The COVID-19 pandemic is driving more Americans to vote by mail. At least 70 million Americans have already cast their ballots with a record number which keeps getting larger day by day. Watch the report to know, how is the vote counted on election night?

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Waving U.S. flags and beeping their horns, a car convoy carrying Republicans living in Israel, made its way on Tuesday (October 27) to the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem in a show of support for Donald Trump and his party, bringing the race for the White House onto the streets of Israel a week before U.S. election,

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Ivanka Trump shared a photo of herself and husband Jared Kushner holding their mail-in ballot. While Donald Trump earlier claimed a flood of mail ballots would lead to fraud.

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When FBI Special Agent Richard Trask took the witness stand in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last week to detail a plot to kidnap the governors of Michigan and Virginia, the prosecutor first asked him what the men involved had in common.

They were all from “multiple militias from different states,” replied Trask, who is a domestic terrorism expert for the Detroit field office.

Nils Kessler, the prosecutor, paused on the word “militia,” noting that it meant different things to different people. “These are groups that call themselves militias?” he asked. “But they are not under any government authority or anything like that?”

“That’s correct,” Trask responded.

For decades, federal authorities and academics have described private paramilitary organizations — armed groups who train together on military tactics and techniques — as “militias” or as part of the “militia movement.” But the term has taken on new meaning as makeshift vigilante groups have popped up with increasing frequency in the months leading up to a contentious election.

Once limited to the far-right fringe, the term militia now encompasses a far wider spectrum, representing everything from armed-to-the-teeth neighborhood watch organizations to an all-Black paramilitary group that marches to protest police violence.

The rising visibility of such groups has put a spotlight on the word “militia” itself, with many critics demanding it be replaced. They contend that the term has fundamentally lost its meaning as more groups use it to camouflage threats of violence.

Historically, militias have referred to an auxiliary force raised from the civilian population to bolster the Army. The issue in the United States, experts said, is that private paramilitary groups have long cloaked their activities in the vocabulary of the American Revolution and the Constitution, creating an aura of legality that does not exist.

“The use of the word militia anytime you are talking about anything other than a state militia like the National Guard, it is just wrong,” said Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official now running an institute that specializes in constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center. “Using that term without putting ‘unlawful’ in front of it suggests that there is some legitimacy or even constitutional authority for their existence, which there isn’t.”

One such group in Michigan, called the Wolverine Watchmen, was at the center of the suspected plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and commit other planned violence. Federal and state authorities announced the arrest this month of 14 men linked to the group.

That drew even more attention to the term, escalating demands to label such groups “terrorists.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wrote on Twitter, “Genuine question for the media/law enforcement: why are you calling these armed neo-Nazi groups breaking the law ‘militias’ instead of ‘gangs’ or ‘domestic terrorist groups?’”

Last spring, various anti-government groups condemned the coronavirus lockdown measures as a form of “tyranny” and organized some of the first protests against them. More groups turned out in force during demonstrations against police brutality. Scuffles between protesters and members of armed groups have led to deaths in Kenosha, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; and Denver.

There are currently about 181 active anti-government paramilitary groups in the United States, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks them. Some claim thousands of members, but more often their numbers are far smaller, experts said.

American schoolchildren are often taught that Revolutionary War militiamen were heroes. “Patriots formed militia groups to defend the colonies against the British,” reads a brief passage in a fifth grade textbook used in Hillsboro, Oregon, “Some militiamen called themselves minutemen because they could be ready at a moment’s notice.”

In addition, the Second Amendment says, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Many groups cite that language to justify their use of the term. But experts note that “well-regulated,” implies state control and not freelance efforts by all comers.

The name “militia” suggests the idea of citizen soldiers and patriotism, plus it lends such groups “the color of the law,” said Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow with the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism.

Underneath that veneer lies a fundamental contradiction, experts noted, with members of the current movement advocating an armed resistance against the very state that the original militias were formed to protect.

It is difficult to pinpoint which group first resurrected the name “militia.” Some historians consider the Ku Klux Klan a militia, and over the past century various militant groups drew on the Revolution for their names.

In the 1970s, far-right activists, alarmed by civil rights legislation as well as new environmental laws, pushed to reassert local control. The Posse Comitatus movement, rooted in white Christian fundamentalism, developed the concept of citizen posses.

Its manual stated that any official who disobeyed the Constitution should “be removed by the Posse to a populated intersection of the streets in the township and at high noon be hung there by the neck, the body remaining until sundown as an example to those who would subvert the law,” according to Daniel Levitas, author of “The Terrorist Next Door,” a history of extremist groups.

“Unorganized militia,” a 19th century legal term, was considered obsolete after the Militia Act of 1903, when federal law began incorporating all legal militias into the National Guard, controlled by state governors. Although the wording differs, all 50 states ban private paramilitary groups that further “civil disorder.”

Fast forward to the early 1990s, when the term gained new life after the violent sieges by federal law enforcement agents against the cabin of Randy Weaver in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992, and the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, in 1993.

Those on the far-right, already dedicated to the idea of a “leaderless resistance,” concluded that they needed to organize into paramilitary groups to protect themselves from government “tyranny.” Pamphlets appeared with titles like “The Field Manual of the Free Militia” that explained how to establish one.

Using the word “militia” and other historical vocabulary was a deliberate attempt to attract a broader membership by veiling the often racist, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant and homophobic origins of such groups, experts said.

“Right-wing extremist organizations try to cloak themselves in heroic garb,” said David Neiwert, author of “Alt-America,” who has tracked such groups for decades. “That is the basis of a lot of the appeal; this is your chance to be a hero.”

Paramilitary organizations mushroomed in the 1990s, with some 370 formed by the middle of the decade. Then came the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, sprouting from the same ideology if not directly connected to a militia, that left 168 people dead. Scores of paramilitary organizations collapsed as their appeal dimmed.

But political fights over the Second Amendment kept the movement alive; plus, conspiracy theories about a looming foreign invasion never faded entirely. In recent years, the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 marked the first high-profile appearance of such armed groups at protests.

Experts who continue to use the word “militia” said it helped to define a distinct category among adherents of various fringe ideologies or criminal organizations including white supremacists, prison gangs, the tax protest movement, anti-vaxxers, skinheads, survivalists and others.

“Terrorist” was the most popular substitute that circulated on social media, but the legal definition of terrorism refers to organized attacks meant to intimidate or coerce in an attempt to influence government policy. Many experts consider that too broad. The majority of militia members “will never be involved with a terrorist act,” said Pitcavage.

The term gangs is also considered a poor fit since law enforcement agencies tend to use that to describe violent criminal enterprises. Some experts said they felt like they were under siege by “language police” over a word they have used for decades.

In Michigan, federal authorities said the plotters discussed putting the governor on trial as a “tyrant” before Election Day. The case has become an election issue as President Donald Trump has cast doubts on the plot and continued to vilify Whitmer.

The possibility that armed groups might try to intimidate voters at the polls prompted the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law to publish a legal guide to confront such groups for all 50 states.

“It has all been whitewashed and made safe for broader public consumption by wrapping it in the flag,” said Neiwert. “They call themselves patriots, although you have never met a more seditious bunch.” 
&nbsp;

When FBI Special Agent Richard Trask took the witness stand in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last week to detail a plot to kidnap the governors of Michigan and Virginia, the prosecutor first asked him what the men involved had in common.

When FBI Special Agent Richard Trask took the witness stand in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last week to detail a plot to kidnap the governors of Michigan and Virginia, the prosecutor first asked him what the men involved had in common. They were all from “multiple militias from different states,” replied Trask, who is a domestic terrorism expert for the Detroit field office. Nils Kessler, the prosecutor, paused on the word “militia,” noting that it meant different things to different people. “These are groups that call themselves militias?” he asked. “But they are not under any government authority or anything like that?” “That’s correct,” Trask responded. For decades, federal authorities and academics have described private paramilitary organizations — armed groups who train together on military tactics and techniques — as “militias” or as part of the “militia movement.” But the term has taken on new meaning as makeshift vigilante groups have popped up with increasing frequency in the months leading up to a contentious election. Once limited to the far-right fringe, the term militia now encompasses a far wider spectrum, representing everything from armed-to-the-teeth neighborhood watch organizations to an all-Black paramilitary group that marches to protest police violence. The rising visibility of such groups has put a spotlight on the word “militia” itself, with many critics demanding it be replaced. They contend that the term has fundamentally lost its meaning as more groups use it to camouflage threats of violence. Historically, militias have referred to an auxiliary force raised from the civilian population to bolster the Army. The issue in the United States, experts said, is that private paramilitary groups have long cloaked their activities in the vocabulary of the American Revolution and the Constitution, creating an aura of legality that does not exist. “The use of the word militia anytime you are talking about anything other than a state militia like the National Guard, it is just wrong,” said Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official now running an institute that specializes in constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center. “Using that term without putting ‘unlawful’ in front of it suggests that there is some legitimacy or even constitutional authority for their existence, which there isn’t.” One such group in Michigan, called the Wolverine Watchmen, was at the center of the suspected plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and commit other planned violence. Federal and state authorities announced the arrest this month of 14 men linked to the group. That drew even more attention to the term, escalating demands to label such groups “terrorists.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wrote on Twitter, “Genuine question for the media/law enforcement: why are you calling these armed neo-Nazi groups breaking the law ‘militias’ instead of ‘gangs’ or ‘domestic terrorist groups?’” Last spring, various anti-government groups condemned the coronavirus lockdown measures as a form of “tyranny” and organized some of the first protests against them. More groups turned out in force during demonstrations against police brutality. Scuffles between protesters and members of armed groups have led to deaths in Kenosha, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; and Denver. There are currently about 181 active anti-government paramilitary groups in the United States, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks them. Some claim thousands of members, but more often their numbers are far smaller, experts said. American schoolchildren are often taught that Revolutionary War militiamen were heroes. “Patriots formed militia groups to defend the colonies against the British,” reads a brief passage in a fifth grade textbook used in Hillsboro, Oregon, “Some militiamen called themselves minutemen because they could be ready at a moment’s notice.” In addition, the Second Amendment says, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Many groups cite that language to justify their use of the term. But experts note that “well-regulated,” implies state control and not freelance efforts by all comers. The name “militia” suggests the idea of citizen soldiers and patriotism, plus it lends such groups “the color of the law,” said Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow with the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Underneath that veneer lies a fundamental contradiction, experts noted, with members of the current movement advocating an armed resistance against the very state that the original militias were formed to protect. It is difficult to pinpoint which group first resurrected the name “militia.” Some historians consider the Ku Klux Klan a militia, and over the past century various militant groups drew on the Revolution for their names. In the 1970s, far-right activists, alarmed by civil rights legislation as well as new environmental laws, pushed to reassert local control. The Posse Comitatus movement, rooted in white Christian fundamentalism, developed the concept of citizen posses. Its manual stated that any official who disobeyed the Constitution should “be removed by the Posse to a populated intersection of the streets in the township and at high noon be hung there by the neck, the body remaining until sundown as an example to those who would subvert the law,” according to Daniel Levitas, author of “The Terrorist Next Door,” a history of extremist groups. “Unorganized militia,” a 19th century legal term, was considered obsolete after the Militia Act of 1903, when federal law began incorporating all legal militias into the National Guard, controlled by state governors. Although the wording differs, all 50 states ban private paramilitary groups that further “civil disorder.” Fast forward to the early 1990s, when the term gained new life after the violent sieges by federal law enforcement agents against the cabin of Randy Weaver in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992, and the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, in 1993. Those on the far-right, already dedicated to the idea of a “leaderless resistance,” concluded that they needed to organize into paramilitary groups to protect themselves from government “tyranny.” Pamphlets appeared with titles like “The Field Manual of the Free Militia” that explained how to establish one. Using the word “militia” and other historical vocabulary was a deliberate attempt to attract a broader membership by veiling the often racist, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant and homophobic origins of such groups, experts said. “Right-wing extremist organizations try to cloak themselves in heroic garb,” said David Neiwert, author of “Alt-America,” who has tracked such groups for decades. “That is the basis of a lot of the appeal; this is your chance to be a hero.” Paramilitary organizations mushroomed in the 1990s, with some 370 formed by the middle of the decade. Then came the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, sprouting from the same ideology if not directly connected to a militia, that left 168 people dead. Scores of paramilitary organizations collapsed as their appeal dimmed. But political fights over the Second Amendment kept the movement alive; plus, conspiracy theories about a looming foreign invasion never faded entirely. In recent years, the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 marked the first high-profile appearance of such armed groups at protests. Experts who continue to use the word “militia” said it helped to define a distinct category among adherents of various fringe ideologies or criminal organizations including white supremacists, prison gangs, the tax protest movement, anti-vaxxers, skinheads, survivalists and others. “Terrorist” was the most popular substitute that circulated on social media, but the legal definition of terrorism refers to organized attacks meant to intimidate or coerce in an attempt to influence government policy. Many experts consider that too broad. The majority of militia members “will never be involved with a terrorist act,” said Pitcavage. The term gangs is also considered a poor fit since law enforcement agencies tend to use that to describe violent criminal enterprises. Some experts said they felt like they were under siege by “language police” over a word they have used for decades. In Michigan, federal authorities said the plotters discussed putting the governor on trial as a “tyrant” before Election Day. The case has become an election issue as President Donald Trump has cast doubts on the plot and continued to vilify Whitmer. The possibility that armed groups might try to intimidate voters at the polls prompted the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law to publish a legal guide to confront such groups for all 50 states. “It has all been whitewashed and made safe for broader public consumption by wrapping it in the flag,” said Neiwert. “They call themselves patriots, although you have never met a more seditious bunch.”

What is a militia? And why is the word so controversial these days?

Less than 2 weeks to go for US Election 2020, the battle for the White House is only gaining in ferocity. Just a day before the final Presidential Debate, WION reports the opinion polls in key swing states.

Who leads in key states before debate?

One thing that has become crucial in the 2020 Election campaign is The State of Race relations in America. Susan Tehrani brings you a ground report on the deep racial division in America before Election Day.

A reckoning with racism & discrimination

After blaming Barack Obama for the failing economy to faulty air conditioning at the White House, Donald Trump steered clear of mentioning Obama in his Pennsylvania rally. Here is a round-up of trump's Pennsylvania rally.

Trump appeals to Pennsylvania voters

Joe Biden's not-so-secret weapon Barack Obama to make his debut at the campaign trail. The former Commander-in-chief will headline a drive-in rally in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. Can Obama end trump's presidency?

Biden's former boss comes to the rescue

After casting doubts about Joe Biden's standing with China & cornering Hunter Biden, is now hit by another bombshell report. From trade war to constant barbs over the origin of Pandemic, was everything a cover up? WION reports on Trump's link with CHINA.

Donald Trump: China crusader or covert ally?

President Donald Trump's wife Melania canceled a rare joint appearance with him at a campaign rally Tuesday due to a "lingering cough" following her infection with the coronavirus, a spokeswoman said. 
 
"Mrs Trump continues to feel better every day following her recovery from COVID-19, but with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today," Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. 
 
The first lady's appearance with Trump in Erie, Pennsylvania, was to have been her first at a campaign rally in more than a year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/trump-and-biden-pooper-figurines-steal-the-show-in-catalan-nativity-336757" hreflang="en">Trump and Biden 'pooper' figurines steal the show in Catalan nativity</a> 
 
Trump, the first lady and their teenage son Barron all tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month. 
 
The president was hospitalised for three nights and later said he'd risked death, but now appears to have recovered. The first lady's case was described as having been considerably milder. 
 
However, last week she revealed details of the illness in an unusual statement entitled "My Personal Experience with Covid-19" in which she said the aftermath had been difficult. 
 
"It seemed to be a roller coaster of symptoms in the days after. I experienced body aches, a cough and headaches, and felt extremely tired most of the time," she said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/opinions-blogs/trump-is-giving-up-336754" hreflang="en">Trump is giving up</a> 
 
Melania Trump said that in contrast to the president, who took an intense therapy of experimental drugs and received oxygen to assist his breathing, "I chose to go a more natural route in terms of medicine, opting more for vitamins and healthy food." 
 
It was only in that statement that she revealed that Barron, 14, had also become infected, although he has since recovered. 
 
Trump has been holding at least one election rally a day in the last two weeks before Election Day but he has not appeared on stage with his wife since 2019.

President Donald Trump's wife Melania canceled a rare joint appearance with him at a campaign rally Tuesday due to a "lingering cough" following her infection with the coronavirus, a spokeswoman said.

President Donald Trump's wife Melania canceled a rare joint appearance with him at a campaign rally Tuesday due to a "lingering cough" following her infection with the coronavirus, a spokeswoman said. "Mrs Trump continues to feel better every day following her recovery from COVID-19, but with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today," Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. The first lady's appearance with Trump in Erie, Pennsylvania, was to have been her first at a campaign rally in more than a year. Also read: Trump and Biden 'pooper' figurines steal the show in Catalan nativity Trump, the first lady and their teenage son Barron all tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month. The president was hospitalised for three nights and later said he'd risked death, but now appears to have recovered. The first lady's case was described as having been considerably milder. However, last week she revealed details of the illness in an unusual statement entitled "My Personal Experience with Covid-19" in which she said the aftermath had been difficult. "It seemed to be a roller coaster of symptoms in the days after. I experienced body aches, a cough and headaches, and felt extremely tired most of the time," she said. Also read: Trump is giving up Melania Trump said that in contrast to the president, who took an intense therapy of experimental drugs and received oxygen to assist his breathing, "I chose to go a more natural route in terms of medicine, opting more for vitamins and healthy food." It was only in that statement that she revealed that Barron, 14, had also become infected, although he has since recovered. Trump has been holding at least one election rally a day in the last two weeks before Election Day but he has not appeared on stage with his wife since 2019.

Melania Trump cancels rare campaign appearance due to 'cough'

One Monday evening last month, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kamala Harris, and two actors who portrayed them on “Saturday Night Live,” Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, gathered for a virtual fundraiser benefiting the Biden campaign. By all accounts, the livestream was a smashing success: About 100,000 people watched and donated. The event raised $4.4 million.

That same night, Joe Biden beamed into a more intimate affair of fewer than two dozen people: a $500,000-per-ticket fundraiser hosted by billionaire financier Haim Saban. It raised even more: $4.5 million.

While Biden’s campaign has trumpeted the small donations flooding in at record rates, the elite world of billionaires and multimillionaires has remained a critical cog in the Biden money machine. And as the size of checks has grown, the campaign has become less transparent, declining so far to disclose the names of its most influential check collectors, known as bundlers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-elections-mics-to-be-muted-in-next-us-presidential-debate-between-trump-and-biden-to-stop-interruptions-336543" hreflang="en">US elections: Mics to be muted in presidential debate to stop interruptions</a>

From Hollywood to Silicon Valley to Wall Street, Biden’s campaign has aggressively courted the megadonor class. It has raised almost $200 million from donors who gave at least $100,000 to his joint operations with the Democratic Party in the past six months — about twice as much as President Donald Trump raised from six-figure donors in that time, according to an analysis of new federal records.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Hollywood producer, and his wife, Marilyn Katzenberg, gave $1.4 million. Sean Parker, the tech entrepreneur, and his wife, Alexandra Lenas, gave $1.2 million. And Reed Hastings, the Netflix chief executive, and his wife, Patricia Ann Quillin, gave $1.4 million. Top executives with investment, private equity and venture capital firms like Blackstone, Bain Capital, Kleiner Perkins and Warburg Pincus all contributed handsomely.

This parade of industry giants delivered a surge in donations even as the progressive base of the Democratic Party agitates against the influence of billionaires and corporate titans. A group of progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, signed a letter last week that reads like a warning shot to a potential Biden administration, urging the Senate to reject any future executive branch nominations of corporate lobbyists or corporate executives.

“Joe Biden says this is ‘Scranton versus Park Avenue’ but then he’s raising hundreds of millions of dollars from the Park Avenue types,” said Tyson Brody, a former research director for Sen. Bernie Sanders who is supporting Biden this fall but wants to see less influence for wealthy donors.

Progressives have mostly set aside their differences with Biden to focus on the shared goal of defeating Trump, including over campaign finance. But should he win, Biden is expected to face pressure from the left on a range of issues, including climate change, expansion of the Supreme Court and elimination of the Electoral College.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-trump-and-biden-finally-agree-on-something-as-november-3-nears-336482" hreflang="en">US election 2020: Trump and Biden finally agree on something as Nov 3 nears</a>

“Joe Biden is running against the most corrupt and dishonest president in our history, and has done so while maintaining a standard of transparency and integrity that is far above how his opponent has conducted himself this campaign,” said T.J. Ducklo, a spokesman for Biden.

For Biden, six-figure donors have been critical in delivering him a surprise financial advantage over Trump. The Democratic challenger entered October with $180 million more in the bank than Trump combined with their political parties — coincidentally almost the same amount that $100,000-plus contributors have given him.

Yet as Biden has vacuumed up giant checks, his campaign has quietly curtailed some of the transparency measures that he had pioneered in the primaries, when he became the first candidate to open up big-money fundraisers to the press. To further loosen some donor wallets, the Biden campaign has been holding closed-door events with some of the candidate’s top policy advisers, offering access to potential key decision-makers in a Biden administration.

And Biden has broken with the precedent of the past four Democratic presidential nominees and declined to reveal the identities of some of the most important money-raisers in the general election: those bundlers who gather checks on behalf of the campaign.

“It’s troubling that the public is in the dark about these people because they are often promoted to ambassadorships, or other prominent positions in the administration or receive government contracts,” said Michael Beckel, an investigator and research director for Issue One, a group that pushes for campaign-finance transparency.

After being contacted this week by The New York Times, the Biden campaign said it would disclose its bundlers by the end of the month.

Biden is still disclosing more about who is funding his campaign and how much access those donors are getting than Trump, who has kept his fundraisers with big contributors entirely behind closed doors, including some events held at his own businesses where he simultaneously profits.

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Trump began by self-funding his 2016 campaign during the primaries, vowing to be independent and decrying the influence of major contributors. Instead, he has relied entirely on the largesse of others in his reelection. And he has declined to name his bundlers in 2016 and 2020.

Many campaign reformers see Biden as a stark improvement over Trump but hoped he would clear a higher bar.

“Transparency is key for accountability,” Beckel said.

Biden’s campaign does carefully tally what bundlers raise, and there are various tiers for Biden’s bundlers to achieve; the highest level (a “Biden Victory Partner”) is set at $2.5 million, according to an internal campaign document and people familiar with the process.

The other levels: $50,000 (“Protector”), $100,000 (“Unifier”), $250,000 (“Scranton Circle”), $500,000 (“Philly Founder”), and $1 million (“Delaware League”). Each level on Biden’s national finance committee gets added perks, such as exclusive staff briefings and the promise of a post-election event.

Biden has disclosed his bundlers only once, burying the announcement on the Friday after Christmas 2019 during the primary season. He revealed 235 people who had raised at least $25,000. Biden has raised more than $1.2 billion since then without additional disclosure.

Four years ago, by contrast, Clinton regularly released her list of $100,000 bundlers.

Biden officials note that their candidate has actually raised more online from grass-roots supporters in recent months than from big donors, and that virtual events have reduced the level of access for six-figure checks down to a Zoom screenshot.

One Monday evening last month, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kamala Harris, and two actors who portrayed them on “Saturday Night Live,” Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, gathered for a virtual fundraiser benefiting the Biden campaign.

One Monday evening last month, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kamala Harris, and two actors who portrayed them on “Saturday Night Live,” Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, gathered for a virtual fundraiser benefiting the Biden campaign. By all accounts, the livestream was a smashing success: About 100,000 people watched and donated. The event raised $4.4 million. That same night, Joe Biden beamed into a more intimate affair of fewer than two dozen people: a $500,000-per-ticket fundraiser hosted by billionaire financier Haim Saban. It raised even more: $4.5 million. While Biden’s campaign has trumpeted the small donations flooding in at record rates, the elite world of billionaires and multimillionaires has remained a critical cog in the Biden money machine. And as the size of checks has grown, the campaign has become less transparent, declining so far to disclose the names of its most influential check collectors, known as bundlers. Also read: US elections: Mics to be muted in presidential debate to stop interruptions From Hollywood to Silicon Valley to Wall Street, Biden’s campaign has aggressively courted the megadonor class. It has raised almost $200 million from donors who gave at least $100,000 to his joint operations with the Democratic Party in the past six months — about twice as much as President Donald Trump raised from six-figure donors in that time, according to an analysis of new federal records. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Hollywood producer, and his wife, Marilyn Katzenberg, gave $1.4 million. Sean Parker, the tech entrepreneur, and his wife, Alexandra Lenas, gave $1.2 million. And Reed Hastings, the Netflix chief executive, and his wife, Patricia Ann Quillin, gave $1.4 million. Top executives with investment, private equity and venture capital firms like Blackstone, Bain Capital, Kleiner Perkins and Warburg Pincus all contributed handsomely. This parade of industry giants delivered a surge in donations even as the progressive base of the Democratic Party agitates against the influence of billionaires and corporate titans. A group of progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, signed a letter last week that reads like a warning shot to a potential Biden administration, urging the Senate to reject any future executive branch nominations of corporate lobbyists or corporate executives. “Joe Biden says this is ‘Scranton versus Park Avenue’ but then he’s raising hundreds of millions of dollars from the Park Avenue types,” said Tyson Brody, a former research director for Sen. Bernie Sanders who is supporting Biden this fall but wants to see less influence for wealthy donors. Progressives have mostly set aside their differences with Biden to focus on the shared goal of defeating Trump, including over campaign finance. But should he win, Biden is expected to face pressure from the left on a range of issues, including climate change, expansion of the Supreme Court and elimination of the Electoral College. Also read: US election 2020: Trump and Biden finally agree on something as Nov 3 nears “Joe Biden is running against the most corrupt and dishonest president in our history, and has done so while maintaining a standard of transparency and integrity that is far above how his opponent has conducted himself this campaign,” said T.J. Ducklo, a spokesman for Biden. For Biden, six-figure donors have been critical in delivering him a surprise financial advantage over Trump. The Democratic challenger entered October with $180 million more in the bank than Trump combined with their political parties — coincidentally almost the same amount that $100,000-plus contributors have given him. Yet as Biden has vacuumed up giant checks, his campaign has quietly curtailed some of the transparency measures that he had pioneered in the primaries, when he became the first candidate to open up big-money fundraisers to the press. To further loosen some donor wallets, the Biden campaign has been holding closed-door events with some of the candidate’s top policy advisers, offering access to potential key decision-makers in a Biden administration. And Biden has broken with the precedent of the past four Democratic presidential nominees and declined to reveal the identities of some of the most important money-raisers in the general election: those bundlers who gather checks on behalf of the campaign. “It’s troubling that the public is in the dark about these people because they are often promoted to ambassadorships, or other prominent positions in the administration or receive government contracts,” said Michael Beckel, an investigator and research director for Issue One, a group that pushes for campaign-finance transparency. After being contacted this week by The New York Times, the Biden campaign said it would disclose its bundlers by the end of the month. Biden is still disclosing more about who is funding his campaign and how much access those donors are getting than Trump, who has kept his fundraisers with big contributors entirely behind closed doors, including some events held at his own businesses where he simultaneously profits. Also read: How prepared are these 7 battlegrounds for the election? A readiness report Trump began by self-funding his 2016 campaign during the primaries, vowing to be independent and decrying the influence of major contributors. Instead, he has relied entirely on the largesse of others in his reelection. And he has declined to name his bundlers in 2016 and 2020. Many campaign reformers see Biden as a stark improvement over Trump but hoped he would clear a higher bar. “Transparency is key for accountability,” Beckel said. Biden’s campaign does carefully tally what bundlers raise, and there are various tiers for Biden’s bundlers to achieve; the highest level (a “Biden Victory Partner”) is set at $2.5 million, according to an internal campaign document and people familiar with the process. The other levels: $50,000 (“Protector”), $100,000 (“Unifier”), $250,000 (“Scranton Circle”), $500,000 (“Philly Founder”), and $1 million (“Delaware League”). Each level on Biden’s national finance committee gets added perks, such as exclusive staff briefings and the promise of a post-election event. Biden has disclosed his bundlers only once, burying the announcement on the Friday after Christmas 2019 during the primary season. He revealed 235 people who had raised at least $25,000. Biden has raised more than $1.2 billion since then without additional disclosure. Four years ago, by contrast, Clinton regularly released her list of $100,000 bundlers. Biden officials note that their candidate has actually raised more online from grass-roots supporters in recent months than from big donors, and that virtual events have reduced the level of access for six-figure checks down to a Zoom screenshot.

The big role that big donors still play, quietly, for Biden

US Election 2020: United States Republican President Donald Trump, and his Democratic rival Joe Biden may not agree on much, but both recently urged supporters to vote as early as possible.&nbsp;

In Nevada, Trump asked voters to cast ballots early, while Biden asked voters in North Carolina to “go vote today”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-supreme-court-to-review-legality-of-trumps-remain-in-mexico-asylum-policy-336475" hreflang="en">US Supreme Court to review legality of Trump's 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy</a>

Ahead of the November 3 election, 27.9 million Americans have already cast their votes, either by mail or in person, based on data from the US Elections Project at the University of Florida, setting a new record. Many are voting early to avoid last minute rush at polling stations given the severity of the pandemic in the US.

Trump was heard saying in Carson City, Nevada - "Early voting is under way, so get out and vote." Trump had lost Nevada in 2016.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-biden-vs-trump-the-story-of-dueling-town-halls-335917/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Biden, meanwhile, urged people in North Carolina to cast ballots as early as possible. At least 20 per cent of the state’s registered voters had already cast their votes. In 2016, Trump had won North Carolina by 3.66 percentage points.

"We gotta keep the incredible momentum going; we can't let up," Biden said during a "drive-in rally" in Durham. "Don't wait - go vote today."

Biden also launched an attack on Trump for his claims over the weekend. Trump had said that the US had “turned the corner” in terms of the pandemic. Biden noted how the cases continue to increase to highest levels in many parts of the country.

"As my grandfather would say: 'This guy's gone around the bend if he thinks we've turned the corner. Things are getting worse, and he continues to lie to us about circumstances”, Biden said.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/my-fathers-relationship-with-pm-modi-is-incredible-donald-trump-jr-336468" hreflang="en">My father's relationship with PM Modi is incredible: Donald Trump Jr</a>

Trump had recently contracted COVID-19, and had mocked Biden for being too cautious about the pandemic.

"Listen to the scientists!" Trump said, while mocking Biden. “If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression”, Trump added.

In response, Biden campaign said - “New coronavirus cases are surging and layoffs are rising”.

Both are set to debate for the final time on Thursday in Tennessee. The second debate was cancelled because Trump refused to attend a virtual debate.

US Election 2020: United States Republican President Donald Trump, and his Democratic rival Joe Biden may not agree on much, but both recently urged supporters to vote as early as possible.

US Election 2020: United States Republican President Donald Trump, and his Democratic rival Joe Biden may not agree on much, but both recently urged supporters to vote as early as possible. In Nevada, Trump asked voters to cast ballots early, while Biden asked voters in North Carolina to “go vote today”. Also read: US Supreme Court to review legality of Trump's 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy Ahead of the November 3 election, 27.9 million Americans have already cast their votes, either by mail or in person, based on data from the US Elections Project at the University of Florida, setting a new record. Many are voting early to avoid last minute rush at polling stations given the severity of the pandemic in the US. Trump was heard saying in Carson City, Nevada - "Early voting is under way, so get out and vote." Trump had lost Nevada in 2016. Biden, meanwhile, urged people in North Carolina to cast ballots as early as possible. At least 20 per cent of the state’s registered voters had already cast their votes. In 2016, Trump had won North Carolina by 3.66 percentage points. "We gotta keep the incredible momentum going; we can't let up," Biden said during a "drive-in rally" in Durham. "Don't wait - go vote today." Biden also launched an attack on Trump for his claims over the weekend. Trump had said that the US had “turned the corner” in terms of the pandemic. Biden noted how the cases continue to increase to highest levels in many parts of the country. "As my grandfather would say: 'This guy's gone around the bend if he thinks we've turned the corner. Things are getting worse, and he continues to lie to us about circumstances”, Biden said. Also read: My father's relationship with PM Modi is incredible: Donald Trump Jr Trump had recently contracted COVID-19, and had mocked Biden for being too cautious about the pandemic. "Listen to the scientists!" Trump said, while mocking Biden. “If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression”, Trump added. In response, Biden campaign said - “New coronavirus cases are surging and layoffs are rising”. Both are set to debate for the final time on Thursday in Tennessee. The second debate was cancelled because Trump refused to attend a virtual debate.

US election 2020: Trump and Biden finally agree on something as November 3 nears

Early voting began in Louisiana on Friday, following record turnout this week in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, competitive states that could decide the election outcome. Voters in Louisiana's capital city Baton Rouge lined up for more than an hour before polls opened to cast their ballots, according to local media, with no widespread problems reported.

US Election 2020: Unprecedented surge in mail-in votes | WION VOA Co-production

President Donald Trump was evasive when asked whether he took a coronavirus test on the day of the first debate. Trump's comments came in the opening moments of Thursday night's town hall-style meeting on NBC. His Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, was appearing at a similar event at the same time on another network. Watch report.

Trump vs Biden at competing town halls: Trump evasive on testing for COVID-19 before debate

We look back at four years of Trump's presidency. From promises, scandals, accomplishments and a lot more.

Four years of Trumpism | Donald Trump | Accomplishments and Failures | US Elections 2020 |WION

US President Donald Trump's Twitter election campaign account was unblocked after the social media site temporarily restricted it. Twitter said that a video posted by the account about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son violated its rules.

Trump campaign account unlocked: Senate Republicans summon Twitter CEO

The United States Supreme Court's top seat has become the most contested topics in the US election 2020. Watch report.

US Supreme Court nominee upends the US election 2020 | Amy Corney Barrett | World News

With just days to the election day, Donald Trump is on the defensive in every major swing state. From offering kisses to Shaking a leg, Trump is pulling all chords to make up for the final stretch of campaigning. Can trump change the game now?

Trump's 'politically incorrect' address | U.S. Election 2020 New York Direct

Scientific journal Nature condemned Donald Trump for 'disastrous' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch this video to know more.

Scientific journal Nature condemns Trump for 'disastrous' handling of pandemic

In this segment watch the four years of Donald Trump's presidency in the United States.

Highlights of the 4 years of Presidency under Donald Trump

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