Trump returns to campaign trail, Amy Coney Barrett's Senate hearings begin: 5 things to know Monday

Editors, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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Trump returns to the campaign trail in person despite COVID-19 concerns

President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Sanford, Florida, on Monday in an attempt to regain momentum ahead of Election Day after being hospitalized with COVID-19. On Saturday, Trump held his first public event since his return from the hospital, appearing on a White House balcony to address a crowd on the South Lawn. Despite concerns about his condition and whether he remains infectious, Trump, 74, repeatedly has said he feels well. In a memo released by the White House late Saturday, his physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said Trump is "no longer considered a transmission risk to others" but did not address whether Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus.

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Senate hearings begin for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett

Senate confirmation hearings begin Monday as Republicans rush to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court ahead of Election Day. The hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee marks the first of four days of confirmation hearings as Republicans aim to confirm Barrett to the seat vacated by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that "the first item of priority in the Senate is the Supreme Court." Democrats have called for the nomination to be postponed until after the election but acknowledged they do not have the votes to delay the hearing.Instead, they aim to highlight parts of Barrett's record they view as problematic, especially with regards to health care.

Indigenous Peoples Day: States honor Native American histories and cultures

Scores of cities and towns across the country plan to host virtual or outdoor events Monday to mark Indigenous Peoples Day, which celebrates and honors Native American histories and cultures. Fourteen states and more than 130 cities across the country now observe Indigenous Peoples Day instead of or in addition to Columbus Day, which many say glorifies an exploration that led to the genocide of native peoples and paved the way for slavery. Groups nationwide have called for the removal of monuments to Columbus, as well as to Confederate generals. Several Columbus statues came down this summer amid protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May and cries to end systemic racism.

The Nobel memorial prize in economics awarded to two Americans

The 2020 celebration of Nobel prizes came to a close Monday with the announcement that Americans Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson won the economics Nobel for improving auction theory. Officially known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel, the award wasn’t created by the prize founder, but is considered to be part of the Nobel stable of awards. Last Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize for physiology and medicine for discovering the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus. Tuesday’s prize for physics honored breakthroughs in understanding the mysteries of cosmic black holes, and the chemistry prize on Wednesday went to scientists behind a powerful gene-editing tool. The literature prize was awarded to American poet Louise Glück on Thursday for her “candid and uncompromising” work. And the the United Nations’ World Food Program on Friday won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

National League Championship Series: LA Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves

The Los Angeles Dodgers' quest for their first World Series title since 1988 continues when the best-of-seven National League Championship Series starts Monday night (8:08 p.m. ET on FOX). Standing in the Dodgers' way are the Atlanta Braves, who are looking for their first NL pennant since 1999. For the first time during this pandemic-altered season, a limited number of fans from the general public will be allowed to attend these NLCS games, played at the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark, Globe Life Field, which will also host the World Series. This will be the fourth time that the Braves and Dodgers have met in the playoffs, with the most recent being in the 2018 National League Division Series, which was won by the Dodgers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump, Amy Coney Barrett, Indigenous Peoples Day: 5 things to know Monday