PBS News Hour - Politics

Senate confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett opened Monday under highly unusual circumstances, only weeks before Election Day and during a pandemic. The political stakes for Barrett's nomination are high, as the Supreme Court is scheduled to consider the Affordable Care Act in November. Lisa Desjardins and John Yang join Judy Woodruff to discuss the proceedings and the policy implications. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Both Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in battleground state Ohio Monday -- and both referred to President Trump's latest Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. Biden warned that a more conservative court could overturn the Affordable Care Act amid the pandemic, while Pence argued Barrett would defend religious liberty. Yamiche Alcindor reports.

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With Election Day less than a month away, a former top official with the 2016 Trump campaign has written a new book about his experiences with Donald Trump the candidate and Donald Trump the president. William Brangham talks to Rick Gates, a Republican political consultant who ended up as a key witness for Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference, about "Wicked Game." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With Election Day just over three weeks away, polls suggest congressional Republicans are struggling in suburban areas of the country. At the same time, Democrats are trying to take advantage of changing demographics in these districts. One such example is the diverse county of Fort Bend, Texas, a longtime GOP stronghold that is now competitive. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including President Trump's return to large, in-person rallies after his COVID-19 diagnosis, the Trump campaign's strategy for appealing to voters beyond his base and which Senate races could be in play. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Democratic Congressman Collin Peterson has represented Minnesota's rural and conservative 7th Congressional District for 30 years. Now, he's facing stiff competition from Michelle Fischbach, the state's Lieutenant Governor, in November's upcoming election. Special Correspondent Kaomi Goetz from Twin Cities PBS reports on how the two campaigns are battling it out. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett will begin on Monday. And despite opposition from Democrats and some Republicans to fill Justice Ginsburg's seat before the election, Barrett has the votes needed for her confirmation. Amy Howe, Co-founder of SCOTUSblog, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss what we can expect from the hearings. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Maine is the only state, apart from Nebraska, that divides its four electoral votes. In 2016, President Trump lost the state but got one electoral college vote, as he won one of the state's two congressional districts. Maine Public Radio's Chief Political Correspondent Steven Mistler joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the two campaigns, polls, and how Maine's ranked-choice voting results could impact the overall election. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Friday, Russia called the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to Moscow in an attempt to halt nearly two weeks of fighting. The flare-up over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region is the worst in 25 years. Also, New York Yankees pitching great and Hall of Famer Whitey Ford has died at age 91. He had the best winning percentage of any pitcher in the 20th century.

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More than two years have passed since the death of Arizona Sen. John McCain, but his legacy and influence are being felt during this election year. McCain's widow, Cindy, recently endorsed Joe Biden for president. Mark Salter was a longtime aide and confidant of Sen. McCain, whose life he examines in Salter's new book, "The Luckiest Man." Salter joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders