JUDY WOODRUFF: In the day's other news: Information has surfaced about Supreme Court nominee Amy
Coney Barrett having signed a 2006 newspaper ad that called for overturning Roe v. Wade,
the landmark Supreme Court abortion rights decision, saying that it was -- quote -- "an
exercise of raw judicial power with a barbaric legacy."
President Trump had said that her view on Roe is not known. The ad was not included
in the documents Barrett submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of her confirmation
hearing.
The Trump administration is further slashing refugee admissions to the U.S. In a late-night
memo, the State Department announced that it intends to admit only 15,000 refugees into
the country in the 2021 fiscal year that started today. That is down from 18,000 during the
previous fiscal year. It is another record low in the modern refugee program.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation today limiting each of the
state's counties to just one drop-off location for mail-in ballots. Abbott said that the
move was meant to strengthen election security. But with, for example, Harris county, the
home of Houston, with a population of 4.7 million, Texas Democrats argued that it is
a form of voter suppression.
Amazon is reporting more than 19,000 of its workers have tested positive for COVID-19
during the pandemic. That amounts to almost 1.5 percent of its work force. It's the first
time the company has shared information about the number of cases among its more than 1.3
million front-line workers across the country.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, an incorporated village on Long
Island, has filed for bankruptcy, citing financial pressure from clergy sex abuse lawsuits. More
than 200 lawsuits have been filed against the diocese since 2019, after a state law
extended the statute of limitations.
Today, the bishop explained the decision.
THE MOST REV. JOHN BARRES, Bishop of Diocese of Rockville Centre: What became clear was
that the diocese was not going to be able to continue to carry out its spiritual, charitable
and educational missions if it were to continue to shoulder the increasingly heavy burden
of litigation expenses associated with these cases.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Rockville Centre is now the largest of more than 20 U.S. dioceses to file
for bankruptcy amid the scandal.
In Russia, a war of words between the Kremlin and recovering opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Moscow accused the politician of working with the CIA, after Navalny blamed President Vladimir
Putin for poisoning him in August with a Soviet era nerve agent. Navalny threatened to sue
the Kremlin's spokesman over the CIA claim and he demanded evidence.
In Hong Kong, police arrested at least 60 people they say violated coronavirus rules
and a new national security law that bans large protests. Pro-democracy activists gathered
downtown in opposition to a holiday marking the founding of communist China. Police then
detained and searched people in the street, as those in the crowd spoke out.
ROGER TSANG, Businessman (through translator): A lot of people want to voice out their demands
peacefully. But, due to the severe police brutality, lots of us feel like our personal
safety is under threat. The co-called peacefulness is an illusion.
JUDY WOODRUFF: This year's pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have paled in comparison to last
year's massive near-daily demonstrations, on account of the pandemic and the security
law that was enacted in June.
Trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ground to a halt today due to a technical failure
in its computer systems. It was the first time the world's third largest stock exchange
experienced an all-day outage since it switched to its fully electronic system in 1999. It
is still unknown what caused the malfunction, but trading is set to resume tomorrow.
Back in the U.S., trading was light on Wall Street today. The Dow Jones industrial average
gained 35 points to close at 27817. The Nasdaq rose 159 points, and the S&P 500 added nearly
18.
The Washington Monument reopened to the public today after a six-month closure due to the
pandemic. Coronavirus safety procedures are now in place, including mandatory face coverings
and limited elevator capacity. The monument will also be closed for one hour each day
to clean and disinfect.
And former President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 96th birthday today and another year as
America's longest-living president. Carter has largely withdrawn from public view during
the pandemic, but he remains active in politics through the Carter Center in Atlanta, which,
for the first time, is monitoring a U.S. election, after declaring the country as a, quote, "backsliding
democracy."
Still to come on the "NewsHour": how to ensure a peaceful election, despite recent comments
by the president; why Russian disinformation presented by the U.S. director of intelligence
raises alarms; older Americans hit the road in the face of trying times; and much more.