Good morning. Welcome to Axios today. It's Thursday, October 22nd. I'm Naila Boodoo.

Here's how we're making you smarter today. What to expect from the final presidential debate tonight?

Plus how the pandemic has changed life for one Texas teacher this school year.

But first, last night the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI held a rare news conference

to say that Iran is behind a series of emails threatening voters in at least four battleground

states.

Here's FBI director Christopher Ray.

We are not going to tolerate foreign interference in our elections or any criminal

activity that threatens the sanctity of your vote or undermines public confidence in the

outcome of the election. You should be confident that your vote counts.

Last night they said Russia has also obtained voter information designed to undermine confidence.

The election is less than two weeks away.

And with that in mind, the move to restore voting rights for Americans with felony convictions is today's one big thing.

This month, Axios has launched Hard Truths, a new series focused on exploring the impact of race in America.

Our society is filled with roadblocks that prevent people from fully participating as American citizens.

And one of those is mass incarceration. participating as American citizens.

And one of those is mass incarceration.

We tore down that Jim Crow barrier that's been in place for over 150 years.

And even though we have a governor in the legislature that's

throwing these obstacles in our way there is an alternative pathway.

Desmond Mead is the president of the activist group Florida Rights Restoration

Coalition he was formerly incarcerated. of the activist group Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

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