Tuesday morning news - September 29, 2020

Trump, Biden prepare for first presidential debate » The first debate between President Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden is now just hours away. 

Trump campaign spokeswoman Erin Perrine said the president is looking forward to it.

PERRINE: We know the president will be prepared for this. He knows what’s at stake and he’s ready to go.

She said Trump has been preparing with a team that includes his lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. 

ABC reports that Biden has “been holding mock debate sessions” featuring former White House lawyer Bob Bauer playing the role of Trump. 

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace will moderate the debate at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University. 

A small audience will fill a portion of the auditorium. They’ll have to wear masks and maintain social distance. 

All major networks will televise the debate beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Federal court halts absentee ballot extension in Wisconsin » A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a six-day extension for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin’s presidential election. WORLD’s Anna Johansen reports. 

ANNA JOHANSEN, REPORTER: The ruling was a momentary victory for Republicans and President Trump in the key presidential battleground state.

Democrats argued election officials needed more time to deal with the historically high number of absentee ballots expected. U.S. District Judge William Conley agreed and ruled last week that ballots that arrive up to six days after Election Day will count—as long as they’re postmarked by Election Day. 

Sunday’s action puts Conley’s order on hold until the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals or the U.S. Supreme Court takes further action.

State election officials anticipate as many as 2 million people will cast absentee ballots ahead of the November 3rd election. 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen. 

Wildfires spread in Calif. Wine Country » AUDIO: [SOUND OF FIRE]

Flames crackling near the streets of St. Helena in the heart of California Wine Country. Strong winds fanned the Glass Fire and other smaller blazes on Monday about 50 miles north of San Francisco. 

New fires erupted Sunday in the famed Napa-Sonoma region, forcing urgent evacuations.

Pam McGivern had to rush out of her home. 

MCGIVERN: When I came out I just about fell sideways. I could not believe the magnitude of the fire and how quickly it had grown.  

McGivern said she has little hope that her home is still standing. Flames also engulfed the distinctive Chateau Boswell Winery north of St. Helena.

The wine country inferno began with the Glass Fire early Sunday morning and two subsequent fires merged with it, burning nearly 20 square miles by Monday afternoon. Firefighters said more than 8,000 homes and other buildings were threatened.

Former Trump campaign manager hospitalized after threatening to harm himself » President Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale has been hospitalized after he threatened to harm himself. That according to Florida police and campaign officials. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Police officers talked Parscale out of his Fort Lauderdale home on Sunday after his wife called police to say that he had multiple firearms and was threatening to hurt himself.

He has since been hospitalized under the state’s Baker Act. The law allows officials to detain a person for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation if they’re deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.

In a statement, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said “Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we love him,” adding, “We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible.”

President Trump replaced Parscale as campaign manager in July. 

Under the state’s Red Flag Law, officials could also ask a judge to bar Parscale from possessing any weapons for up to a year.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin. 

Judge gives TikTok temporary reprieve » The Chinese company that owns the popular social media app TikTok has won a temporary victory in federal court.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols has, for now, blocked the Trump administration from restricting U.S. app stores from doing business with ByteDance. 

The administration said the ban aims to protect U.S. users from possible data breaches by the Chinese government.

Americans can still access TikTok for now. But Nichols left in place a ban on all use of the app starting on Nov. 12th. 

American companies Oracle and Walmart are negotiating to purchase the app. President Trump said he wants U.S. corporations to have complete authority over TikTok, while ByteDance is trying to retain as much control as possible.

(AP Photo/Noah Berger) Flames from the Glass Fire consume the Black Rock Inn, late Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in St. Helena, Calif. 

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