JUDY WOODRUFF: In the day's other news: A
stalemate in the U.S. Senate again sidelined
a pandemic relief bill. Instead, senators
left for the weekend, with federal jobless
benefits and eviction protection set to expire
after tomorrow.
Republicans asked for a short-term extension
just for the unemployment benefits, but they
needed unanimous consent. And Democrats rejected
a temporary piecemeal approach.
SEN. MARTHA MCSALLY (R-AZ): What I'm offering
today is a simple seven-day extension of the
extra $600 a week for unemployed Americans,
while we work through our differences on how
to move forward.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): This U.C. request
is clearly a stunt. A one-week fix can't be
implemented in time in, and the senator knows
that.
JUDY WOODRUFF: In turn, Republicans blocked
Democrats' request to bring up their own relief
bill.
On Wall Street, today's economic reports and
the impasse in Congress ed push stocks mostly
lower. The Dow Jones industrial average lost
nearly 226 points, to close at 26313. The
Nasdaq was the only bright spot, rising about
45 points, but the S&P 500 slipped 12.
President Trump stirred a new storm today
with a tweet suggesting the November 3 presidential
election might be postponed. He claimed again,
without evidence, that mail-in voting would
mean widespread fraud.
Then he asked if officials should -- quote
-- "delay the election until people can properly,
securely and safely vote."
That drew bipartisan disapproval, including
from the top Senate and House Republicans.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Never in the
history of the country, through wars, depressions
and the Civil War, have we ever not had a
federally scheduled election on time. And
we will find a way to do that again. That's
November 3.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I understand the
president's concern about mail-in voting,
which is different than absentee voting. But
never in the history of the federal elections
have we ever not held an election, and we
should go forward with our election.
JUDY WOODRUFF: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
pointed out that the U.S. Constitution gives
Congress the sole power to set election dates.
This evening, just moments ago, the president
said he does not want a delay, but he insisted
again that mail-in voting would be prone to
fraud and greatly delayed results.
A federal appeals court says that it will
review an order to dismiss criminal charges
against Michael Flynn. The former national
security adviser pled guilty to lying to the
FBI in the Russia investigation. Later, the
Justice Department moved to dismiss the case.
Last month, a panel of the appeals court ordered
the trial judge to grant the motion.
State lawmakers in Ohio ousted their House
speaker, Republican Larry Householder. He
is accused in a $60 million federal bribery
scheme aimed at passing a financial bailout
for two nuclear power plants. A federal grand
jury today formally indicted Householder and
four of his associates on racketeering charges.
Tropical Storm Isaias spent this day dumping
heavy rain on Puerto Rico, touching off landslides
and flooding, and knocking out power and water
service. From there, it headed toward the
Dominican Republic and on a track that takes
it near the Bahamas by early tomorrow.
NASA has launched Perseverance. That's the
largest and most advanced rover ever sent
to Mars. The car-sized rover blasted off today
from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Its mission
is to drill for rock samples that will be
brought back to Earth and analyzed for signs
that life once existed on Mars.
JIM BRIDENSTINE, NASA Administrator: If this
little rover were to discover bio signatures
of ancient life on Mars, I think it would
transform how we think about space exploration
and discovery. I think you would see a lot
of people wanting to do a lot more science
and make discoveries as to what is out there,
even in our own solar system.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The mission also includes a
mini-helicopter that will try to take the
first powered flight on another planet.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
is said to be resting comfortably at a New
York hospital after a procedure Wednesday
on a bile duct stent. Ginsburg is 87. Earlier
this month, she announced that she is undergoing
chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer.
And former Republican presidential candidate
and businessman Herman Cain has died in Atlanta
of COVID-19. He'd been diagnosed after attending
President Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, last month. Herman Cain was 74 years
old.
Still to come on the "NewsHour": recovery
efforts are now reconsidered, as the U.S.
passes 150,000 coronavirus deaths; questions
about the atmosphere inside the State Department
under Mike Pompeo's leadership; the economics
of antibiotic development hamstring the drug
industry, as bacterial infections increase;
and much more.
