>> mary bruce with us every step of the way. mary, thank you. >>> as you mentioned, records are being set across this country with early voting in this pandemic. and so many americans on both sides who want to make sure their vote counts this year. tonight, this number. more than 90 million americans have requested mail-in ballots. and only about half of them have sent them back in. and so, authorities in several states tonight with a warning, to fill them out and get them in the mail immediately. and our chief white house correspondent jonathan karl tonight explaining why. >> reporter: if you are going to vote by mail, it's time to get your ballot in the mailbox right now. >> please, if you haven't returned it, do it this week. now's the time. >> regardless of what state you're in, get your ballots in by your state's deadline. >> reporter: driven in part by concerns over the pandemic, a record-high 90 million voters have requested mail-in ballots nationwide. but so far, only about half have returned them. in all 50 states, thos

>> all right, mary bruce, thank you, leading us off tonight. >>> president trump looking to change the polls, the trajectory, as you heard mary report there, with 12 days to go. joe biden has said he expects personal attacks. so, what is the president's strategy going into tonight's debate? let's get right to our chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. what are your sources telling you tonight? what can we expect from the president? >> reporter: well, david, i expect the president to hit biden with all of the fury that he hit him in the first debate. he will go after his son, hunter's business dealings, regardless if the subject comes up. his advisers hope he will hammer biden on economic issues, which they believe are still the president's strongest area. and david, the president's advisers think it actually helps him that the mics will be muted for part of the time because what they want more than anything to come out of this debate is for biden to make a mistake and they believe that is more likely to happen if he isn't constantly being interrupted by the president. >> jon ka

mary bruce. >> reporter: just one week after he was hospitalized, and with questions swirling about whether he could still be contagious, president trump tonight is planning to resume in-person events. >> i feel better now than i did two weeks ago. it's crazy, and i recovered immediately, almost immediately. >> reporter: though the president insists he's no longer taking medication, doctors tonight haven't answered questions about his condition and that powerful steroid he was taking that could mask symptoms of the virus. the president, back in the west wing today, at first said he would travel to florida saturday for a rally. but now planning to speak from the balcony to supporters on the south lawn of the white house. it was just today dr. anthony fauci labeled one of trump's last big white house events a superspreader. >> we had a superspreader event in the white house. and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and not wearing masks. so the data speaks for themselves. >> repo

>> all right, mary bruce tonight, mary, thank you. the abc news town hall with joe biden just a short time from now. george stephanopoulos with biden and voters and their questions, that's tonight, 8:00 p.m. eastern, right here. >>> certainly, the questions tonight will include handling of the coronavirus, especially with this country now seeing a spike in cases in 38 states now. with the colder weather and more people indoors. and tonight, news coming in, a third person in the u.s. now confirmed to have been reinfected with the virus. and tonight, you can see the red on the map right there, those are the states where cases are rising, as we approach 60,000 cases daily nationwide. dr. fauci has said, we need to be around 10,000 cases a day heading into fall to help prevent a second wave. again, we're nearing 60,000 a day. and tonight, news here on your blood type an the virus. abc's marcus moore from oklahoma city tonight. >> reporter: researchers say a man in seattle tonight is the third known person in the u.s. to have been infected

>> mary bruce with us every step of the way on this campaign. mary, thank you. and tomorrow, with that key second debate canceled, the abc news townhall with joe biden instead. george stephanopoulos with questions from voters tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. eastern, right here. >>> we continue with the news tonight, and the supreme court showdown, day three of the he hearing for judge amy coney barrett, president trump's pick to replace justice ruth bader ginsburg. democrats have been grilling her about the affordable care act, with a case before the court just days after the election. but today, republicans signaling that they know americans are watching this particular issue closely, questioning the judge on the affordable care act, as well. abc's terry moran has covered the supreme court for years for us. >> reporter: it was a day republicans sensed victory, a triumph decades in the making. >> this is the first time in american history that we've nominated a woman who is unashamed lly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology and she's going to the court, a s

jon karl around mary bruce standing by live tonight. >>> the coronavirus here in the u.s. pushing hospitals to the breaking point. from utah to texas. and in utah tonight, some authorities now saying the patient load is so great they will have to prioritize patients in some cases younger patients first. to el paso, where they're air lifting some patients to other hospitals. and the 18-year-old college freshman dying from covid. >>> the senate confirmation vote tonight on supreme court justice amy coney barrett. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell saying democrats won't be able to do much about this for a long time to come. >>> we are monitoring evacuations at this hour. california's silverado fire erupting across thousands of acres. two firefighters critically injured. 60,000 people forced from their homes. the biggest wind emergency of the year, they're now saying tonight. >>> and the other threat this evening, yet another hurricane headed toward the u.s. tonight, where there are already states of emergency. >>> good evening and it's great to have you with us here as w

mary bruce tonight, thank you. >>> now, more on that outbreak lynn you canned to the white house. we now at least 34 people have tested positive, while the president, in an interview today, said there's nothing wrong when it comes to his condition. in a video he posted on twitter, he acknowledged he had been very sick. and what he also said in the interview about a white house meeting with gold star families more than a week ago, that they wanted to get close to m,e dn stopth. but we asked tonight about those families, has anyone reached out to them, could they have been exposed? here's our chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: exactly one week after he said he tested positive for covid-19, the president today declared himself cured. >> i think i'm better. when, to a point where i'd love to do a rally tonight. i wanted to do one last night. but i think i am better. si feel perfect. there's nothing wrong. >> reporter: although in a video released today but recorded yesterday on the south lawn of the white house, he acknowledged he had been very sick. >> i went

>> mary bruce leading us off tonight. mary, thank you. >>> and now to that supreme court showdown i mentioned off the top tonight. the senate judiciary committee hoping its confirmation hearing for president trump's nominee, judge amy coney barrett. judge barrett escorted into the room, her children brought in separately to watch. democrats one after another arguing that her nomination puts health care coverage for millions of americans, including pre-existing conditions, on the line. with that major case before the court just days after the election. and judge barrett telling the committee today the courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. abc's terry moran has covered the court for years for us. >> reporter: the stage was set, a socially distanced hearing room but democrats, in a surprise, changed the script. for once, remarkably united on message, one after another, they argued that this confirmation threatens all americans health care and protections for pre-existing condi

ballot counted accurately, but counted accurately as quickly as humanly possible. >> all right, mary bruce with us live from washington tonight. and mary, with this record-breaking number of early votes, of course, the big question we've all been talking about here at abc with our political team for weeks now, the realization this could be a very long election night, it could really last well beyond election night. so, where could we know in the evening on tuesday, where could we still be waiting hours, i hate to say it, but days into it? >> reporter: well, david, some critical states like florida and north carolina have already been processing ballots for weeks now. so, we could know a fair amount early on in the night. but experts we've talked with are especially concerned about those three critical battleground states that handed trump the presidency, that we may not know those results on election night. in michigan, they don't even start counting ballots until november 3rd. in pennsylvania and wisconsin, they don't even start opening them until then. so, while they will be working arou

>> mary bruce, i'll be right here with you wednesday night for our coverage of that vp debate. mary, thank you. >>> and as president trump returns to the white house tonight, much of this country still facing a rise in cases and an average of 40,000 daily cases nationwide. tonight, look at the map. still mostly red. 33 states and puerto rico with rising infections. i mentioned earlier, the death toll now topping 210,000 lives lost, and amid alarming neighborhood surges here in new york city, restrictions now in new york as governor cuomo announcing the state will shut down roughly 300 schools in nine zip codes. of course, the big fear here is the potential new wave of this. and one that could combine with flu. we'll be watching very closely. >>> when we come back on this very busy news night, the deadly building collapse. at least three construction workers killed. >>> and what could very well be a hurricane set to slam into the gulf region yet again. we'll have the latest track. who'under control.czema with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help

>> so let's get right to mary bruce live with us tonight. mary, we know president trump and joe biden will be in the battlegrounds all weekend long. this is really a sprint to the finish at this point. we also know both campaigns are studying the early vote, the historic early vote, and the numbers coming in from texas are making news tonight. >> reporter: david, more people early voted in texas than voted in the entire last election. democrats are watching this closely, especially some specific counties like harris county around houston. it is the third largest county in the country. hillary clinton won it by 12 points four years ago, and the turnout is shattering records. democrats know that flipping texas is going to be an uphill battle, but these numbers are giving them hope that it may be competitive. >> just one snapshot of the early vote across the country. mary, thank you. >>> of course, the question, when will we know the results of the election? president trump has insisted on knowing the results on election night. but right here, t

mary bruce right there in the debate hall in salt lake city tonight. >> reporter: with just hours to go, joe biden today choing to d. >> reporter: kamala harris and mike pence set for their first, and only, faceoff and already the pandemic is front and center. the candidates will both be seated behind mr hinhind plexig than 12 pete apart. harris testing negative yesterday. pence testing negative today. even as the outbreak at the white house grows by the day, pence's team insists the vice president is safe to debate. his doctor saying pence has not been in close contact wit but pence was seen here at what is now being called a superspreader event, that rose garden ceremony, sitting right in front on senator mike lee, who shortly after tested positive. the vice president was last with the president in the oval office last tuesday, before trump tested positive. pence's communications director katie miller, who was traveling with the vice president, had to abruptly leave utah yesterday after her husband, white house adviser stephen miller, tested positive. she has since tested negative.

here's abc's mary bruce in salt lake city, where the debate will play out. >> reporter: tonight he's sidelined at the white house with covid, but president trump is trying to reassure his supporters, promising them he will be on the trail again soon, and will be at next week's debate. tweeting, "it will be great!" his opponent joe biden says he will listen to the health experts -- if they say it's safe, he says he'll be there, too. the stark differences between the campaigns on full display. biden with this blunt rebuke of the president -- the caption? masks matter. they save lives. from the fields of gettysburg today, an exasperated biden imploring americans to take this virus seriously. >> enough. no more. let's just set partisanship aside. let's end the politics and follow the science. >> reporter: biden tested negative again today. overnight, he said the president bears some responsibility for contracting covid. >> anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying masks don't matter, social distancing doesn't matter, i think is responsible for what happens to them. >> reporte

and abc's mary bruce leading us off. >> reporter: with joe biden off the trail preparing for the debate, tonight, his team sent in its heaviest hitter to the state that's become an absolute must-win. >> if you just work as hard as you can over these next 12 days, i'm confident we're going to have a good outcome. we're going to have joe biden as the next president of the united states. >> reporter: former president barack obama in pennsylvania, holding his first in-person campaign event, a drive-in rally in philadelphia. >> this is reality. and the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously. at least 220,000 americans have died. >> reporter: biden's team is banking on a huge turnout in philadelphia and its suburbs and hoping obama will help energy african-american voters. >> the truth is, is that i'm very proud of my presidency, but i didn't immediately solve systemic racism by virtue of me being president. >> reporter: trump has been campaigning hard in pennsylvania. overnight, rallying his supporters in erie -- begrudg

jon karl and mary bruce standing by tonight. with just 32 days until the election, the trump campaign in turmoil tonight. postponing some events. will there even be anymore debates? and joe biden late today in michigan. his message for the president and first lady. and his plea to the country tonight about the virus and masks. >>> and tonight questions about the president's age and other factors the he now fights this. dr. jen ashton and dr. ashish jha with us tonight. what happens if the president becomes unable to do his job? terry moran on that tonight. >>> prime minster boris johnson says he nearly died from the virus. his message tonight as global headlines mark the news -- the leader of the free world battling covid. a special edition of "world news tonight" starts now. >>> good evening and it's great to have you with us here on this friday night. it was a lot to take in today as millions of americans woke. in the news that president trump and first lady melania trump both tested positive for covid-19. tonight we just witn

>> mary bruce with us again tonight. mary, thank you. and mary, as you know, coming up thursday night, an abc news town hall with joe biden. george stephanopoulos with questions from voters. that's thursday night, starting at 8:00 p.m. eastern right here. >>> but as i mentioned, early voting now under way in most of this country. more than 11 million votes already cast. long lines in texas today on day one of early voting there. and a victory for the texas governor, who wanted to limit the number of dropoff boxes in that state. and tonight, news also from key battlegrounds, including ohio. so, again tonight, on the early vote, here's abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: they say everything is bigger in texas, and tonight, the long lines to the polls are proving it. >> i think it just shows that everyone is, like, ready to vote and doesn't want their vote to be suppressed. >> reporter: dallas, austin, el paso and many people waiting all day are concerned that this is voter suppression. the governor of texas is only allowing one dropoff box

for the very latest we go now to abc's mary bruce. mary? >> reporter: juju, despite the very unusual setting here in the room, the two candidates up on stage separated by that plexiglass, all of us here in our masks, what struck me most about this debates was how it really felt like a normal traditional debate. after last week's disastrous, very raucous debate between the president and joe biden, the bar for civility was low. so tonight when we saw a lot of pleasantries, not a lot of interrupting at all, and really a conversation about policy, it did seem rather remarkable. what also felt like a normal debate was how much they refused to simply answer a lot of questions. we saw a lot of reverting back to traditional talking points, often a lot of yes or no questions left unanswered. two notable dodges that stick out to me, kamala harris refusing to give a straight answer on packing the court. mike pence still not saying what their plan is for health care. juju? >> thank you, mary. now more on tonight's consequential debate with many questio

let's go back to mary bruce in atlanta. george. the biden team is optimistic that they can potentially flip some of these trump states. it's why they are outspending in places league here in georgia. biden promising he can heal the country from the tumultuous trump term while the president is out hitting the midwest trying to make up lost ground. this morning, with 71 million ballots now cast, more than half of all votes in 2016, joe biden is hoping those early votes can help him flip red states blue. ♪ hey ya >> reporter: biden on offense in georgia, a state trump won by five points in 2016 making his closing argument. >> with our voices and our votes, we must free ourselves from the forces of darkness, from the forces of division. >> reporter: trump tuesday sprinting through three states, michigan, wisconsin and nebraska, covid cases are spiking in all three states but trump is adamant that the country is rounding the corner. >> we're in great shape. and in the one area of the midwest, little areas in the midwest, certain

here's abc news senior congressional correspondent mary bruce. >> reporter: with the news breaking thesident and first lady tested positive for the coronavirus, there was immediate concern for the 77-year-old joe bideb, whether or not he might be infected too. after spending more than 90 minutes on that debate stage in cleveland with the president. >> he's been totally irresponsible in the way in which he's handled the social distancing and people wearing masks, basically encouraging them not to. he's a fool on this. >> reporter: the podium socially distanced, over 13 feet apart but no masks the. the president often shouting over biden. >> the question is -- >> in the audience that night, jill biden, her face covered a sharp contrast to those images of trump's family and members of the inner circle violating the rules of the cleveland clinic which hosted the debate. when this health care worker tried to give them masks, they refused. it wasn't until midmorning we learned the former vice president was being tested. in the afternoon biden tweeting i'm happy to report jill and i have test

here's abc news senior congressional correspondent mary bruce. >> reporter: with the news breaking the president and first lady tested positive for the coronavirus, there was immediate concern for the 77-year-old joe biden, whether or not he might be infected too. after spending more than 90 minutes on that debate stage in cleveland with the president. >> he's been totally irresponsible in the way in which he's handled the social distancing and people wearing masks, basically encouraging them not to. he's a fool on this. >> reporter: the podium socially distanced, over 13 feet apart but no masks. the president often shouting over biden. >> the question is -- >> in the audience that night, jill biden, her face covered a sharp contrast to those images of trump's family and members of the inner circle violating the rules of the cleveland clinic which hosted the debate. when this health care worker tried to give them masks, they refused. it wasn't until midmorning we learned the former vice president was being tested. in the afternoon biden tweeting i'm happy to report jill and i have test

here's abc news senior congressional correspondent mary bruce. >> one week after he was hospitalizedbout whether he could still be contagious, president trump is planning to resume in-person events. >> i feel better now than i did two weeks ago. it's crazy, and i recovered immediately, almost immediately. >> reporter: though the president insists he's no longer taking medication, doctors haven't answered questions about his condition and that powerful steroid he was taking that could mask symptoms of the va rus. the president back in the west wing said he would travel to florida on saturday for a rally but now planning on speaking to supporters on the balcony of the white house. >> we had a superspreader event in the white house, and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks, so the data speaks for themselves. >> at least 34 people in the white house orbit have now tested positive. trump spent two hours on the radio with rush limbaugh acknowledging last week he was not in great shape. >> i might not have recovered at all from covid. >> report

mary bruce leads us off. >> reporter: in a sign of how the pandemic has transformed this race, joe biden today beginning the final stretch in iowa. it's a state trump won by ten points in 2016, but now with one of the highest covid rates in the country. >> donald trump has waved the white flag. he surrendered to this virus. but the american people don't give up. >> reporter: it's biden's busiest day of the trail yet. he and president trump eyeing the same turf. both holding events in minnesota and wisconsin. the president also in michigan as well. >> we love you! >> reporter: no social distancing at any of his rallies, and most in the crowd not wearing masks. one person who was, fox news host laura ingraham. and the president mocked her for it. >> i can't recognize you. is that a mask? no way. are you wearing a mask? i've never seen her in a mask. look at you! whoa, she's being very politically correct. whoa! >> reporter: then, on to wisconsin, now being ravaged by the virus, with the fourth highest rate in the country for new cases. our jordyn phelps pressing the president. >> mr. presi

here's abc ns congressional correspondent mary bruce. >> reporter: one week after he was hospitalizedwirling about whether he could be contagious, president trump is planning to resume in-person events. >> i feel better now than i did two weeks ago, it's crazy.s i recovered immediately, almost immediately. >> reporter: though the president insists he's no longer taking medications doctors still haven't answered questions about his symptoms. the president back in the west wing at first said he would trel to florida saturday r a rally, but now planning to speak to supporters from the balcony on the south lawn of the white house. dr. anthony fauci labeled one of trump's last big white house events a superspreader. >> we had a zssuperspreader eve in the white house, and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks. so the data speaks for themselves. >> reporter: at least 34 people in the white house orbit have now tested positive. trump spent two hours on the radio with rush limbaugh acknowledging last week he was not in great shape. >> i might not

mary bruce is tracking it all. good morning, mary. >> reporter: george, good morning. just five days to go and a first for this campaign -- both president trump and joe biden campaigning in the same state at the same time. florida is critical. a must win for the president. it has the most electoral votes of any of the key swing states and today neither candidate is taking anything for granted. locked in a tight race in florida, this morning, joe biden and president trump set to crisscross the critical state. >> i'm not counting on the polls. that's why i'm heading back to florida. >> we're winning big in florida. >> reporter: the president is projecting confidence but the polls show biden with a slight lead. today both candidates eyeing the critical i-4 corridor home to one in four florida voters. trump and biden set to have dueling rallies in tampa. as they try to court the state's seniors and latino voters. overnight in arizona the president touting his record. >> over the last four years i've been delivering for hispanic americans like never before. and hispanic ame

jon karl and mary bruce standing by. >>> new reporting tonight after the alarming warning about election interference. u.s. authorities say russia and iran have obtained voter registration information and that iran used that information to send threatening messages to some voters. tonight, state and local elections officials have been warned to patch their systems. pierre thomas is standing by. >>> the coronavirus in the u.s. surging across the south, the midwest, across much of this country. nearly 1,000 deaths in 24 hours for the

let's go to mary bruce in philadelphia with all the highlights. again, george. well, last night's split screen really laid bare the stark contrast in this campaign. both in style and in substance. joe biden spending much of the night looking ahead detailing his policy proposals for the future while the president was often combative spending much of his time on defense. overnight the candidates not face-to-face but still fighting from afar. offering contradicting visions for how to lead the country out of this pandemic. >> i was okay with the masks. i was good with it but i've heard many different stories. >> when a president doesn't wear a mask or makes fun at folks like me when i was wearing a mask for a long time, then, you know, people say, well, it must not be that important. >> reporter: president trump says he and the country are on the mend even with cases on the rise. >> we have done an amazing job and it's rounding the corner. >> reporter: but joe biden said the president failed the american people. >> it is the presidential responsibility

here's mary bruce. >> reporter: joe biden today in the key state of florida, declaring president trump has learned nothing from his own battle with the coronavirus. biden labeling the president's behavior "reckless" and "unconscionable." >> i prayed for his recovery when he got covid, and i'd hoped at least he'd come out of it somewhat chastened. but what has he done? he had just doubled down on the misinformation he did before and making it worse. >> reporter: biden with a personal pitch to seniors. they went for trump in 2016, but this year, biden has the edge. seniors, the group most vulnerable to this virus. >> while he throws super spreader parties at the white house, republican s hug each other without concern of the consequences. how many of you have been unable to hug your grandkids in the last seven months? i got six of them. >> reporter: trump also in florida overnight, taking a victory lap just one week after he was released from the hospital. >> i went through it, now they say i'm immune. i can feel -- i feel so powerful. i'll walk into that audience. i'll walk in there. i'

mary bruce, jon

our mary bruce in washington tracking it all for us. od morning, mary. >> reporter: amy, good morning. just over two weeks to go and that isn't a lot of time to change the trajectory of this race. president trump is down in the polls and now scrambling to hold on to states he won comfortably in 2016, but joe biden's team is warning do not underestimate the president's ability to fight back and win this thing. 15 days to go and the candidates are pounding the trail as they enter the final stretch. >> it's go time. >> get out and vote. >> reporter: down in the polls the president is crisscrossing crucial states and seeming to admit a loss is possible. >> if i lose, what do i do? >> reporter: in las vegas sunday, trump making a rare visit to church attending this packed indoor service not wearing a mask. at a rally overnight in carson city, he continued to insist the country is on the mend, mocking his rival, joe biden, for saying he'll follow the science. >> he'll listen to the scientists. if i listened totally to the scientists, we would

. >> let's get to mary bruce live in philadelphia tonight. and mary, pennsylvania so key, explains why president trump was there tonight, why former president obama is there tonight. two new polls out of pennsylvania, both with joe biden leading, one by about eight points, among likely voters, another with a little more of a lead. but of course, it's always a good bet to look at the average of polls over the last several days, so, where do things stand in pennsylvania? >> reporter: well, david, the polling average has joe biden up here by six points. this is the state that is most likely to determine the outcome of this election. but despite joe biden's lead, everyone is treating this state like it is neck and neck. former president obama unloading here tonight on president trump, ripping into him on everything from the pandemic to trump's taxes and his treatment of the military. david? >> of course, president trump in north carolina tonight. mary, thank you. and tomorrow night, abc news will have coverage of that crucial final debate. our co

jon karl and mary bruce standing by. >>> new reporting tonight after the alarming warning about election interference. u.s. authorities say russia and iran have obtained voter registration information and that iran used that information to send threatening messages to some voters. tonight, state and local elections officials have been warned to patch their systems. pierre thomas is standing by. >>> the coronavirus in the u.s. surging across the south, the midwest, across much of this country. nearly 1,000 deaths in 24 hours for the

>> and mary bruce is in delaware with the biden campaign. we've seen elements of the strategy, he pulled down the negative ads. we saw the tweet calling for unity. are you able to pick up anything more about how they're looking at the next few days. >> the message coming from the biden campaign is clearly to say this is not political. this is a moment for the country to try and come together and recognize that this virus is still a very real threat. that of course echoes the message that the biden campaign has been making for weeks while the president and his campaign have tried to argue the country is turning a corner, as trump says. the biden campaign says, no, we're still in the middle of this. now, they believe, underscored by the fact that the president has now tested positive. but regardless of which side of the campaign you're looking at, the campaign trail as me know it is now fundamentally changed with 32 days until the election. the biden campaign having to partially change their strategy. there will still be traveling. kamala harr

mary bruce is in nashville with all the highlights. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, george. well, this was a far more civil affair than their disastrous first debate, but just as contentious. without the constant interrupting, the stark contrasts between the two was laid bare and the president reined in his outbursts. it's just not clear if that's going to be enough. trump is trailing in the polls. he needed a win here last night, but joe biden didn't sit on his lead and came out swinging. right out the gate joe biden determined to make clear what is at stake in this election. >> 220,000 americans dead. you hear nothing else i say tonight, hear this, anyone that is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the united states of america. >> reporter: president trump forced to go on defense. >> i take full responsibility. it's not my fault that it came here. it's china's fault. >> reporter: in their first face-off since trump's diagnosis with covid, the candidates with polar opposite predictions. >>

>> all right, mary bruce.hank you. >>> george will anchor our live coverage of election night with our powerhouse political team at election headquarters in new york, d.c. and delaware. plus, we will have correspondents reporting live from battleground states across the country. that is on tuesday, november 3rd, starting at 7:00 p.m. eastern, george. >> eight days away. >>> we turn to the new hurricane warning. the battered gulf coast bracing for another powerful storm and ginger tracking the latest on zeta which strengthened overnight. ginger? >> george, this is not just a bad dream. this is not a repetitive forecast you've seen me do before, or a repeat. no. it is a new storm, 27th named storm this year in the western caribbean again going toward cozumel and cancun about 200 some miles southeast of there. the path takes it right into louisiana, mississippi, alabama, so along the gulf coast by midweek. we're watching for a potential landfall. if i was in the florida panhandle i would not let my guard down eit

let's head to mary bruce in washington who has been covering this all. mary, this news has the potential to bring the race to a halt. there's supposed to be another presidential debate in less than two weeks and the vice president will debate just days from now. >> reporter: there are real questions about whether these debates will go forward. the president and joe biden set for their next face off on october 15th. that debate is in real jeopardy. there are questions, even though mike pence has tested negative about the vice presidential debate. the campaign trail as we know it has come to a screeching halt. the president has been campaigning aggressively. he's effectively grounded. we don't know how long he'll be in isolation. he's likely to lose a large chunk of time. this is a huge blow to the president's entire campaign message around the pandemic. he's been arguing that the country is rounding the corner on the coronavirus. it's why he's been holding these big rallies. the fact that the president of the united states has tested positive undercuts his

our mary bruce has the very latest. she's there in salt lake city for us. ning, mary. >> reporter: robin, good morning. well, this is it. the only match-up between senator kamala harris and vice president mike pence and there's new urgency to this debate tonight. with the president's diagnosis and with joe biden possibly set to become the nation's oldest president americans are looking to have some confidence, some reassurance that the vice president can step in if needed, and already the coronavirus is front and center on tonight's debate stage. kamala harris and mike pence now just hours away from their first face-off. >> we're looking very much forward to the vice presidential debate. >> reporter: but this morning, new questions about the vice president's safety after white house adviser stephen miller tested positive. his wife, katie miller, is pence's communications director. she was traveling with him in utah, but after her husband's diagnosis, she was abruptly sent home. she's tested negative the past two days. the white house insists the vice preside

i want to go back to mary bruce in nashville. eir disastrous first debate americans tonight are hoping for something better, for some more substance. joe biden's goal tonight is try to talk directly to the american people and do no harm to his campaign while president trump is badly in need of a win. 12 days to go and just hours from now the last best chance to change the direction of this race. >> we're going to win four more years in the white house. >> reporter: down in the polls and on defense, president trump is looking for a badly needed boost after their chaotic first face-off. >> you just don't -- >> here's the deal. i know a lot more. >> you don't -- >> let him finish. >> reporter: the debate commission is trying to prevent a repeat of those interruptions with an unprecedented move muting the candidates for two minutes at a time when it's not their turn to answer questions. trump not happy about it. >> i think the muting is very unfair. >> reporter: the president has been blitzing key battleground states. >> thank you, ar

terry moran, as you point out, i want to bring in mary bruce our, our congressional correspondent. she's following the white house during the campaign trail and the debates. you heard a ranking member senator feinstein get right to it, and this was expected that democrats would talk at length about the affordable care act. senator feinstein saying the stakes are enormous. most importantly health care coverage for millions of americans at stake. of course, we know the supreme court will take up that case, texas v. california. about a week after the election, affordable care act, coverage for pre-existing conditions for millions at stake, and they're pointing to what judge barrett has said previously about this, and in particular, her critique of chief justice john roberts. >> reporter: david, democrats here do not have any power to stop her from being confirmed. so instead, over and over again, you heard them arguing what is at stake here, and they argue the biggest issue on the line is health care. you heard many of the senators -- they're using stories of their constituents to put

senior congressional correspondent mary bruce is tracking negotiations from washington. od morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, george. the white house and the hill are scrambling to reach this self-imposed deadline. the house speaker and the treasury secretary spoke for nearly an hour yesterday. a deal by today is a very tall order. if they can't get it done, then relief likely will not come until 2021, and for millions of americans, that is simply just too long a wait. this morning, the clock is ticking for millions of americans financially devastated by the pandemic. >> i'm afraid of being homeless. i'm afraid of losing everything i have. >> reporter: for months white house negotiators and top democrats have been trying to hammer out an agreement on another round of relief aid and now house speaker nancy pelosi says if they don't strike a deal today, it won't happen until after the election. >> from the start the president has never taken this seriously and neither has mitch mcconnell. >> reporter: both sides are still hundreds of millions of dollars apart. at odd

mary bruce is in washington with the latest. good morning, mary. >> reporter: george, good morning. well, it is getting to be crunch time. the president is now rushing to shore up support in states he won handily in 2016, but now seem to be in play for democrats. he is back to those packed rallies and to ignoring much of the science on this pandemic while joe biden is looking to seize on his momentum in critical battlegrounds. overnight, president trump throwing caution to the wind at another packed rally tossing out masks and taking a poll of who's had the virus. >> who's had it? yeah, a lot of people. a lot of people. well, you're the people i want to say hello to because you are right now immune. >> reporter: the president spreading misinformation. experts say the science on immunity is unknown. 20 days to go and down in the polls, trump is making an all out push hitting seven states this week alone. but dr. anthony fauci says he's sending the wrong message saying, because he is such a visible figure, it amplifies some that that misunderstanding that people have that it's a benig

mary bruce is in philadelphia where our abc town hall with joe biden is taking place in just hours. ning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, robin. we are ready here as you can see. the hall is set. you know, tonight we thought we would be seeing both candidates sharing the same stage at the second presidential debate but after president trump canceled, now tonight joe biden will be sitting right here doing something that we rarely have seen him do in this campaign that has been upended by the pandemic. the former vice president interacting directly with voters taking their questions about what matters most to them as they make this choice. this morning, an election first. a presidential debate replaced with dueling town halls. front and center, the pandemic. the president overnight again spreading medical misinformation. >> i'm immune and i can't give it to you so that's good. >> reporter: experts warn much is unknown about immunity. trump pitching voters in the red state of iowa with 19 days to go, he is on defense campaigning in states he won handily in 2016, but that may be in play

let's go to our senior congressional correspondent mary bruce, this will look different from hearings past. we're going through this pandemic and we he days until election day, we should note, well more than 5 million americans have voted in this presidential election. >> reporter: david, we have covered many historic hearings in this room, i have never seen any quite like this. you can see the room itself, physically different, there's that second row in the dais set up to give members more room. no members of public allowed. that will simply not be an option today. so many members will be participating remotely, including senator kamala harris, remotely in from her office. in person, senator mike lee of utah who tested positive shortly after he attendd that rose garden ceremony to mark the nomination of amy coney barrett. this is going to be a bruising and likely bitterly partisan hearings over these next four days. 22 days until the election. republicans are looking for a win here. hoping to energize their base with the pick of amy coney barrett, while democrats essentially powerle

. >> mary bruce is in salt lake city and as george said the presidential debate a little different from last week in the face-off there. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, robin. there was a very different debate last night. we just learned it may be the last debate. the commission announcing the next debate is going to be virtual and already president trump is saying if that's the case he is going to pass. he will not attend next week's debate. this morning president trump says if the next debate is virtual he will not do it. the commission announcing the next face off will be virtual with the candidates participating from separate remote locations. saying the decision was made to protect the health and safety of all involved. biden's team says he's still in. the pandemic upending this race. taking center stage at the vice presidential match up. >> the american people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country. >> reporter: separated by plexiglass and sitting over 12 feet apart the california senator accusing

mary bruce starts us off. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, george.have officially entered the last-minute scramble. both candidates are cramming in as many events as possible and colliding in critical battleground states and they're eyeing the same turf. both holding events in minnesota and wisconsin. >> if florida goes blue, it's over. >> we are going to win florida. we are going to win four more years in the white house. >> reporter: the candidates thursday with dueling florida rallies. the state is a must win for the president. he's held five rallies there this month, more than any other state. but with just four days to go polls show joe biden with a slight edge over donald trump in his adopted home state. trump trying to sell his record, even as the state's economy is taking a hit from the pandemic. >> under my leadership, the florida tourism industry and hospitality industry will come roaring back very soon. it's ready to happen. we're making the turn. >> reporter: he's touting a new report showing the economy grew at a record 33% annual pace d