett 's non-Hispanic white population is only 35.4 % and about a quarter of residents are foreign-born , according to 2019 Census estimates .
Gentrification and growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people of color out of the city and into inner-ring communities like Gwinnett , according to Emory political scientist Andra Gillespie .
It 's a phenomenon occurring in suburban areas around Atlanta and across the county , she said .
The growing non-white electorate in the state has contributed to Georgia 's shift toward battleground status .
Trump beat Clinton by a 5 % margin in 2016 , but recent polling averages show that Biden has a chance at winning Georgia .
`` Democrats in Georgia see it as a matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up with a statewide election , '' Gillespie said .
Bourdeaux is a public policy professor at Georgia State University who directed the state 's Senate Budget and Evaluation Office during the Great Recession .
She 's made universal affordable health care a focus of her platform and positioned herself as an experienced leader who can work across the aisle .
McCormick is an emergency room doctor and military veteran running on small government conservatism .
`` Rich still works the night shift in ER while he 's running for Congress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ servant 's heart , '' said campaign spokesperson John Simpson .
Bourdeaux 's opponents have painted her as an out-of-touch `` career bureaucrat '' while McCormick 's opponents have criticized his response to the coronavirus pandemic and tried to align him with Trump .
`` It 's telling that the worst Rich McCormick can come up with is that Carolyn Bourdeaux has the leadership experience to bring both parties together and get our economy back on track , '' Bourdeaux spokesperson Monica Robinson said in a statement '' Far more alarming is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear a mask at crowded events , aims to take health care away from millions , and routinely downplays a pandemic that has already taken the lives of 220,000 Americans . ''
The president endorsed McCormick , a fact that the candidate touts in his campaign 's Twitter bio , but McCormick has increasingly distanced himself from the president in a district where Trump elicits mixed feelings even among some Republicans .
`` Rich does n't speak with the president on a regular basis by any means , '' Simpson said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can defend himself . ''
Throughout his reelection campaign , Trump has claimed he 'll protect America 's suburbs from what he characterizes as `` crime and chaos in Democratic-run cities . ''
Critics say his `` law and order '' rhetoric is racially charged fear mongering .
McCormick has also embraced a `` law and order '' approach , which may appeal to some voters in majority-white Forsyth County .
`` When you see what 's going on in the Democratically controlled cities in this country ... we 're reminding voters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing for , '' said Forsyth Republican chairman Patrick Bell .
But voters who exemplify a changing version of suburbia may be turned off by the GOP 's approach .
`` What he 's not thinking about is we live in the suburbs .
This is Gwinnett County , '' said Lawrenceville resident Pamela Martinez , 68 , who identifies as Black and describes her multiracial family as the `` United Nations . ''
`` He does n't really understand that because he does n't really deal with diversity . ''

"What we're seeing happen in the 7th Congressional District is a microcosm of what's happening in a lot of these inner suburbs surrounding major metropolitan areas," said Alan Abramowitz, a political scientist at Emory University.
The competitive race in GA-7 provides a glimpse into Georgia's shift toward a battleground state and suburban America's changing political landscape.
Now Woodall is retiring, ushering in a fierce battle for the open House seat. Bourdeaux is running again, facing Republican newcomer Rich McCormick in a contest that CNN has identified as the congressional district most likely to flip in 2020. Democrats are looking to consolidate their majority in the House while Republicans are hoping to defend a seat that was once one of their strongest districts.
The reliably Republican Forsyth and increasingly Democratic Gwinnett meet in Georgia's 7th Congressional District. In 2018, the 7th District was the closest House election in the nation. Incumbent Republican Rep. Rob Woodall narrowly fended off Democratic challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux by 0.2% after a recount.
Neighboring Gwinnett County tells a different story. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county with 50.20% — the first time Gwinnett chose a Democratic presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 2018, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams won Gwinnett County by 14 percentage points.
Clink is the chairwoman of the local Democratic Party in a county that has long been a Republican stronghold. Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential race by 71.71% and Republican Brian Kemp won the 2018 gubernatorial race by 70.57%.
"We've been working on normalizing being a Democrat in Forsyth County for quite some time," she said.
In a suburban county northeast of Atlanta, Melissa Clink has been pursuing an ambitious goal.
In the last decade, the 7th District has become more racially diverse, higher educated and wealthier — all characteristics that trend Democratic.
That change has been led by Gwinnett County, which makes up the bulk of the district. Known as a "majority minority" area, Gwinnett's non-Hispanic white population is only 35.4% and about a quarter of residents are foreign-born, according to 2019 Census estimates.
Gentrification and growing immigrant enclaves in the suburbs have pushed more people of color out of the city and into inner-ring communities like Gwinnett, according to Emory political scientist Andra Gillespie. It's a phenomenon occurring in suburban areas around Atlanta and across the county, she said.
The growing non-white electorate in the state has contributed to Georgia's shift toward battleground status. Trump beat Clinton by a 5% margin in 2016, but recent polling averages show that Biden has a chance at winning Georgia.
"Democrats in Georgia see it as a matter of when, and not if, they end up with a statewide election," Gillespie said.
Bourdeaux is a public policy professor at Georgia State University who directed the state's Senate Budget and Evaluation Office during the Great Recession. She's made universal affordable health care a focus of her platform and positioned herself as an experienced leader who can work across the aisle.
McCormick is an emergency room doctor and military veteran running on small government conservatism. "Rich still works the night shift in ER while he's running for Congress. This is a guy who has a servant's heart," said campaign spokesperson John Simpson.
Bourdeaux's opponents have painted her as an out-of-touch "career bureaucrat" while McCormick's opponents have criticized his response to the coronavirus pandemic and tried to align him with Trump.
"It's telling that the worst Rich McCormick can come up with is that Carolyn Bourdeaux has the leadership experience to bring both parties together and get our economy back on track," Bourdeaux spokesperson Monica Robinson said in a statement
"Far more alarming is that Rich — an ER doctor — refuses to wear a mask at crowded events, aims to take health care away from millions, and routinely downplays a pandemic that has already taken the lives of 220,000 Americans."
The president endorsed McCormick, a fact that the candidate touts in his campaign's Twitter bio, but McCormick has increasingly distanced himself from the president in a district where Trump elicits mixed feelings even among some Republicans.
"Rich doesn't speak with the president on a regular basis by any means," Simpson said. "Rich's position is the president can defend himself."
Throughout his reelection campaign, Trump has claimed he'll protect America's suburbs from what he characterizes as "crime and chaos in Democratic-run cities." Critics say his "law and order" rhetoric is racially charged fear mongering.
McCormick has also embraced a "law and order" approach, which may appeal to some voters in majority-white Forsyth County. "When you see what's going on in the Democratically controlled cities in this country ... we're reminding voters that's what the Democratic party is certainly standing for," said Forsyth Republican chairman Patrick Bell.
But voters who exemplify a changing version of suburbia may be turned off by the GOP's approach.
"What he's not thinking about is we live in the suburbs. This is Gwinnett County," said Lawrenceville resident Pamela Martinez, 68, who identifies as Black and describes her multiracial family as the "United Nations." "He doesn't really understand that because he doesn't really deal with diversity."


cnbc--2020-10-24--Man with a van containing guns and explosives possibly planned Joe Biden assassination, court record

Man with a van containing guns and explosives possibly planned Joe Biden assassination, court records say

`` A timeline of internet searches conducted by Defendant between March and May 2020 seeking information about Joe Biden 's home address , state gun laws , rifle parts , and night vision goggles , along with actions taken by Defendant , including posting the above-mentioned meme about killing Joe Biden , purchasing an AR-15 in New Hampshire , traveling to a Wendy 's within 4 miles of Joe Biden 's home , and writing a checklist note ending with 'execute , ' `` the order said .
His actions regarding Biden and other evidence against him were cited as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge in an order signed Oct. 6 .
Treisman was indicted in late September in federal court in the Middle District of North Carolina on charges of possessing and transmitting child pornography .
`` Should I kill joe biden ? ''
Treisman posted on the meme-sharing platform iFunny on April 15 , the court order said .
Treisman traveled to within four miles of the Democratic presidential nominee 's home in Delaware earlier in May , within a month or so of the man buying an AR-15 rifle in New Hampshire , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written a checklist note ending with the word `` execute , '' a federal magistrate judge said in a court order justifying the man 's detention without bail on child pornography charges .
Alexander Hillel Treisman was arrested in North Carolina in May after police discovered his van along with five guns , explosives and more than $ 500,000 in cash .
The 19-year-old was possibly planning to assassinate former vice president and presidential candidate Joe Biden , court records show .
While Treisman has no prior criminal history , the judge concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions would reasonably assure the safety of the community , and that a preponderance of evidence establishes that no conditions would ensure Defendant 's presence in court . ''
A lawyer for Treisman did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The detention order cites testimony by an FBI agent explaining how Treisman came to be the subject of a criminal investigation that uncovered the information about Biden .
The agent said that on May 28 , police in Kannapolis , North Carolina , who were responding to a report of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot , looked through the vehicle 's window and saw an AR-15 style rifle , a box for a .380-caliber handgun , a canister `` of the explosive material Tannerite , '' and a box of 5.56-caliber ammunition , according to the order .
After the van was towed , a search of the vehicle found about `` $ 509,000 in U.S. currency ( believed to be [ Treisman 's ] inheritance ) , books ( about survival , bomb-making , improvised weapons and Islam ) , drawings of swastikas and planes crashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sig Sauer AR Rifle , a 9 mm Luger , a Kel-Tec Sub-2000 , a .22-caliber rifle , and a Russian Mosin Nagant M91/30 bolt-action rifle .
Treisman arrived at the bank later that day in a Honda Accord and asked about the towed van , according to court documents .
Police went to the bank after employees contacted them and took Treisman into custody , the documents said .
A search of the Honda revealed two more handguns , a .380-caliber , and a 9 mm Luger `` found concealed in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Treisman was carrying driver 's licenses from three states , including one that bore the name Alexander S. Theiss , the order said .
Treisman was arrested for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon .
In a recorded phone call with his mother from jail on May 29 , a day after his arrest , his mother , Kimberly Treisman suggested that he `` should 'jump bail , ' `` the order said .
During interviews with police and investigators from the Joint Terrorism Task Force , Treisman `` disclosed he has an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' and that he had been driving across the country buying firearms in different states , the order said .
A search of online aliases for Treisman showed him making references to pedophilia `` and executing those he hates , '' the order said .
One post by his alias expressed `` a desire to perform a mass shooting , '' it said .
Searches of Treisman 's cellphone and 15 other electronic devices seized from his vehicle turned up thousands of images of child pornography and more than 1,200 child porn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note on the phone , written on Oct. 15 , 2019 , described `` a plan to perform a mass shooting at a mall food court on Christmas or Black Friday , '' the order said .
On April 8 , 2020 , an internet post by one of Treisman 's aliases , `` AlextheBodacious , '' said he `` was going to do a columbine for a while , [ but ] I think it would be better to put it towards something more memorable . ''
A week later , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caption , `` Should I kill joe biden ? ''
according to the court documents .

"A timeline of internet searches conducted by Defendant between March and May 2020 seeking information about Joe Biden's home address, state gun laws, rifle parts, and night vision goggles, along with actions taken by Defendant, including posting the above-mentioned meme about killing Joe Biden, purchasing an AR-15 in New Hampshire, traveling to a Wendy's within 4 miles of Joe Biden's home, and writing a checklist note ending with 'execute,' " the order said.
His actions regarding Biden and other evidence against him were cited as reasons for his pretrial detention by the judge in an order signed Oct. 6.
Treisman was indicted in late September in federal court in the Middle District of North Carolina on charges of possessing and transmitting child pornography.
"Should I kill joe biden?" Treisman posted on the meme-sharing platform iFunny on April 15, the court order said.
Treisman traveled to within four miles of the Democratic presidential nominee's home in Delaware earlier in May, within a month or so of the man buying an AR-15 rifle in New Hampshire, according to the records. Treisman had also written a checklist note ending with the word "execute," a federal magistrate judge said in a court order justifying the man's detention without bail on child pornography charges.
Alexander Hillel Treisman was arrested in North Carolina in May after police discovered his van along with five guns, explosives and more than $500,000 in cash. The 19-year-old was possibly planning to assassinate former vice president and presidential candidate Joe Biden , court records show.
While Treisman has no prior criminal history, the judge concluded that "no combination of available release conditions would reasonably assure the safety of the community, and that a preponderance of evidence establishes that no conditions would ensure Defendant's presence in court."
A lawyer for Treisman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The detention order cites testimony by an FBI agent explaining how Treisman came to be the subject of a criminal investigation that uncovered the information about Biden.
The agent said that on May 28, police in Kannapolis, North Carolina, who were responding to a report of an abandoned van in a bank parking lot, looked through the vehicle's window and saw an AR-15 style rifle, a box for a .380-caliber handgun, a canister "of the explosive material Tannerite," and a box of 5.56-caliber ammunition, according to the order.
After the van was towed, a search of the vehicle found about "$509,000 in U.S. currency (believed to be [Treisman's] inheritance), books (about survival, bomb-making, improvised weapons and Islam), drawings of swastikas and planes crashing into buildings," along with a Sig Sauer AR Rifle, a 9 mm Luger, a Kel-Tec Sub-2000, a .22-caliber rifle, and a Russian Mosin Nagant M91/30 bolt-action rifle.
Treisman arrived at the bank later that day in a Honda Accord and asked about the towed van, according to court documents. Police went to the bank after employees contacted them and took Treisman into custody, the documents said.
A search of the Honda revealed two more handguns, a .380-caliber, and a 9 mm Luger "found concealed in a clothes hamper," the order said.
Treisman was carrying driver's licenses from three states, including one that bore the name Alexander S. Theiss, the order said.
Treisman was arrested for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon. In a recorded phone call with his mother from jail on May 29, a day after his arrest, his mother, Kimberly Treisman suggested that he "should 'jump bail,' " the order said.
During interviews with police and investigators from the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Treisman "disclosed he has an interest in terrorist incidents and mass shootings," and that he had been driving across the country buying firearms in different states, the order said.
A search of online aliases for Treisman showed him making references to pedophilia "and executing those he hates," the order said. One post by his alias expressed "a desire to perform a mass shooting," it said.
Searches of Treisman's cellphone and 15 other electronic devices seized from his vehicle turned up thousands of images of child pornography and more than 1,200 child porn videos, the order said.
A note on the phone, written on Oct. 15, 2019, described "a plan to perform a mass shooting at a mall food court on Christmas or Black Friday," the order said.
On April 8, 2020, an internet post by one of Treisman's aliases, "AlextheBodacious," said he "was going to do a columbine for a while, [but] I think it would be better to put it towards something more memorable."
A week later, he posted a meme on iFunny with the caption, "Should I kill joe biden?" according to the court documents.


cnbc--2020-10-25--Mike Pence will not quarantine after four aides test positive for coronavirus

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence , stands with his wife , Karen , after casting his ballot for the upcoming election at a polling station in Indianapolis , Indiana , U.S. October 23 , 2020 .
Vice President Mike Pence will not quarantine himself despite several of his aides testing positive for coronavirus , his office said .
Pence 's chief of staff Marc Short is isolating after testing positive on Saturday , Devin O'Malley , a spokesman for the vice president , said in a statement .
A senior political advisor to the vice president , Marty Obst , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to NBC News .
O'Malley said in a statement issued late on Saturday that Pence and second lady Karen Pence both tested negative and `` remain in good health . ''
Pence is expected to hold a rally in Kinston , North Carolina later on Sunday .
The battleground state is neck-and-neck with state polls on average showing Democratic nominee Joe Biden ahead by just over one percentage point .
`` While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr. Short , in consultation with the White House Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel , '' O'Malley said in the statement .
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows declined to say how many individuals connected to the vice president 's office have tested positive when pressed by CNN 's Jake Tapper on Sunday morning .
Meadows said that he would not disclose personal information `` unless it 's the vice president or the president , or someone that 's very close to them where there 's people in harm 's way . ''
The cluster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a perilous time politically .
The election between President Donald Trump and Biden , the former vice president , will take place in nine days .
Trump was hospitalized for Covid-19 earlier this month , but has since said he recovered .
On Monday , Pence is expected to be on the Senate floor for the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
At a rally in Tallahassee on Saturday evening , Pence said he `` would n't miss that vote for the world . ''
Barrett 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in jeopardy after three Republican senators contracted the virus .
Two of those lawmakers — Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — attended Barrett 's White House nomination ceremony last month , which was later connected to at least eight cases .
Pence , who is 61 , is at elevated risk for severe illness from Covid-19 because of his age .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the greatest risk is to those 85 and older .

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, stands with his wife, Karen, after casting his ballot for the upcoming election at a polling station in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. October 23, 2020.
Vice President Mike Pence will not quarantine himself despite several of his aides testing positive for coronavirus, his office said.
Pence's chief of staff Marc Short is isolating after testing positive on Saturday, Devin O'Malley, a spokesman for the vice president, said in a statement. A senior political advisor to the vice president, Marty Obst, and at least three other aides also tested positive, according to NBC News.
O'Malley said in a statement late Saturday that Pence and second lady Karen Pence tested negative and "remain in good health."
"While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr. Short, in consultation with the White House Medical Unit, the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel," O'Malley said.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows declined to say how many individuals connected to the vice president's office have tested positive when pressed by CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday morning.
Meadows said that he would not disclose personal information "unless it's the vice president or the president, or someone that's very close to them where there's people in harm's way."
He also said: "We're not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations."
The cluster of cases near the vice president comes at a perilous time politically: nine days before the presidential election.
President Donald Trump was hospitalized for Covid-19 earlier this month but has since said he recovered.
On Monday, Pence is expected to be on the Senate floor for the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. At a rally in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday evening, Pence said he "wouldn't miss that vote for the world."
Barrett's confirmation, now seemingly assured, was put in jeopardy after three Republican senators contracted the virus.
Two of those lawmakers — Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — attended Barrett's White House nomination ceremony last month, which was later connected to at least eight cases.
At 61, Pence is at elevated risk for severe illness from Covid-19 because of his age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the greatest risk is to those 85 and older.


cnbc--2020-10-25--White House chief Meadows says ‘we're not going to control the pandemic’ after coronavirus cases hit

White House chief Meadows says ‘we're not going to control the pandemic’ after coronavirus cases hit record high

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows talks to reporters at the White House on October 21 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Sunday that the U.S. will not get control of the coronavirus pandemic as the country reports a record high in new daily Covid-19 cases .
`` We 're not going to control the pandemic , '' Meadows said during an interview on CNN .
`` We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines , therapeutics and other mitigations . ''
Pressed on why the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , Meadows said : `` Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu . ''
`` What we need to do is make sure that we have the proper mitigation factors , whether it 's therapies or vaccines or treatments to make sure that people do n't die from this , '' Meadows said .
Meadow 's comments point to the Trump administration 's focus on a potential vaccine or therapeutic to manage Covid-19 , rather than implementing national measures to help mitigate the spread of infections .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the pandemic and health officials urge that protocols like mask wearing could save nearly 130,000 lives .
Meadows also defended President Donald Trump 's large campaign rallies during the pandemic , where attendees are not required to wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus : `` We live in a free society , '' he commented .
Trump has repeatedly downplayed the seriousness of the virus , recently insisting that the country is `` rounding the corner '' and the virus is `` going away , '' even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a plan to address the virus that includes effectively nationalizing mask wearing , Covid-19 testing , PPE procurement , reopening guidelines and vaccine distribution .
With just nine days left until the election , the Biden and Trump camps traded barbs over Meadows comments .
Biden accused the Trump administration of wishing the virus away .
`` This was n't a slip by Meadows , it was a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump 's strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of defeat and hope that by ignoring it , the virus would simply go away .
It has n't , and it wo n't , '' Biden said .
The White House accused Biden of `` armchair quarterbacking '' and said Meadows was pushing back on `` unsustainable , impractical nationwide quarantine policies advocated by Democrats . ''
Biden 's plan calls for reopening the economy by creating a national contact tracing corps , guaranteeing testing and personal protective equipment for all workers , providing additional financial support for small businesses , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are compliant with best practices .
The U.S. reported 83,757 new Covid-19 cases on Friday , surpassing a previous daily record of about 77,300 cases in mid-July , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
On Saturday , the country reported another 83,718 new cases .
As the country enters into what could be a dangerous winter , research indicates that the U.S. could see more than 500,000 total deaths by the end of February if states continue to ease pandemic restrictions .

Nine days before the presidential election, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows acknowledged that U.S. is not going to control the coronavirus pandemic.
He spoke on Sunday as the country reported a record high in new daily Covid-19 cases and after top aides to Vice President Mike Pence became infected.
"We're not going to control the pandemic," Meadows told CNN. "We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations."
Pressed on why the U.S. can't make efforts to control the pandemic, Meadows said: "Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu."
"What we need to do is make sure that we have the proper mitigation factors, whether it's therapies or vaccines or treatments to make sure that people don't die from this," Meadows said.
Meadow's comments point to the Trump administration's focus on a potential vaccine or therapeutic to manage Covid, rather than implementing national measures to help mitigate the spread of infections.
More than 224,000 people have died since the start of the pandemic and health officials urge that protocols like mask wearing could save nearly 130,000 lives.
Meadows also defended President Donald Trump's large campaign rallies during the pandemic, where attendees are not required to wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus: "We live in a free society," he said.


cnbc--2020-10-25--Senate advances Amy Coney Barrett nomination, with confirmation expected Monday

Judge Amy Coney Barrett , U.S. President Donald Trump 's Nominee for Supreme Court , gestures during a photo before a meeting with Senator Roy Blunt ( R-Mo ) on Capitol Hill in Washington DC , U.S. October 21 , 2020 .
Senate Republicans on Sunday advanced Judge Amy Coney Barrett 's nomination to the Supreme Court , clearing one of the final hurdles of the 48-year-old nominee 's confirmation process .
Barrett , a federal appeals court judge on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals , is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ along party lines .
Two Republicans , Sens .
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine , sided with Democrats .
There was little doubt that Barrett would sail through the vote , and there is less that she will ultimately be confirmed .
Murkowski has said that while she opposed the hurried nomination process , she supports Barrett 's nomination and will vote to confirm her .
If confirmed , Barrett will replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died last month after serving for 27 years on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of celebrity as the senior member of the court 's liberal wing .
President Donald Trump has pressed for Barrett to be seated on the high court in time to resolve any litigation that arises as a result of the Nov. 3 election between him and Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Barrett will give the top court a 6-3 majority of Republican-appointed justices , shifting the panel ideologically rightward on issues from gun control to abortion rights .
Before her nomination to the Supreme Court , Barrett clerked for the influential conservative Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Notre Dame Law School .
Trump nominated her to the 7th Circuit just over three years ago .
The approval of a Supreme Court nominee with a bare majority is a relatively recent phenomenon .
For decades , the Senate required 60 votes to advance judicial nominees .
Democrats lowered the threshold in 2013 to a majority for nominees to courts except the Supreme Court .
In 2017 , Republicans led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , who was critical of the so-called `` nuclear option '' at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority for Supreme Court picks .
McConnell touted the vote as an `` important contribution to the future of this country . ''
The Kentucky Republican said that many of the GOP 's achievements may be undone by the results of the 2020 election .
`` They wo n't be able to do much about this for a long time to come , '' he said .

Judge Amy Coney Barrett, U.S. President Donald Trump's Nominee for Supreme Court, gestures during a photo before a meeting with Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo) on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, U.S. October 21, 2020.
Senate Republicans on Sunday advanced Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, clearing one of the final hurdles of the 48-year-old nominee's confirmation process.
Barrett, a federal appeals court judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Monday.
Sunday's procedural vote divided 51-48 largely along party lines. Two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, sided with Democrats.
There was little doubt that Barrett would sail through the vote, and there is less that she will ultimately be confirmed. Murkowski has said that while she opposed the hurried nomination process, she supports Barrett's nomination and will vote to confirm her.
If confirmed, Barrett will replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month after serving for 27 years on the bench and earning an unusual degree of celebrity as the senior member of the court's liberal wing.
President Donald Trump has pressed for Barrett to be seated on the high court in time to resolve any litigation that arises as a result of the Nov. 3 election between him and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Barrett will give the top court a 6-3 majority of Republican-appointed justices, shifting the panel ideologically rightward on issues from gun control to abortion rights.
Before her nomination to the Supreme Court, Barrett clerked for the influential conservative Justice Antonin Scalia and worked as a professor at Notre Dame Law School. Trump nominated her to the 7th Circuit just over three years ago.
The approval of a Supreme Court nominee with a bare majority is a relatively recent phenomenon.
For decades, the Senate required 60 votes to advance judicial nominees. Democrats lowered the threshold in 2013 to a majority for nominees to courts except the Supreme Court.
In 2017, Republicans led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who was critical of the so-called "nuclear option" at the time, lowered the threshold to a majority for Supreme Court picks.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., decried Barrett's advancement on Sunday, calling it a "travesty."
McConnell touted the vote as an "important contribution to the future of this country."
The Kentucky Republican said that many of the GOP's achievements may be undone by the results of the 2020 election.
"They won't be able to do much about this for a long time to come," he said.


cnbc--2020-10-26--Mike Pence will not quarantine after five aides test positive for coronavirus

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence , stands with his wife , Karen , after casting his ballot for the upcoming election at a polling station in Indianapolis , Indiana , U.S. October 23 , 2020 .
Vice President Mike Pence will not quarantine himself despite several of his aides testing positive for coronavirus , his office said .
Pence 's chief of staff Marc Short is isolating after testing positive on Saturday , Devin O'Malley , a spokesman for the vice president , said in a statement .
A senior political advisor to the vice president , Marty Obst , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive , according to NBC News .
O'Malley said in a statement issued late on Saturday that Pence and second lady Karen Pence both tested negative and `` remain in good health . ''
`` While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr. Short , in consultation with the White House Medical Unit , the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel , '' O'Malley said in the statement .
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows declined to say how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's office have tested positive when pressed by CNN 's Jake Tapper on Sunday morning .
Meadows said that he would not disclose personal information `` unless it 's the vice president or the president , or someone that 's very close to them where there 's people in harm 's way . ''
The cluster of cases near the vice president comes at a perilous time politically .
The election between President Donald Trump and Biden , the former vice president , will take place in nine days .
Trump was hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since said he recovered .
On Monday , Pence is expected to be on the Senate floor for the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
At a rally in Tallahassee on Saturday evening , Pence said he `` would n't miss that vote for the world . ''
Barrett 's confirmation , now seemingly assured , was put in jeopardy after three Republican senators contracted the virus .
Two of those lawmakers — Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , which was later connected to at least eight cases .
Pence , who is 61 , is at elevated risk for severe illness from Covid-19 because of his age .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the greatest risk is to those 85 and older .


cnbc--2020-10-26--White House chief Meadows says ‘we're not going to control the pandemic’ after coronavirus cases hit

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows talks to reporters at the White House on October 21 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
Nine days before the presidential election , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows acknowledged that U.S. is not going to control the coronavirus pandemic .
He spoke on Sunday as the country reported a record high in new daily Covid-19 cases and after top aides to Vice President Mike Pence became infected .
`` We 're not going to control the pandemic , '' Meadows told CNN .
`` We are going to control the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other mitigations . ''
Pressed on why the U.S. ca n't make efforts to control the pandemic , Meadows said : `` Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu . ''
`` What we need to do is make sure that we have the proper mitigation factors , whether it 's therapies or vaccines or treatments to make sure that people do n't die from this , '' Meadows said .
Meadow 's comments point to the Trump administration 's focus on a potential vaccine or therapeutic to manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help mitigate the spread of infections .
More than 224,000 people have died since the start of the pandemic and health officials urge that protocols like mask wearing could save nearly 130,000 lives .
Meadows also defended President Donald Trump 's large campaign rallies during the pandemic , where attendees are not required to wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus : `` We live in a free society , '' he said .
Trump has repeatedly downplayed the seriousness of the virus , recently insisting that the country is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus is `` going away , '' even as cases surge in most states .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a plan to address the virus that includes mask wearing , testing , PPE procurement , reopening guidelines and vaccine distribution .
With the lection looming , the Biden and Trump camps traded barbs over Meadows ' comments .
Biden accused the Trump administration of wishing the virus away .
`` This was n't a slip by Meadows , it was a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump 's strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this crisis : to wave the white flag of defeat and hope that by ignoring it , the virus would simply go away .
It has n't , and it wo n't , '' Biden said .
The White House accused Biden of `` armchair quarterbacking '' and said Meadows was pushing back on `` unsustainable , impractical nationwide quarantine policies advocated by Democrats . ''
Biden 's plan calls for reopening the economy by creating a national contact tracing corps , guaranteeing testing and personal protective equipment for all workers , providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and helping public health authorities certify that businesses are compliant with best practices .
The U.S. reported 83,757 new Covid-19 cases on Friday , surpassing a previous daily record of about 77,300 cases in mid-July , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
On Saturday , the country reported 83,718 new cases .
As the country enters into what could be a dangerous winter , research indicates that the U.S. could see more than 500,000 total deaths by the end of February if states continue to ease pandemic restrictions .
Pence spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff , Marc Short , is isolating after testing positive on Saturday .
A senior political advisor to the vice president , Marty Obst , and at least three other aides also tested positive , according to NBC News .


cnbc--2020-10-27--Senate votes to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court

Judge Amy Coney Barrett , President Donald Trump 's nominee for the US Supreme Court , meets with Senator Jerry Moran , R-KS on Capitol Hill in Washington , DC on October , 1 , 2020 .
A divided Senate on Monday voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime term on the Supreme Court , capping a bitter fight over the partisan makeup of the judicial body , which has taken place in the middle of an unusually explosive presidential election .
The vote was 52-48 along largely partisan lines , with only Sen. Susan Collins of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the confirmation .
The 48-year-old judge 's elevation came just eight days before the final votes are cast in the contest between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
It provides conservatives with a 6-3 majority on the high court , including three Trump picks .
Later in the evening , Barrett is expected to take the first of two required oaths at an event at White House .
The oath will be administered by Justice Clarence Thomas , NBC News reported .
Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ahead of the vote , lawmakers sparred over whether Barrett 's views fell within the legal mainstream .
`` She 's as mainstream as it gets , from our side of the aisle , '' Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , said on the Senate floor .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said in his own speech that Barrett held `` far right views , well outside of the American mainstream , and those views matter . ''
Barrett 's confirmation , which was virtually assured given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to shift the ideological balance of the court to the right on issues such as gun rights , abortion , business and the environment .
In the coming months , the justices will also decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act , known as Obamacare , through which tens of millions of Americans have access to health insurance .
The case over the law will be argued on Nov. 10 , one week after the election .
Raising the stakes , both Democrats and Republicans have suggested the court may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as it did in the 2000 race between President George Bush and Democrat Al Gore .
Experts have said the possibility of the election being decided in court is elevated this year because of a flood of litigation related to voting rule changes that came about as a result of the spreading Covid-19 pandemic .
The possibility of a contested election has overshadowed Barrett 's confirmation process .
Trump repeatedly pressed for Barrett to be confirmed in time to vote on any such cases , prompting Democrats to demand her recusal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month , Barrett agreed to carefully weigh whether her participation in an election case would be inappropriate , but declined to commit to abstaining .
The battle over Barrett 's nomination was sparked last month after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a liberal icon who served on the Supreme Court for 27 years .
Replacing Ginsburg with Barrett represents the most stark ideological shift on the court since the liberal Justice Thurgood Marshall was replaced by conservative Thomas in 1991 .
Trump and his allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , immediately moved to replace Ginsburg before Election Day .
Biden and Democrats in Congress argued the process was a sham , and pressed for Ginsburg 's replacement to be named by the winner of next week 's election .
Schumer and others pointed to McConnell 's 2016 refusal to even hold hearings for President Barack Obama 's nominee Merrick Garland during an election year .
Barrett 's confirmation is the first to come so close to a presidential election .
The vote took place after a historic number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 58 million Americans have already voted , as people around the country flock to early voting as a result of coronavirus .
Ginsburg herself weighed in from the grave .
In an unusual dying statement , the 87-year-old said her `` most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed . ''
Republicans praised Ginsburg 's career but pressed on with Barrett 's confirmation process .
`` A lot of what we 've done over the last four years will be undone sooner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the Kentucky Republican said on Sunday night from the Senate floor .
`` They wo n't be able to do much about this for a long time to come . ''
Barrett has served as a professor at Notre Dame Law School since 2002 and sat on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals for three years .
She clerked early in her career for Justice Antonin Scalia , a conservative hero , and has said that she shares his judicial philosophy .
Throughout her marathon hearings earlier this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaffirmed her conservative mode of judicial interpretation .
She declared her independence from both the White House and Congress and said she would approach cases , including the dispute over Obamacare , with an open mind , if confirmed .
Democrats used the hearings to focus the attention of voters on health care , arguing that Barrett 's confirmation will doom the Affordable Care Act .
Republicans , on the other hand , touted Barrett 's legal credentials and her personal background as a Catholic mother of seven .
`` This is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've nominated a woman who is unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology , '' Graham said at the time Progressives criticized Democrats on the committee for their handling of the hearings , with some calling for Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California , the ranking member , to leave her post .
Democrats cut down their participation in the nomination process after that , boycotting the committee 's vote on Thursday to approve Barrett out of committee .
Barrett passed a key procedural vote from the full Senate on Sunday in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her favor .
Two Republicans , Sens .
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine , sided with Democrats on Sunday .
Murkowski and Collins have both said they oppose the seating of a new justice before Election Day .
On Monday , however , Murkowski voted to confirm Barrett , after her largely symbolic vote the day before .
`` I believe that the only way to put us back on the path of appropriate consideration of judicial nominees is to evaluate Judge Barrett as we would want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her qualifications , '' Murkowski said on Saturday .
`` And we do that when that final question comes before us .
And when it does , I will be a yes , '' she said .
Collins , who is facing a tough reelection battle that remains focused on her 2018 support of Justice Brett Kavanaugh , Trump 's second nominee , voted against Barrett 's confirmation .
Vice President Mike Pence , who was slated to preside over Monday 's Senate hearings , backed out earlier in the day after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key advisors .
On Sunday , Pence had said that he would not change his schedule despite at least five of his aides testing positive , including his chief of staff Marc Short , with whom he had been in close contact .

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Amy Coney Barrett took her constitutional oath as a Supreme Court justice in a nighttime ceremony outside the White House on Monday, swinging the nation's highest court to a conservative 6-3 majority. President Donald Trump, who has now selected three of the court's nine justices, called the elevation of Barrett to fill the seat of the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg a "momentous day for America." The oath was administered by Justice Clarence Thomas on the South Lawn. Chief Justice John Roberts will administered a second oath, known as the judicial oath, on Tuesday in a private ceremony, At Monday night's ceremony, Barrett pledged to follow the law. "A judge declares independence not only from Congress and the president, but also from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her," she said. Earlier in the day, a divided Senate voted to confirm the 48-year-old judge to a lifetime term on the court, capping a bitter fight over the partisan makeup of the judicial body, which has taken place in the middle of an unusually explosive presidential election.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks before the U.S. Senate votes on the confirmation of President Donald Trump?s nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court as they meet in the Senate Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S, October 26, 2020. Senate TV | Reuters
The vote was 52-48 along largely partisan lines, with only Sen. Susan Collins of Maine breaking with Republicans to vote against the confirmation. Barrett's elevation came just eight days before the final votes are cast in the contest between Trump and Joe Biden. Ahead of the vote, lawmakers sparred over whether Barrett's views fell within the legal mainstream. "She's as mainstream as it gets, from our side of the aisle," Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on the Senate floor. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in his own speech that Barrett held "far right views, well outside of the American mainstream, and those views matter." Barrett's confirmation, which was virtually assured given the GOP hold on the Senate, is expected to shift the ideological balance of the court to the right on issues such as gun rights, abortion, business and the environment. In the coming months, the justices will also decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, through which tens of millions of Americans have access to health insurance. The case over the law will be argued on Nov. 10, one week after the election. Raising the stakes, both Democrats and Republicans have suggested the court may be called to decide the election itself, as it did in the 2000 race between President George Bush and Democrat Al Gore. Experts have said the possibility of the election being decided in court is elevated this year because of a flood of litigation related to voting rule changes that came about as a result of the spreading Covid-19 pandemic. As the Senate voted on Barrett's confirmation, the Supreme Court released an order rejecting an effort by Democrats to extend the deadline for counting absentee ballots in the battleground state Wisconsin, dividing 5-3 along partisan lines, with the Democratic appointees in dissent. The possibility of a contested election has overshadowed Barrett's confirmation process. Trump repeatedly pressed for Barrett to be confirmed in time to vote on any such cases, prompting Democrats to demand her recusal.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he poses with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett on a White House balcony after she was sworn in to serve as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 26, 2020. Tom Brenner | Reuters
During two days of questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month, Barrett agreed to carefully weigh whether her participation in an election case would be inappropriate, but declined to commit to abstaining. The battle over Barrett's nomination was sparked last month after the death of Ginsburg, who served on the Supreme Court for 27 years. Replacing Ginsburg with Barrett represents the most stark ideological shift on the court since the liberal Justice Thurgood Marshall was replaced by conservative Thomas in 1991. Trump and his allies in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., immediately moved to replace Ginsburg before Election Day. Biden and Democrats in Congress argued the process was a sham, and pressed for Ginsburg's replacement to be named by the winner of next week's election. Schumer and others pointed to McConnell's 2016 refusal to even hold hearings for President Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland during an election year. In remarks before Barrett's confirmation vote, McConnell defended his actions, saying that Republicans had only exercised "the power that was given to us by the American people, in a manner that is entirely within the rules of the Senate and the Constitution of the United States." Barrett's confirmation is the first to come so close to a presidential election. The vote took place after a historic number of early votes have already been cast. More than 58 million Americans have already voted, as people around the country flock to early voting as a result of coronavirus.
U.S. President Donald Trump applauds U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett after she took her oath of office and was sworn in to serve on the court on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 26, 2020. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Ginsburg herself weighed in. In a death-bed statement, the 87-year-old said her "most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed." Republicans praised Ginsburg's career but pressed on with Barrett's confirmation process. "A lot of what we've done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election," McConnell said on Sunday night from the Senate floor. "They won't be able to do much about this for a long time to come." Barrett has been a professor at Notre Dame Law School since 2002 and sat on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for three years. She clerked early in her career for Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative hero, and has said that she shares his judicial philosophy. Throughout her marathon hearings earlier this month, Barrett provided few direct answers, but reaffirmed her conservative mode of judicial interpretation. She declared her independence from both the White House and Congress and said she would approach cases, including the dispute over Obamacare, with an open mind, if confirmed. Democrats used the hearings to focus the attention of voters on health care, arguing that Barrett's confirmation will doom the Affordable Care Act. Republicans, on the other hand, touted Barrett's legal credentials and her personal background as a Catholic mother of seven. "This is the first time in American history that we've nominated a woman who is unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology," Graham said at the time Progressives criticized Democrats on the committee for their handling of the hearings, with some calling for Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking member, to leave her post. Democrats cut down their participation in the nomination process after that, boycotting the committee's vote on Thursday to approve Barrett out of committee. Barrett passed a key procedural vote from the full Senate on Sunday in a 51-48 vote in which no Democrat voted in her favor. Two Republicans, Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, sided with Democrats on Sunday. Murkowski and Collins had said they opposed the seating of a new justice before Election Day. On Monday, however, Murkowski voted to confirm Barrett, after her largely symbolic vote the day before. "I believe that the only way to put us back on the path of appropriate consideration of judicial nominees is to evaluate Judge Barrett as we would want to be judged. On the merits of her qualifications," Murkowski said Saturday. "And we do that when that final question comes before us. And when it does, I will be a yes," she said. Collins, who is facing a tough reelection battle that remains focused on her 2018 support of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's second nominee, voted against Barrett's confirmation. Vice President Mike Pence, who was slated to preside over Monday's Senate hearings, backed out earlier in the day after a Covid-19 outbreak among a number of his key advisors. On Sunday, Pence had said that he would not change his schedule despite at least five of his aides testing positive, including his chief of staff Marc Short, with whom he had been in close contact.


cnbc--2020-10-26--Stimulus deal before Election Day looks less likely as Pelosi pushes Mnuchin over virus testing

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi eviscerated the Trump administration on Monday as Washington fails to send more relief to Americans during @ @ @ @ @ cases .
The California Democrat 's biting letter to House Democrats came only minutes before @ @ @ @ @ Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that appeared to yield little progress toward a stimulus agreement .
@ @ @ @ @ a relief bill before Election Day , Nov. 3 , have all but evaporated .
@ @ @ @ @ of staff Mark Meadows for saying Sunday that `` we 're not going to control @ @ @ @ @ also said the Trump administration has not accepted House Democrats ' proposal for a national @ @ @ @ @ said he would during a CNBC interview earlier this month .
`` The Republicans ' @ @ @ @ @ — particularly amid the recent wave of cases — is official malfeasance , '' Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ expects a response from the White House `` on several concerns '' during the conversation @ @ @ @ @ come to agreement as soon as possible , '' the speaker wrote .

"We must come to agreement as soon as possible," the speaker wrote.
"The Republicans' continued surrender to the virus — particularly amid the recent wave of cases — is official malfeasance," Pelosi wrote. She said she expects a response from the White House "on several concerns" during the conversation Monday.
Pelosi targeted White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for saying Sunday that "we're not going to control the pandemic." She also said the Trump administration has not accepted House Democrats' proposal for a national testing strategy even though Mnuchin said he would during a CNBC interview earlier this month.
The California Democrat's biting letter to House Democrats came only minutes before a nearly hour-long conversation with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that appeared to yield little progress toward a stimulus agreement. The chances of Congress approving a relief bill before Election Day, Nov. 3, have all but evaporated.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi eviscerated the Trump administration on Monday as Washington fails to send more relief to Americans during a record spike in coronavirus cases.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 9, 2020.
After Pelosi's call with Mnuchin, her spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted that "we continue to eagerly await the Administration's acceptance of our health language." He added that it is "clear that our progress depends on [Senate Majority] Leader [Mitch] McConnell agreeing to bipartisan, comprehensive legislation."
"The Speaker remains optimistic that an agreement can be reached before the election," he continued.
Later Thursday, Pelosi appeared to shed some more doubt on the proceedings. After MSNBC's Chris Hayes said, "There's no deal happening," the speaker responded: "That's exactly right, you're exactly right." Hayes then remarked that it seems like the core differences in how both sides view the crisis can't be papered over. "Well it could. And public sentiment is everything, the public weighing in," Pelosi said.
Spokesmen for the White House and McConnell did not immediately respond to CNBC's request to comment on Pelosi's letter.
The sides have failed to approve new aid money for months despite a climbing infection count and signs of a slowing economic recovery. Democrats have accused the White House of failing to grasp the gravity of the crisis, while Republicans have argued that Pelosi refuses to compromise.
Democrats and the White House have most recently proposed $2.2 trillion and $1.9 trillion relief packages, respectively. Despite the similar target price tags for legislation, the sides still have not resolved disputes over testing, extra unemployment insurance, state and local government relief and liability protections for businesses, among other issues.
The GOP-held Senate, meanwhile, adjourned until after the election following Monday's vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. In an attempt to show they could balance both issues, Republicans tried to advance their roughly $500 billion aid proposal last week. Democrats blocked it, calling the plan inadequate.
Congressional committee chairs have recently worked to start writing potential legislation. But lawmakers have not been particularly optimistic about the prospects of an agreement soon.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Richard Shelby, R-Ala., has told reporters in recent days that chances of a relief deal before the election are slim.
Crafting legislation that can pass both the Democratic-held House and GOP-controlled Senate in the lame-duck session before winners take office in January could prove challenging. Republicans have opposed spending trillions more on the virus response, while Democrats want a sweeping package to root out the pandemic and the accompanying economic damage.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continues to downplay the severity of the pandemic despite a single-day record of more than 80,000 new cases on Friday. In a tweet Monday, he called the staggering number of infections a "Fake News Media Conspiracy."
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cnbc--2020-10-27--Supreme Court won't revive 6-day ballot deadline extension in Wisconsin, siding with GOP

Ruby Lenora casts her in-person vote on her 73rd birthday at a polling site at the Milwaukee Public Library ?
s Washington Park location in Milwaukee , on the first day of in-person voting in Wisconsin , U.S. , October 20 , 2020 .
The Supreme Court on Monday evening voted 5-3 against Democrats who were pushing to extend the deadline for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin by six days in order to provide the state more time to deal with the surge in mail-in voting caused by the Covid-19 pandemic .
The decision , announced in an order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin is a key battleground state in the battle between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
As a result of the Supreme Court 's move , ballots will have to be delivered by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to be counted .
The court 's eight justices divided along partisan lines .
The order , which came amid a flurry of election-related disputes that are making their way to the justices , was released as the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority .
The top court 's order followed a ruling from District Court Judge William Conley last month extending the state 's absentee ballot counting deadline in response to a suit from the Democratic National Committee and its allies .
Conley cited the unusually high number of ballots cast by mail as well as delays with the United States Postal Service .
A panel of the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals blocked that ruling earlier in October .
The Democrats appealed to the Supreme Court to reverse the appeals court ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so .

Ruby Lenora casts her in-person vote on her 73rd birthday at a polling site at the Milwaukee Public Library?s Washington Park location in Milwaukee, on the first day of in-person voting in Wisconsin, U.S., October 20, 2020.
The Supreme Court on Monday evening voted 5-3 against Democrats who were pushing to extend the deadline for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin by six days in order to provide the state more time to deal with the surge in mail-in voting caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision, announced in an order, came eight days before Election Day. Wisconsin is a key battleground state in the battle between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. As a result of the Supreme Court's move, ballots will have to be delivered by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to be counted.
The court's eight justices divided along partisan lines, with the court's three Democratic-appointees in dissent. The order, which came amid a flurry of election-related disputes that are making their way to the justices, was released as the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Barrett's confirmation gives conservatives a 6-3 majority.
The top court's order followed a ruling from District Court Judge William Conley last month extending the state's absentee ballot counting deadline in response to a suit from the Democratic National Committee and its allies. Conley cited the unusually high number of ballots cast by mail as well as delays with the United States Postal Service.
A similar 6-day extension that was in place for Wisconsin's April elections resulted in 80,000 ballots being counted that otherwise would have been disqualified, or 5% of the total ballots, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Trump, who is trailing Biden by about five percentage points in state polls, won the state over Democrat Hillary Clinton by just 23,000 votes in 2016. Covid-19 cases are at a record nationwide, with Wisconsin among the worst-hit hot spots.
A panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked Conley's ruling earlier in October. The Democrats appealed to the Supreme Court to reverse the appeals court ruling, but the justices declined to do so.


cnbc--2020-10-26--Democrats urge Bloomberg to invest in Senate races as McConnell-linked super PAC spends big

Democratic presidential candidate , former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg makes a stop at one of his campaign offices in the Little Havana neighborhood on March 3 , 2020 in Miami , Florida .
The Senate Leadership Fund , which is run by allies of McConnell , is outraising and often outspending its Democratic counterpart , Senate Majority PAC , down the stretch .
The Democratic group is linked to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer .
The pleas come as a super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell floods these races with cash on behalf of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging billionaire former presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg and his team to invest in hotly contested Senate races with just over a week until Election Day , according to people familiar with the matter .
Bloomberg 's response to some people has not been encouraging , according to people familiar with the matter .
These people have been hearing that Bloomberg , who has a net worth of just under $ 55 billion , does not plan to put up big money into the Senate Majority PAC .
Bloomberg has already committed at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the key state of Florida .
Bloomberg also has said he will spend $ 60 million this year to help House Democrats .
Bloomberg also invested $ 1 billion into his own campaign for president , with millions going toward anti-Trump ads .
Bloomberg won only the American Samoa caucus during the primary season before he dropped out in March and endorsed Biden .
A group of Democratic fundraisers is planning to coax New Yorker Schumer into personally speaking with Bloomberg , a former three-term mayor of New York , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last-minute investment on the Senate , according to one person .
A big money bundler for Senate candidates said others are looking to keep reaching out to Bloomberg for reinforcements .
These people declined to be named in order to speak freely .
Representatives for Bloomberg , Schumer and the Senate Majority PAC did not return a request for comment .
With eight days until the election , Bloomberg could opt to jump in to help , as he did in the 2018 congressional midterms .
In October 2018 , weeks before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend $ 20 million on the Senate Majority PAC .
Still , that investment two years ago did n't necessarily pan out for Bloomberg or Democrats .
While the PAC ended up spending over $ 90 million that cycle against Republican challengers , according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics , the GOP made significant gains in the Senate .
This time , the Cook Political Report has marked nine races against Republican incumbents either a toss-up or `` lean Democrat . ''
Seats held by Sens .
Lindsey Graham , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Martha McSally R-Ariz are just a few of the races up for grabs for Democrats this cycle .
Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate .
If Biden defeats President Donald Trump , he would all but certainly need a Democratic Senate to pass major pieces of legislation .
Many of the Democratic candidates have often outraised the longtime Republican lawmakers that they 're challenging .
The Senate Leadership Fund , in turn , has spent enough to help several GOP candidates overcome those fundraising shortfalls .
During the first two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent just $ 68 million on independent expenditures , Federal Election Commission records show .
The Democrats ' Senate Majority PAC spent $ 50 million in that period .
In the first half of October , the GOP 's Senate Leadership Fund raised just under $ 50 million , while the Senate Majority PAC raised just over $ 24 million .
The Senate Leadership Fund until the middle of the month had $ 69 million on hand , and the Senate Majority PAC had $ 19 million .
Last week , the Schumer-aligned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races in Michigan , Iowa , Maine , North Carolina , Georgia , Arizona , Montana , South Carolina and Colorado .
The Senate Leadership Fund days later spent over $ 8 million in South Carolina , Kansas , Arizona , North Carolina and Arkansas .
Democratic leaders , according to the Huffington Post , are sounding the alarm over the Senate Leadership Fund 's fundraising success .
Democratic candidates who have had a ton of fundraising success in 2020 are calling on supporters to chip in more with the GOP super PAC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harrison , who is taking on Graham in South Carolina , raised $ 57 million in the third quarter .
His campaign manager told supporters last week that they had spent all of that massive haul and they must raise $ 10 million to keep up with Graham , along with the outside help he 's been receiving .

Democratic presidential candidate, former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg makes a stop at one of his campaign offices in the Little Havana neighborhood on March 3, 2020 in Miami, Florida.
The Senate Leadership Fund, which is run by allies of McConnell, is outraising and often outspending its Democratic counterpart, Senate Majority PAC, down the stretch. The Democratic group is linked to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The pleas come as a super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell floods these races with cash on behalf of the GOP candidates.
Democratic fundraisers are privately urging billionaire former presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg and his team to invest in hotly contested Senate races with just over a week until Election Day, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bloomberg's response to some people has not been encouraging, according to people familiar with the matter. These people have been hearing that Bloomberg, who has a net worth of just under $55 billion, does not plan to put up big money into the Senate Majority PAC. Bloomberg has already committed at least $100 million to help Joe Biden in the key state of Florida.
Bloomberg also has said he will spend $60 million this year to help House Democrats. Bloomberg also invested $1 billion into his own campaign for president, with millions going toward anti-Trump ads. Bloomberg won only the American Samoa caucus during the primary season before he dropped out in March and endorsed Biden.
A group of Democratic fundraisers is planning to coax New Yorker Schumer into personally speaking with Bloomberg, a former three-term mayor of New York, in a bid to get him to make a last-minute investment on the Senate, according to one person. A big money bundler for Senate candidates said others are looking to keep reaching out to Bloomberg for reinforcements.
These people declined to be named in order to speak freely.
Representatives for Bloomberg, Schumer and the Senate Majority PAC did not return a request for comment.
With eight days until the election, Bloomberg could opt to jump in to help, as he did in the 2018 congressional midterms. In October 2018, weeks before the November general elections, Bloomberg announced plans to spend $20 million on the Senate Majority PAC.
Still, that investment two years ago didn't necessarily pan out for Bloomberg or Democrats. While the PAC ended up spending over $90 million that cycle against Republican challengers, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, the GOP made significant gains in the Senate.
This time, the Cook Political Report has marked nine races against Republican incumbents either a toss-up or "lean Democrat." Seats held by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Martha McSally R-Ariz are just a few of the races up for grabs for Democrats this cycle. Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate. If Biden defeats President Donald Trump, he would all but certainly need a Democratic Senate to pass major pieces of legislation.
Many of the Democratic candidates have often outraised the longtime Republican lawmakers that they're challenging. The Senate Leadership Fund, in turn, has spent enough to help several GOP candidates overcome those fundraising shortfalls.
During the first two weeks of October, the super PAC spent just $68 million on independent expenditures, Federal Election Commission records show. The Democrats' Senate Majority PAC spent $50 million in that period. In the first half of October, the GOP's Senate Leadership Fund raised just under $50 million, while the Senate Majority PAC raised just over $24 million. The Senate Leadership Fund until the middle of the month had $69 million on hand, and the Senate Majority PAC had $19 million.
Last week, the Schumer-aligned PAC spent over $29 million on races in Michigan, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Montana, South Carolina and Colorado.
The Senate Leadership Fund days later spent over $8 million in South Carolina, Kansas, Arizona, North Carolina and Arkansas.
Democratic leaders, according to the Huffington Post, are sounding the alarm over the Senate Leadership Fund's fundraising success.
Democratic candidates who have had a ton of fundraising success in 2020 are calling on supporters to chip in more with the GOP super PAC dumping millions into their states.
Jaime Harrison, who is taking on Graham in South Carolina, raised $57 million in the third quarter. His campaign manager told supporters last week that they had spent all of that massive haul and they must raise $10 million to keep up with Graham, along with the outside help he's been receiving.


cnbc--2020-10-26--These House districts in Maine and Nebraska could hold the key to who wins the White House

Maine and Nebraska are the only states that do n't play by the winner-take-all rules under the Electoral College , and they could make a decisive difference in the presidential election if the race is tight .
Traditionally , the winner of a state 's popular vote in the race for the White House wins all of the electoral votes it has to offer .
But Maine and Nebraska have both adopted laws that distribute their electoral votes in part by the statewide popular vote winner and in part by who gets more votes in each of their congressional districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district could split the state 's electoral votes in the presidential election , giving some to President Donald Trump and some to former Vice President Joe Biden .
The congressional district method , which in both states allocates two votes to the overall popular vote winner and one vote to the winner of each congressional district , was first implemented in Maine in 1972 .
Nebraska did n't use the method until the 1996 election .
Maine , with four electoral votes up for grabs , is expected to vote for Biden overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more rural and more conservative than the rest of the state , could award its vote to Trump , as it did in 2016 .
Nebraska has five electoral votes , and at least four of them are almost certainly going to the Republican incumbent .
The one exception could be its Second District , which covers the city of Omaha and swaths of suburban voters who tend to lean more toward Biden .
Political analysts are n't widely expecting that the outcome of the 2020 election could hinge on one or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of ways it could happen , depending on how the election map unfolds .
`` There are some very real possibilities where NE-2 and the ME-2 district could impact the race for president , '' University of Virginia Center for Politics analyst Kyle Kondik told the Omaha World-Herald earlier this month .
Even if it does n't , Biden or Trump could have `` coattails '' that extend down the ballot and impact the House races in either state 's Second District .
While Democrats are looking to extend their majority in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the president , are hoping to turn the lower chamber red once again .
`` I think we 're going to win the House , '' Trump said during his final debate with Biden last week .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , called that comment `` delusional '' and recently said she 's already looking ahead to growing her coalition in 2022 .
Indeed , forecasters widely expect Democrats to hold on to the House .
In an effort to shore up support in the purple pocket of the otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to travel to Omaha on Tuesday , one week out from Election Day , to host a campaign rally .
The rally could provide a boost for Republican Rep. Don Bacon , who is seeking a third term in the Cornhusker State 's Second District .
In the 2016 election , Trump received a slightly larger share of the vote in the district than Bacon did .
But recent polls show Biden leading Trump in that area , albeit by a slightly narrower margin than the Democratic nominee enjoys nationally .
That might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Democratic challenger , whose competitive campaign is also being backed by spending from progressive groups .
But Eastman faces an uphill battle .
Bacon had already defeated her in the 2018 race , when he slightly increased his margin of victory from 2016 .
Earlier this month , Bacon received a crucial endorsement from Brad Ashford , his former Democratic competitor who had served one term in Congress .
While Eastman has slightly outraised Bacon , she has also burned through much more of her war chest and is headed into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less cash on hand , according to data from OpenSecrets .
The Second Districts in Maine and Nebraska are both considered swing districts , but the playing field looks starkly different in the Pine Tree State .
Maine 's Second District , which covers the vast majority of the state 's land area , flipped blue in 2018 when it elected Democrat Jared Golden as its representative .
That expensive and heated race against GOP incumbent Bruce Poliquin was part of the Democratic `` blue wave '' in the House .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent years : It went for Trump in 2016 following more than two decades of supporting Democratic presidential candidates , and voted in Poliquin after being represented by Democrat Mike Michaud for more than a decade .
Polls show Biden and Trump neck-and-neck in the district .
Trump , who has crisscrossed the country at a breakneck pace in the final weeks of the campaign , visited an apple orchard in Levant , near Bangor , on Sunday .
Biden , whose campaign has been more cautious about travel and hosting in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not recently paid a visit to the state .
But his wife , Jill Biden , made a trip there in late September .
It 's possible that the Second District could vote for Trump at the top of the ticket while continuing to support its Democratic incumbent .
Polls show Golden holding a massive lead over his challenger , first-time congressional candidate Dale Crafts , with less than 10 days to go .
Crafts , a businessman and former state representative who became a paraplegic after a motorcycle accident nearly four decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Golden has .
The Democrat has positioned himself as more moderate than some of the leaders of his party , including Pelosi , with whom he has broken ranks on numerous issues .
But Crafts maintains that the people in his district are concerned about the direction the Democratic Party aims to take the country , and he says that the polls do n't reflect the enthusiasm he sees on the ground .
`` I think people are seeing that we 're going in a direction that 's different than the Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC in a phone interview Thursday .
Golden 's campaign did not respond to an interview request .
`` This is absolutely Trump country , '' he said .
`` He is so popular in the Second District , it 's amazing . ''
Crafts also accused Golden of being more in tow with progressives in his party than he lets on .
`` Jared has done a very good job of portraying himself to be this moderate , '' Crafts said .
`` When people hear what I stand for , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I tell you right now , people are going to say 'wow ' when they wake up Nov .
4 . ''

In this photo illustration the US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the final presidential debate displayed on a screen of a smartphone. Pavlo Conchar | LightRocket | Getty Images
Maine and Nebraska are the only states that don't play by the winner-take-all rules under the Electoral College, and they could make a decisive difference in the presidential election if the race is tight. Traditionally, the winner of a state's popular vote in the race for the White House wins all of the electoral votes it has to offer. But Maine and Nebraska have both adopted laws that distribute their electoral votes in part by the statewide popular vote winner and in part by who gets more votes in each of their congressional districts. In both states, a key district could split the state's electoral votes in the presidential election, giving some to President Donald Trump and some to former Vice President Joe Biden. The congressional district method, which in both states allocates two votes to the overall popular vote winner and one vote to the winner of each congressional district, was first implemented in Maine in 1972. Nebraska didn't use the method until the 1996 election. Maine, with four electoral votes up for grabs, is expected to vote for Biden overall. But its Second District, which is more rural and more conservative than the rest of the state, could award its vote to Trump, as it did in 2016.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
Nebraska has five electoral votes, and at least four of them are almost certainly going to the Republican incumbent. The one exception could be its Second District, which covers the city of Omaha and swaths of suburban voters who tend to lean more toward Biden.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
Political analysts aren't widely expecting that the outcome of the 2020 election could hinge on one or two electoral votes — but there are dozens of ways it could happen, depending on how the election map unfolds. "There are some very real possibilities where NE-2 and the ME-2 district could impact the race for president," University of Virginia Center for Politics analyst Kyle Kondik told the Omaha World-Herald earlier this month. Even if it doesn't, Biden or Trump could have "coattails" that extend down the ballot and impact the House races in either state's Second District.
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While Democrats are looking to extend their majority in the House of Representatives, Republicans, including the president, are hoping to turn the lower chamber red once again. "I think we're going to win the House," Trump said during his final debate with Biden last week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called that comment "delusional" and recently said she's already looking ahead to growing her coalition in 2022. Indeed, forecasters widely expect Democrats to hold on to the House.
The Nebraska fight
In an effort to shore up support in the purple pocket of the otherwise overwhelmingly red state, Trump is scheduled to travel to Omaha on Tuesday, one week out from Election Day, to host a campaign rally. The rally could provide a boost for Republican Rep. Don Bacon, who is seeking a third term in the Cornhusker State's Second District. In the 2016 election, Trump received a slightly larger share of the vote in the district than Bacon did. But recent polls show Biden leading Trump in that area, albeit by a slightly narrower margin than the Democratic nominee enjoys nationally. That might pay dividends for Kara Eastman, Bacon's Democratic challenger, whose competitive campaign is also being backed by spending from progressive groups. But Eastman faces an uphill battle. Bacon had already defeated her in the 2018 race, when he slightly increased his margin of victory from 2016. Earlier this month, Bacon received a crucial endorsement from Brad Ashford, his former Democratic competitor who had served one term in Congress. While Eastman has slightly outraised Bacon, she has also burned through much more of her war chest and is headed into the final days of the campaign with significantly less cash on hand, according to data from OpenSecrets.
A potential split in Maine