captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: good evening, i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight, takingh stage-- after the vice presidential candidates clash, a fight over the next presidential debate breaks out. then, one on one-- we talk with doctor anthony fauci about the president's treatment for covid- 19 and the ongoing pandemic response. >> it didn't he to be this bad if we had done it in a way where people uniformly abid by the public health measures that we've been talking about nsistently. >> woodruff: plus, terror plot-- violent extremists in michigan are charged with plotting to kidnap democratic governor gretchen whitmer. d, the return of war--

territorial fighting between armenia and azerbaijan thats threat ensnare larger regional powers leaves ordinary citizens in a state of panic. >> it's really hard to describe how terrifying it is when the city's being shelled. all you can think about is how do i get low? how do i get safe? and that's what the people of ngepanakert have been livi with for over a week and a half now. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> when the world gets complicated, a lot goes through ur mind. with fidelity weal management, a dedicated advisor can tailor advice and recommendations to your life. that's fidelity wealth management.

>> the kendeda fund. committed to advancing restorative justice and meingful work through ments in transformative leaders and ideas. more at kendedafund.org. > carnegie corporationf new york. supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security. at carnegie.org. >> and with the going support of these institutions: and individuals. >> this program was made

possible by the corporation for public broadcaing. and by contribions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> woodruff: to debate or not to debate-- in-person or not in- person. those questions dominated the u.s. presidential campaign ts day. president trump insisted he won't agree to airtual encounter, and joe biden balked at delaying thbates. it all came a day after their running mates faced off. amna nawaz begins our coverage. >> nawaz: with 26 days until election day, the democratic ticket headed to arizona. former vice president joe biden annator kamala harris met persons i've evr dealt with. this is a person who is ready on

day one to bedehe pre of the united states of america. this is a person who has more integrity in their little finger eaan most have in their whole gody,er and the hat he has women.ulty dealing with strong >> reporter: and president trump's debate with biden into turmoil. >> i'm not gonna wte my time on a virtual debate, that's not what debating is all about, you sit behind a computer and do a debate its ridiculous. >> nawazfirst, refusing to take part after the debate commission this morning announced a virtual format, to" protect the health and safety of all involved."g later, agreeth biden campaign suggestion, that the debate be delayed one week, so it could still be held in person. in a statement, trump campaign manager bill stepien, " we agree that this should haen on october 22, and accordingly, the third debate should then be shifted back one week toctober 29." biden campaign manager kate bedingfield, fed back," trump's erratic behaviour does not allow him to rewte the calendar"... and insisting the final debate remain on october

22nd"" donald trump can show up," bedingfield said, "or he can decline again." >> we agreed to three debates i agreed to the dates, im sticking with the dates. if he shows up great, if not fine.>> awaz: in another scheduling shift, this afternoon, abc news announced it would host a biden town hall in philadelphia on october 15, now that the president had backed out of at night's debate. the back and forth on debate planning comes after an intensea and forth between the vice presidential candidates last night. >> mr. vice president, i speaking. >> i'm speaking.gh in. >> nawaz: in a debate dominated by the pandemic, senator harris slammed the white use reonse, calling it... >> the greatest failure of any presidential administration. i want to ask the american people, how calm were you when you were panicked about where you were going to get your next roll of toilet paper? how calm were you when your kids were sent home from school and you didn't know when they could

go back? >> nawaz: vice president pence, the head of the white house coronavirus task force, defended the decision to not create ana federally-coord response... >> the difference here is president trump and i trust the american people to make choices in the best interests of their health. and joe biden and kamala harris consistently talk about mandates. we're about freedom and respecting the freedom of the american people. >> naz: in stark contrast to the 1st presidential face off, peppered with interruptions and heckling from the president, harris and pence largely stuck campaign messages...heir >> the green new deal, your massive mandates, your paris climate accord, its going ll obs this time just like it killed jobs last time. >> joe biden believes you measure the health and the strength of america's economy based on the health and the strength of the american worker and the american family. on the other hand, you have strength of the economy based on how rich people are doing.

>> nawaz: voters from both sides of the aisle who watched the debate with us, said they welcomed the change in tone. who felt better about the way the debate went tonight? raise your hand if you felt better. but most we unsatisfied with the candidates' answers... >> i do feel like both candidates were dodging the question. >> we get it, y'all doke ump, we get it, attack the points.th >> nawaz: an're wary of what the next presidential debate could bring... >> i hope it doesn't repeat itself, but if it does, i don't g e any sense in continuin watch. >> nawaz: ighing whether or the candidates takhenext time debate stage. for the pbs newshour, i'm amna nawaz. >> woodruff: for analysis of the debate, i'm joined by our own lisa desjains and yamiche alcindor. so hello to both of yu, and lisa, first, as we can tell from what we just listened to, this was a more policy-oriented debate than what we saw last week between the president and joe bid so what are some of the main policy contrasts that emerged

last night? >> let's look at two, judy. c first, omate change. you had senator harris saying its an existential threat and significant action is needed now. on the other hand, you had vice president pence just offering a question whh is what is the cause and what do we do about it, not definitively giving his opinion on it. the other issue, judy, is the economy. vice president pence put out there that democrats, in his opinion, are willing to shut overuse the muscles ofoo eas government. senator harris posed a different problem. yoe said that,he look at the trump administration, it favors the rich too much. >> woodruff: so, yamiche, we did see vice president pencee defending president, the tministration's response coatnavirus. o wh of all he said about that stood out to you? is that, even though mikehe most

pence -- vice president pence is smoother and less brash than the president, not as combativehe was still sticking very closely to the trump administration talking points. he said over and over agn that they had saved millions of lives, hundreds off thousands americans, because he believes that they did the best that they possibly could, banning travel peoplhina for most he also talked about the fact that he believes that they weret ight with the american people, that they have been honest with the american peopleh , in fact, president trump, of course, has said that he downplayed the virus as to not cause patnic, b mike pence didn't acknowledge that. in fact, he actually said at one point there wasn't a white house pandemic office that was dissolved when we know in fact that also actually happened under the trump administrngion. then turo the issue of racial justice, he cnflated black lives matter with rioting and looting in the street, something the president does er and over again. the question became did breonna taylor's taylor get family, he said i trust the just systemo even tugh my heart breaks.

senator harris said, no, we should get justice for them. pence didt answer questions including do the american people have a right to know what president trump's health is like, what is the trump healthcare plan, and will yo commit to a peaceful transfer of power. with those questions not answered, president trump is eager to get back the campaign trail. he says he will hold a virtual rally, we're told, tomorrow with rush limbaugh. president trump is anxious to have his voice be heard. >> woodruff: quickly, lisa, now hat the presidt has pulled out of next week's debate, what are you looking for fm the biden camp in terms of their campaigning coming days? >> well, we can talk about w today, real're seeing some of the first even close to traditional campaigning yet for the biden harris campaign.

they met with tribal leaders there are in arizona, now they're on their way at a union hall and also on a campaign busb k to traditional imagery. biden was asked about his opinion on whther to expand the sphct, he told reporters he would not speak to that till after the election day. his campaign says hehinks that issue is a distraction. there, of course, is cricism for mr. biden for not declaring what he thinks about that issueo >>uff: all right, lisa desjardins, yamiche alcindor, w thank you both. >> woodruff: covid cases are continuing to spike around my parts of the country, and that

includes right he in washington, d.c., where the president's own case and many othersn his inner circle and around the white house have been a source oserious concern this past wk. doctor anthony fauci joins me now. he's the director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases at the national institute of health. dr. fauci, thank you so much for joining us. again, given what yu're observed, when do you think president trump will be out of the woo? >> well, right now, he looks good and, according to his report, he feels good. it is entirely conceivable tha he is already well on his way to being out of the woods. the onthing that his physicians are well aware of and anyone who takes care of covid 19 patients are aware of is that this is a strange of a virus because you can feel good for a few days in a row, and then you could have a really, you know, unexpected downturn where your condition i hope that doesn't happen.

it's unlikely it will, but it s haened in the past to people, which is the reason why his physicians are are of that and are making sure they're monitoring it, even though he's out, in a sense, in the white he still needs to be carefulng, that he doesn't relapse. so we're hoping he doesn't. i don't think he will, but it's conceible at he might. >> woodruff: do you know when his last covid negative test was? and is that relevant? o >> you know, i dt know, judy. i'm not privy to tha information, tbe honest with you. i just don't know when his last negative test was. >> woodruff: is it relevant? ell, younow, it's relevant, obviously, when he wants to get out into normal activity.. the cd.c. guilines say that, if you are t days from th onset of symptoms, then you could go out into socty again. so, you know, if you look at the timehen he first got symptoms,

i believe th was thursday, you can generally safely go up. he they usually back it up witga ve tests from e p.c.r., which is likely to happen, but he seems to be on a recovering course, which we're all pleads about. woodruff: in retrospect, dr. fauci, was it wise for the white house to host over 200 people in the roe garden but also indoors with judge barrette, where you had few people wea mrisks, no social distancing, in rerospect? >> i would like to answer it with modification than judgment on a specifiepide. i will say as i have mutiple times is what you should do to avoid acquisition and transmission of infection is the universals wearing of masks, avoiding close contact, avoiding

crowded situations, trying to do things outdoors much morehan indoors, and washing your hands regularly. that applies to everyone under every circumstance. so that may answer your question. >> woodruff: and a number of those things were what w not done at the white house. but what i want to ask you is we now seovthe number of cid cases in washington, d.c., as i mentioned, rising. we now -- today, there was a letter written -- sent to the white house by the health columbia and nine other localf jurisdictions asking, urging people who work at the whi house to have a covid test, advice. them to seek medical question is the your sense that the white house has taken coe precautions ituld? we know they've turned down the c.d.c. offer toelp with contact tracing, but does it appear they have taken the steps

they should have? >> the only way you could in all honesty and transparency answer the question is say what it isho thatd have been done, whether they did it or not, i don't know. but, clarly, when you have a situation, when someone comes into close contact with aed documenfected person, that means within six feet of a person, for 15 mites or more, who is documented to have coronavirus infection, and th rules are that you should get tested, number one, and, even if you're negative, you should have either 14 days of quarantine or, if a person is in a situation where they are an essential eyrsonnel, they can go into society, but the got to, a, ar a mask, b, be conscious of distances, c, wash their hands frequently, and, d, if they ge any symptoms, they've got to pull themselves out of circulation. so those guidelines are very

clear of whahapns when you are in direct contact with someone who has a documented infection. >> reporter: dr. fauci, the united states has been figing covid 19 since, whats january, when the first person was hospitalized. here we e, it's mid october, slowdown, in all efforts tommer shut down, wear masks, social distancing, and all the thngs you're talking about, we're seeing an increase in many american states, in many american cities. was this inevitable? >> i don't think so, joovmed i mean, obviously, this is a formidable virus that has an extraordinary capabil being transmitted from person to person, but the kind of outbreak that we had in the united states and that many other countries have had does not necessarily have to have been inevitable.rt nly there would be

considerable number of infections, but, right now, if you lookt where we are, we infections at about 40,000. it's kind of stuck there at 40,000. that's of concern to me because, as we enter the cooler months of the fall and the colder months of the winter, to be able to contain infection when people are more indoors thath are problematic, and woing to have to double down on the things that we likely should have done consistently. but if you look at the response as ath wholeere really has been inconsistency. you recall when we had the big spikes that went up to70,000 cases per day. there were some states that didn't abide y the checkpoint d the hase one, phase two, phase three guidelines, and then, toheir ownredit, and to be fair to them, there were some states that try to do i

right, it didn't have to be this bad if we ha done it in a way where people uniformly abided be the publicalth measures that we have been talking aboutly consistessentially every day. >> woodruff: and just finally, fessionalof pro football players testing positive in recent days. do you think there's a real chance that this football, n.f.l. season may have to bef called? >> you know, there's always a i hope that at's not the case. they put a lot of good-faith effort in trying to make it work, if it turns out those efforts fail, that's really unfortunate, but i would leave that up to the judgment. the critical issue is thet safetye welfare and the health of the players and the personnel associated with them. that's got to tae precedent over everything else. >> woodruff: dr. anhony fauci, we thank you y much. >> thau, judy.

i appreciate you having me on your show. >> woodruff: the f.b.i. says it has broken up an alleged plot by violent extremists in michigan to kidnap governor gretchen whitmer and overthrow the state government. the shocking announcement of arrests today includes details of a plan to storm the state capitol. as john yang tel us, authorities say the plot began taking shape this summ after heated political battles over the pandemic. >> yang: judy, 13 people are in custody under federal charges of conspiracy to kidnap michigan governor gretchen whitmer and on state terrorism charges for threatening to take over the state capitol in lansing, nichigan. the f.b.i. says their goal was to create a self-sufficient soety that followed the bi

of rights. in recorded conversations they allegedly called whitmer "a tyrant." this afternoon the governor pointed to president trump's rhetoric in last week's debate. >> hate groups heard the president's words not as a rebuke but as rallying cry, as a call to actio when our leaders speak, their words matter. they cary weight. when our leaders meet with, encourage, fraternize with edomestic terrorists, ty legitimize their actions, and plicitre com when they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit. >> the federal charges carry a maximum penalty of life in carry a maximum peof lifeges in prison. dana nesll is the michigan attorney general. attorney general nsel, thank you very much for joining us. the f.b.i. affidavit that was

unsealed today realldetails a very elaborately planned and plotted scheme here, meeti in ohio, meeting in wisconsin, rveilling having the governor's house under surveillance. day and nighttime.at ore can you tell us about how this plot was hatched and t how it wbe carried out? >> there are a lot more allegations than just volving the plot to kidnap the governor. you know, we also have a plot to tar the state capital and for, you know, a mass casualties there. for threats against other public officials and law enforcement. i mean, there's more than just this one plot to kide governor. and unfortunately, across as many state lines immunizes multi jurisdictional. this is a michigan problem. but it's not just a michigan problem. it's an american problem right now. and what we're seeing is this boogaloo movement and a

multitude and a myriad of orfferent militia organizations, white supremacy nizations another.at work with one >> yang: were these individuals, these grps, people who had been on your radar? had you been watching them? >> yes. >> yang:nd watching them. i mean, what activities have they been carrng out or threatening to carry out or have been involved in in e past? >> well, as i've suggested, i mean, there are multiple there are multiple different plots th they have been hatching now, in terms of which they were what plots they were most serious about actually executing, i mean, the closest that they got to a involved this plot involving but there were a number of different, you know, strategies that they had this is not st a bunch of gentlemen that get together and, you know, should go to target practice and chat among themselves. you know, these are overt acts. these are multiple trainings

that they were involved in. again, across many states. and it appeared as though they were prepared to move rward in their actions. so i, you know, incredibly, incredibly concerning and credibly disturbing. something that we have to be aware of. and quite honestly, you knowi would hope that we wr ld look to ected leaders and caution them that, you know, this is not empty rhetoric to these individuals >> yang: what is the motivation, these people of thesgroup of people, how would you describe a militia white suist? what was what was their motivating factor? >> certainly, i would say there's white supremacy elements to m these groups. remember, there's multiple groups. the ones tt we charged had to do with the wolverine watchmen militia group that is located in michigan. but, you know, they are in contact with other gros as well. and i say these shared extremism is that, you know, on one hand you have the white supremacy

white nationalist tenant.th but on the, very much antigovernment sentiments. , it's strange. and i'm very pro the way, that my department word in concert with the f.b.i. and witt both the u.srneys, with the eastern and western districts. so because this is not m politically motivated, i democrat. those are indiduals were put into their respective offices by republicans. but we worked together on this because i think anyone who is truly a member of law enforcement appreciates, you know, how shocking this is, how disturbing it is and the grave threathat it poses to american society. >> yang: michigan attorney gesoral dana nessel, thanks much. >> thanks for having me. >> woodruff: in the day's other ne, hurricane "delta" blew

toward louisiana, where it's expected to make landfall friday eving. the storm is bacup to category 113 with sustained winds o miles an hour. it's now aiming for the lake charles region in louisiana that from hurricane "laage in august new covid-19 infections worldwide have jumped by the most yet, nearly 339,000 in the last 24 hours. the world health organization says the largest increases camei ia, the united states and brazil. ndthin the u.s., wisconsin the dakotas are reporting the most new caseser capita. new jobless claims in the u.s. dipped last week, but remained high, at 840,000. that news came today as prospects for more economic relief remained unclear. white house economic adviser larry kudlow said aid for airlines is a priority. u.s. house speaker nancy pelosi

agreed, with a caveat. they spoke separately. >> we have made targeted pleas for assistance in key areas and now the president believes we s shouft into a, you know, stand-alone bill to get the key points through. >> let me just be really clear: i have been ve open to having a single, stand-alone bill for the rlines, or part of a bigger bill. but there is no stand-alone bill without a bigger bill. the is no bill. >> wdruff: some 32,000 workers, from two top airlines alone, were furloughed week. meanwhile, the congressional budget office reports that earlier relief spendg pushed the federal deficit to $3.1 trillion in the fiscal year th just ended. that's the most since world war ii. in wisconsin, a federal appeals court today blocked effortto extend the deadline for counting absentee ballots, by six days.

if the ruling stands, the ballots will have to be delived when polls close on election day. democrats are expected to appeal to the u.s. supreme court. on wall street today, stocks managed minor gains. the dow jones indusrial average p 122 points to close at 28,425. the nadaq rose 56 points and the s&p 500 added 2. and, american poet louise gluck has won this year's nobel prize r literature. she first came to prominence in 1968, and hasince won a string of honors.h the swedademy today called her "one of the most prominent poets in american contemporary literature," and compared herrk ith that of emily dickinson. ill to come on the newshour: the president announces a major withdrawal of u.s. troops from afghanistan despite a tenuous peace deal. fighting between armenia and

azerijan threatens to draw regional powers into conflict. and much more. >> woodruff: todayhe taliban welcomed an announcement by president trump, that all u.s.ho troopsd leave afghanistan by the end of the year.th bue are questions today about how that announcement was received by the u.s. mitary, and by u.s. and afghan negotiators who are in peace talks right now. and nick schifrin ins me now. so, nick, what exactly did the president and his national secuty advisor have to say about this? >> reporter: three times judy, in the last 24 hours, the

white house indicated i wantede to accelere withdrawal from afghanistan. first time was yesterday afternoon, national security advisor robert o'brien tivi las vegas -- nevada is a swing state -- and for the first time he set a specific timetable to reduce te troops in hal >> the president took office, there were over 10,000 troops in afghanistan. as of today there are under 5,000. that will go to 2,500 by next year. >> reporter: last night the president went further. he tweeted that all troops should be back by christmas and, this ming, he said this during a phone interview with fox business' marie. >> we're down to 4,000 troops in afghanistan and i'll have them home by the end of the year. they're ming home as we speak. 19 years is enough. they're actings policemen, okay, they're not acting as troops. w odruff: -- this ahead of

>> reporter: th half dozen military officials who i spoke to did not know at either the president's tweet was coming, the president's interview was coming or robert o'brien's statement was coming. there has been no pubstc ement up until now that there should be 2,500 troops by early next year, and def officials tell me there was no the national securvisorem and before he gave that speech. accelerating the withdrawal from afghanistan. they tell me, judy, that even if they had to withdraw by the end of the year, they couldn't do it in a vair safe way and if they had, to they would have to destroy equipment that's aleady in afghanistan. and any kind of speedy thdrawal could lead th embassy to reduce presence because the military prvides transportation and security. one white house official told me the military was dragging their feet on the withdratel and a sepa.s. official told me

these statements help remind department of defense to take withdrawal seriously. >> woodruff: facinating. so, nick, how does this affect the ongoing pe talks between the afghan governmt and the taliban? >> reporter: on the one hand like some evious presidential announcements, knot make some of this. the military has not received any new formal orders, but the afghanistan experts say this undermints minus the afghan goffed and diplomats and reduces the pressure on the taliban. the u.s. deal with taliban said u.s. woulld withdraw troops by spring 2021 if and onlyif the taliban broke with al quaida and that has been repeated by diplomats again and again even last week that withdrawal was conditions based. there were no conditions mentioned by president trump and initially by robert rourine either. military officials say they

haven't had the time to assess ether or not the tall bap has broken with al quaida and everybody i've taked to says without that condition the taliban probably won't offer concessions and will lie in waih till u.s. withdraws. o some pressure could be put on the taliban. the u.s. is telling them this is not the policy and they could ignorehe president's tweets. what all these people i'm talking to say to me today isna is s the white house priority is not the taliban- al quaida condition, it's not what's happening in afghanistan, it's the u.s. election, the desire to get out of afghanistan as quickly as possible, and judy that could make any progresst in whas already a difficult peace talk all the more ifficult.f: >> woodruickly, exactly what it was going to ask you, nick, the timing of this is what is so ieresti that we ar less than four weeks from the election.

>> reporter: yes, absolutely, eess than four weeks from th election. that's what the afghan government and the u.s. diplomats and the military worried about. is is more about politics than policy. >> woodruff: nick schifrin reporting for us, thanyou, nick. >> reporter: thank you. >> woodruff: fighting has broken out between two former soviet republics, azerbaijan and armenia, over the ethnic armenian enclave of nagorno karabakh. hundreds of lives have been losb since fightian september 27. with much of t world distracted by global pandemic and a bitter u.s. election campaign, there has been little

m said it wanted leaders fth des to come to moscow for talks, but in this small cornyner on the fringes of europe, ighboring powers are becoming involved with unpredictable invoin what could become a regional war. with support from the pulitzer center, special correspondent simon ostrovsky report nagorno-karabakh. (siren) >> reporter: for over a week now, meanians in the breakaw nagorno-karabakh republic cowered in shelters as bombs rain down from the sky. >> they're shooting. me over here. it's coming in close. >> reporter: it's a bitter conflict been ethnic armenians on one side and ethn azerbaijanys on theout interest in a region sz wh rerkey has taken increased interest in its ambitions to be a regiol power

broker epand. >> they have been shooting all day, they're destroying everything. full-scale war that's takent place here since ethnic armenians won control of nagorno-karabakh more than 25 years agow . he small breakaway rub lick in the southern causes threatens to pull in large and powerful regional powers. the neighboring republic armenia is already in the fight on the side of their ethnic brethren in ca car karabakh seng its weight in. high-tech arms are supplied as well as mercenaries where from syria something ankara denies. absent from the battlefield from which ruled over both ai armenia and azerbaijan when war first broke out when the soviet union dissolved in 192 and air meanias

demanded karabakh become part of the republ m of armenia. anaged to get into the capitol on tuesday an wednesday. >> it's really hard tsc debe how terrifying it is when the city is being shelled. all you can think about is how do i get low, how do i get safe. >> reporter: the city is littered with various types of ordinates. a group of men show me a piece of a rocket that landed in arrangesle block. >> it's turkish, and the thing is it's from an f-16. r >>eporter: many here believe armenia's age-old enemy turkey using weapons inding some is ted statesy the u and the population of karh.ab the armenian prime minister said as much mself. according to our information 150 officials of the cork military are in different compomanding

tions of the azerbaijan army and are commanding and leading the miitar but turkey is not the only country supplying arms to azerbaijan. the weapon we found turned out to be a soviet made grad missile. just under 3% of azerbaijan weapons come from turkey. more than half of its weapons were imported from russia over the last five years and 41% of the purchases came from anotheru ally israerussia is in only major supplier of arms to both sides of this wa. nevertheless many in karabakh are holding out hope russia will intervene on theirhabe. >> please tell big brother vladimir putin to put his first down to put them in their place. knows how to do that. >> reporter: hoe that he would grew dimmer after putin told yesterday state television his country's treaty with armenia

countrydorf karabakh. >> we have certain obligation ender the agreement but th fighting is not taking place on the territory of armenia. >> reporter: i asked the armenian defense ministres spn what he thought of russia supplying so much t weapon armenia's enemies. >> buying arms from someone whether russia or israel, that's within thing. the turks are actlly fighting against us. >> reporter: the human rights ombudsman called on the international community to cease weapons transfers to azerbaijan. >> with fewer armaments, civilians are largely and internationally guiltr and azerbaijan wants to makets genocida here against all armenians, and that's why it's dangerous to be in the open. >> reporter: just as we bein our interview, we hear an attack drone circling overhead. a cameraman guides baglarian who

is prtially blind to cover, an adjacent ruin >> our forces are trying to subdue. several countries are supplying drones to azerbain among them turkey and israel. >> reporter:ttacks on civilians haven't within limited to armenian controlledarabakh. ethnic armenian sources shelled many cities on the government controlled side of the front as well. this foot an was filmed in barta earlier today. in all 30 civians have been killed on the azerbaijan side according to official figures, somepaired to arountwo dozen re. military casualties are estimated to be in the hundreds. with no end to the fighting in sight, civilians have begun fl fleeing area. 70,000 have run across the

border to armenia aleady. this cup were on their way to stay with their daughter in the armenian capitol. >> we couldn't leave the seller or even bathe. >> there's no gas, electricity. how lo can you survive on bread alone is this. reporter: for the "pbs newshour," simon vsky, in nagorno-karabakh. >> woodruff: while much of the focus is on the race for the white use, control of the u.s. sete is also up for grabs. the "cook politil report" sees 12 races in play; 10 of them currently held by repuicans. that includes south carolina,

where three-term senator liney graham is running for reelection and which cook now sees as a tossp. farther north, in maine, incumbent susan collins saw an risells this week, but democrats still see it as one of their best opportunities. lisa desjardins is back with our report. >> so how's business?ja >> desins: this is not potics as usual in maine. senior senator susan collins is in the fight of her life, running almost like an underdog. at shops in one town and with a guest star, south carolina senator tim scott. >> well thank you very much. a very warm welcome. >> desjardins: remarks in another. en, a campaign bus. the woman hoping to unseat her: >> good to see you! >> desjardins: ...relative newcomer sara gideon, a democrtar who is speaker of the state house, for whomma health care a jor focus. she has been ahead in most polls . her signature event, "supper

with sara, with voter questions, was open to all but has been invitation only during t pandemic. both women are running ons reco bipartisanship, but who wins will help decide which party controls the u.s. senate. the result: an onslaht of ads >> you just can't trust anything sara gideon says. >> desjardins:..casting gideon as someone who moved to maine,th gh 16 years ago, and is more partisan than she claims. >> sara gideon. ineffective. a risky choice. >> desjardins: and collins as a former independent. >> susan collins has changed. she isn't for us anymore. s susan collins never sta to donald trump. o desjardins: it is a sto outside spending-- at least $60 million in a state with fewer than one million people.. all th on top of what has happened with the president and the coronavirus. but voters we talked to here say that's not a factor in their

.cision on this senate ra the campaigns, however, say the coronavirus has changed how they operate. >> be respectful of people's space. please have a mask on at alls. ti >> desjardins: team collins just resumed door-knocking in the past two weeks, something they usually would have done for months. >> my name is mary and i'm volunteering witmothe maine deatic party. >> desjardins: phone banks are now virtual, with volunteers like mary smith working solo, from home. smith shows why collins is so vulnerable. she's a democrat who voted for her in the past and now thinks collins has changed. that's directly related to president trum- his takeover of the republican party, something that is an issue for vulnerable republicans acrossy, the counike collins. >> i think, you know, what really did it for me waser vote on the kavanaugh nominaon and the 2017 tax cut and also in the impeachment and her comments

that she thought that donald trump had learned his lesson after that. but so i really looked long and hard and just decided that she wasn't for me anymore. >> desjardins: collins disputes this narrative. >> it's just not true. my voting record is as independent as ever.th foseventh year in a row, i've been named the most bipartisan mber of the senate. >> desjardins: that's correct. according to the political data site 538.com, collins has voted just two-thirds of the time with mister trump, the least of any republican in the senate. but that ao means she's not trump enough for his core voters it is a partisan vice grip.t' >> well,certainly difficult to be a centrist whoar believes in a for common ground in this highlrized environment that we're in. >> desjardins: this leaves socollins running on her pl relationip with her state, including what she's done for

roads and downtowns like this by bringing home hundreds of miions in federal dollars. that means a lot to stephen martelli of auburna town of 23,000 which worked for a decade to build this park, and got critical help from collins. he admits its an intense race. >> it's very hot, it's very hot. there's a lot of people upset with collins. personally, i feel like collins is a better choice than gideon because we know our track record of where she's going. >> desjardins: he's worried's about gideast support of raising a fuel tax to address climate issues. others question if gideon would join those democrats who want to expand the supreme court. to us, she seemeto say no. >> if you ask me today if i think those proposals help us get back to the place that i thinis essential for a functioning democracy and functioning government, i don't see how they get us there. >> desjardins: the statelike the country, is divided. collins.i'm proud as a woman atr dedication and service. >> of course, i support sarah gideon.

susan collins has let us down. for its strong, rocky coast and strong-minded voters. the race here is not just about whether susan collins has maine's voters have.hether for the pbs newshour, i'm lisa desjardins. >> woodruff: to be or not to be- - seven months into the coronavirus pandemic, live theaters are struggling to raise the curtain. john yang takes us tone regional company in rural virginia that hopes it's found a way for the show go on, safely. it's part of our ongoing "american creators series" on ruraarts, and "canvas," our verage of arts and culture. >> yang: theater audiences have

gotten used to admonitions about silencing cell phones. but, unusual times call for unusual quests. >> we ask at you continue to wear your masks and wear them properly. if you do not wear them .properly, we will kill y ( laughter ) if this pandemic doesn't. >> yang: at the american shakespeare center, nestled in , rginia's shenandoah vall rare sight: live theater,do s, with a live audience, alternating performances of "othello" and "twelfth night" through october 18. >> some of the very large organizations, i think they can hills. to kind of run for the wait for the wave to break and then come back, reopen. >> yang: artistic rector ethan >> the small- and mid-sized like us, i guess our solution was to y surf the wave and hopefuay afloat. >> yang: mcsweeny led an appropriately distance-ytour of the r-old company's theater. >> that you don't expect this

when youome into the small town of staunton, rginia, and you walk into our sort o unprepossessing, rather ordinary lobby, and then you're in here in this incredible, world's only recreation of shakespeare's indoor theater. the blackfriars playhouse. >> yang: like shakespeare's 17th-century blafriars, there is minimal scenery, no sound amplification, and "universal lighting,"lluminating both d'dience and actors. but unlike the btheater-- even though it operated at the time of the bubonic plague--or there are ele safety precautions. >> we started creating a series of protocols that we ended up calling "safe start." so wstarted with the workpla protocols and also added the audience protocols, many of which are the same and similar. but it was, i mean, obviously, as the name suggests, safety is the primary. h yang: for the actors, the plan developed wdical advice, had an initial two-week quarantine, with rehearsals over zoom.xt

ame in-person rehearsals, first with masks, and then gradually without. backstagpersonnel and management still must wear masks at all times.ho to let patronse the way they're most comfortable seeing a show, for the firs, the company added outdoor performanc on the grounds of the nearby blackburn inn, and streamed performances on the internet." othello" is set in venice at the time of the plag, so some scenes incorporate masks. infection rates are relative low in the area, and the company has not had any covid cases. the performers have daily symptom checks, live in their own bubble in company-provided housing, and have signed an" isolation covenant."d. jessikilliams plays the title role in "othello." >> you know, this is not risk- free. it's like, we're tightened it u and i th've done a great job and we are all taking care of each other. and it's been working so far.

>> yang: john rrell is in his chth season with the theater. >> we trust ther. we all know at this point, the entire enterprise depends on our being responsible to a larg group. but that is a condition that ensemble actors are used to.id whether it's cr other things, we all know, you know, actors are always on time. and we always know our lines. >> yang: from the stage, cast members keep an eye on whetherey audiences he requirement to keep their masks on. they can stop a perfe at any time. >> it adds a certain level of anxiety. it's like, well, she's taking a deep breath and going to put it right back on. do need to stop the show? what's-- you know, what do i do, too? i alert the age management. it's just one more thing to be paying attention to and to be juggling. but so far, weaven't had-- everybody's been really compliant with our rules. >> yang: seating capacity in the indoor theater has been ort by more than 50%, and the mask requirementudiences has meant some adjustment for

actors. >> you're used to looking at that person smiling. ok that person on the verge of laughing at this do they look angry? do they look bored? all of those cues that we take. but i've started noticing that you can see those cues. anyway, it's just a little bit just pay a little bit more attention. so it was odd at first, but like, with, like, with everything else in this pandemic, it's gotten easier and more-- used to it. >> yang: audience members at a recent indoor matinee of" hello" said they felt safe. ezrionna prioleau and kara painter came from nearby harrisonburg, virginia.>> mean, we were more than six feet away from the closest person. and so, knowing that and seeing that makes it feel like they'reo g all they can. >> and theater is probably about of the oldest forms of a storytelling. so, like, bringing it back outside, or brinitng it inside, still just the same core of telling the story, telling of learning and grg withnd kind other people. el yang: laura lattimer and

shobhit gupta tr from charlottesville, virginia. >> i wish i weren't wearing a mask, but i think the it. they made a good show that, you know, kind of gave them-- wear their masks on stage, as you saw at some point. i think, you know, recognizing the times is very shakespeare, too, rht? he's, you know, recognized what was going on in the world d played up to that. so i think it was very fitting, i suppose. live performance for the first time in nearly a year was a ensurprisingly moving expe. karen marsh of charlottesville. >> i didn't realize how much i missed it. when the-- before the performance started and they came and-- came out singing. i started weeping, and i was completely unexpected toe. but it was so powerful to speak in the presence of creative people doing art. it really was moving.an >> the theater hopes it's found a way to provide more people with that experience in the pandemic, announcing that in december it will stage the homadayclassic, "a chri carol." for the pbs newshour, i'm johnng n staunton, virginia.

>> woodruff: and tt's the wshour for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. join us online and again here tomorrow evening. for all of us at the pbs stwshour, thank you, pleas safe, and see you soon. >> major funding for the pbsee newshour hasprovided by: like to do with a wireless plan designed for you. with talk, text and consumer cellular. learn more at consumercellular.tv

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hello, everyone. welcome to "amanpour & co." here's what's coming up. >>ee a with some of the things like on trade and taxes.c but hes me. i can't vote for him. >> the republican party at war with itself. michael steele, the former chair of the rnc on what trump's chaos means f the gop and the election. then -- >> it's pretty upsetting to know that it can happen to people our age. >> the mental health fallout of covid on campus. yale psychology professor, you are dr. laurie santos joins us. stoke fear anddistrust around mail-in ballots? and finally, black holes.in unve the dst