Monday morning news - September 28, 2020

Democrats: A Barrett confirmation dooms Obamacare » Federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett could be the country’s next Supreme Court Justice. And she now finds herself at the center of a national election. 

On Saturday, President Trump introduced Barrett as his pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

BARRETT: If the Senate does me the honor of confirming me, I pledge to discharge the responsibilities of this job to the very best of my ability. 

Speaking with ABC’s This Week, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin conceded that Democrats don’t have the votes to block Barrett. 

DURBIN: We can slow it down, perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most. But we can’t stop the outcome. 

So instead, they’re crafting their campaign message around her nomination—telling voters that a high court with a conservative majority could strike down Obamacare. 

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow…

STABENOW: It’s very clear from her writings that she will be the vote that takes away healthcare for millions of Americans. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called a vote for Barrett “a dagger aimed at the heart of healthcare protections” for Americans. And President Trump’s campaign rival Joe Biden said Sunday…

BIDEN: If he has his way, more than 100 million people with preexisting conditions like asthma, diabetes, and cancer could once again be denied coverage. 

President Trump signed an executive order last week declaring it a national policy to protect patients with preexisting conditions. And he said he wouldn’t sign any healthcare legislation that doesn’t do so. But Biden said he’s not buying it.

Trump refutes report alleging tax avoidance » President Trump pushed back Sunday against a New York Times story claiming he paid no federal income tax for 10 of the last 15 years.  It also reported that Trump paid only $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and again in 2017. 

The Times said it obtained more than two decades of Trump’s tax information showing a long pattern of tax avoidance.  

The president last night called the story “fake news.” He said they got “everything” wrong, arguing that he’s paid big tax bills at both the state and federal level. 

And Alan Garten, an attorney for the Trump Organization also refuted the report. He said Trump “has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015.”

Democrats heavily criticized Trump during his first campaign for president for not releasing his tax returns. 

Military suicides up as much as 20 percent in COVID era » Military suicides have increased by as much as 20 percent this year compared to the same period last year. That according to Army officials who spoke to the Associated Press. WORLD’s Leigh Jones has more. 

LEIGH JONES, REPORTER: The numbers vary by service. The Army has reportedly seen the largest increase with a 30 percent spike among active duty personnel. 

While the data is incomplete, Army and Air Force officials say they believe the pandemic is adding stress to an already strained force.

Army officials say they’re looking at shortening combat deployments. Such a move would be part of a broader effort to make the wellbeing of soldiers and their families the Army’s top priority.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leigh Jones. 

Fighting erupts between Armenia, Azerbaijan; 16 killed » Fighting erupted anew on Sunday between Armenia and Azerbaijan over a disputed separatist region.

In a televised address, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, vowed victory over Armenian forces. 

AUDIO: [ALIYEV SPEAKING]

Aliyev said “Our cause is just and we will win,” repeating a famous quote from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

Officials in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh said 16 people died and more than 100 are wounded. 

The region, which lies within Azerbaijan, has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since 1994.  

It was not immediately clear what sparked the fighting, the heaviest since clashes in July killed 16 people from both sides.

Stage set for MLB playoffs » The stage is set for this year’s expanded Major League Baseball playoffs. Sunday was the final day of the regular season. 

And for the first time ever, 16 of the 30 big league ball clubs will participate—including the Miami Marlins.

AUDIO: Rojas to first—there it is! There it is! It’s a Marlins win! And for the first time in 17 years, the Marlins are going to the postseason!

Miami finished dead last in the National League last year. But this year, the surprising Marlins made it through an early-season COVID-19 outbreak in which 18 players tested positive. 

The other big surprise—the reigning World Series Champion Washington Nationals did not make the playoffs.

Action begins tomorrow, with MLB shifting to a so-called bubble format. All games will take place in a handful of stadiums with players and coaches under quarantine to reduce the risk of an outbreak.

The last two teams standing will play the entirety of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas starting October 20th.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Donald Trump gestures while speakings during a news conference at the White House, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Washington. 

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