Good morning. I'm James Holman from the Washington Post and this is the Daily

202 for Friday, October 23rd. In today's news, the US logs more than 73,000 new daily coronavirus infections are most since July.

President Trump issues a sweeping order to remove civil service protections for federal workers and Russia

continues to pose a more potent threat for election interference than Iran.

But first, the big idea.

In their second and final debate, President Trump tried to cast Joe Biden as a scandal

plagued politician who failed to get things done over decades in

office, and Biden sought to portray Trump as a demagogue who criminally abused immigrants

and mishandled the coronavirus pandemic.

With the two candidates electronically muted for portions of the night,

the constant interruptions from the first debate were replaced by a clearer contrast between their competing views for the country.

When Trump tried to accuse Biden of making money from China,

the former Vice President pointed out that the President has a bank account in that country

and has failed to disclose his income tax returns

despite five years of promises to do so. When Trump argued that stock markets would

crash if Biden were elected, Biden responded with his signature line contrasting the gains of

Wall Street versus the cratering economy of Main Street and when Trump

sought to paint Biden as a puppet of socialist forces.

His opponent pushed back with a forcefulness

that has been absent for much of his campaign.

Biden said Trump is very confused

and must think he's running against Bernie Sanders. One of the most heated moments of the night focused on Trump's policy of separating

...