10/20/2020 – Tues. 

• As the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 reaches 220,000 — by far the highest in the world — President Trump has escalated his attack on the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. During a campaign phone call, Trump described Fauci as an idiot.

• Florida shattered its record for in-person early voting on Monday, with over 350,000 people lined up at polling sites to cast ballots. Across the U.S., over 30 million people have already voted in the election, which represents around one-fifth of the total number of votes cast in 2016.

• President Trump has announced plans to remove Sudan from the state sponsors of terrorism list, which will pave the way for Sudan to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

• In Nigeria, protests against police brutality show no signs of slowing down, even after police disbanded the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad, also known as SARS, earlier this month. An estimated 15 or more people have been killed, and dozens more were injured since the demonstrations started.

10/21/2020 – Wed. 

• Security forces in Nigeria opened fire on protesters in Lagos on Tuesday, as authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew to stem growing demonstrations against police brutality. Here in the United States, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden urged Nigerian authorities to “cease the violent crackdown on protesters in Nigeria.”

• The United States reported more than 60,000 new Coronavirus cases and over 900 deaths Tuesday, as a third surge of U.S. infections appears set to rival two previous peaks. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of deaths from all causes across the U.S. so far this year is about 300,000 more than expected. 

• At the Vatican, Pope Francis wore a face mask throughout a public service on Tuesday — the first time the pontiff has fully complied with Vatican City protocols that went into effect on October 6.

• An investigation by the Los Angeles Times has uncovered 265 calls to police reporting physical and sexual violence against asylum seekers inside California’s four privately run immigration prisons — nearly all of which went unprosecuted.

• President Trump campaigned in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, where thousands of supporters ignored social distancing guidelines at a packed rally in Erie International Airport. Many were not wearing masks.

10/22/2020 – Thurs. 

• A California appeals court has ordered prison authorities to cut the population of the overcrowded San Quentin State Prison in half, following a massive Coronavirus outbreak that killed 28 prisoners and infected 2,200 — about three-quarters of the prison population.

• The New York Times reports President Trump has secretly maintained a bank account in China for years, even as he bashed Joe Biden for being “weak on China.” The Times reveals Trump paid nearly $200,000 in taxes to China while pursuing licensing deals there from 2013 to 2015.

• In Mexico, protesters marched near the U.S. border in Tijuana on Wednesday, demanding the Trump administration end its “Remain in Mexico” policy for people seeking asylum in the United States.

• In Colombia, thousands of trade unionists, teachers, and students joined an Indigenous-led national strike demanding an end to the killings of social movement leaders and to police violence.

• The second and final presidential debate was held between Biden and Trump.

10/23/2020 – Fri. 

• Congress continues to bicker over a coronavirus aid package, as 80% of the country watches their COVID-19 case numbers rise. 80,000 positive COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide in the last day, which is the most we’ve seen since summer.

• The Senate moves forward in preparation for next week’s scheduled vote on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barret to the Supreme court.

• A Navy plane crashes in the Magnolia Springs area, 2 people reported dead.

• Dr. Ngozi Ezike, a top Illinois Public Health Official, breaks down in tears while giving the COVID-19 death toll at a news briefing.

• Chicago’s new curfew for non-essential businesses goes into affect tonight.

• 52 million ballots have already been cast for president.

• The wildfire in Colorado is now the 2nd largest fire the state has ever seen.