Selasa, 03 November 2020

Twitter, Facebook flag Trump posts on US election eve - CNA

Twitter Inc late on Monday flagged a tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump in which he called a Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania "very dangerous."

People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo  in
People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture taken in Warsaw September 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/Files

REUTERS: Twitter and Facebook late on Monday both flagged posts by President Donald Trump that claimed a U.S. Supreme Court decision on mail-in voting in Pennsylvania would lead to "rampant" fraud and was "very dangerous."

Twitter hid the president's tweet, sent the day before the U.S. presidential election, behind a label which said the content was "disputed" and "might be misleading."

Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly said, without evidence, that mail-in votes are prone to fraud, although election experts say that is rare in U.S. elections. Trump's tweet also said the Supreme Court's decision would "induce violence in the streets."

Social media companies are under pressure to curb misinformation on their platforms ahead of the U.S. election. Twitter has labeled or put warnings on tweets from Trump multiple times this year for violating its rules.

Twitter also prevented users from retweeting or replying to the post, allowing only 'quote tweets.' It said the tweets will also not be algorithmically recommended by its systems.

The Election Integrity Partnership, who tweeted that Twitter took action about 40 minutes after Trump's tweet was sent, said would "be wise" to pick up the pace.

"Twitter’s action effectively stopped the tweet’s spread. However, it had already been retweeted 55K+ times and favorited 126K+ times. This is as much or more reach than most other tweets put out by @realDonaldTrump today," the research group tweeted.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week allowed extended deadlines for receiving mail-in ballots in Tuesday's election in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, states pivotal to Trump's re-election chances.

The decision let stand a ruling by Pennsylvania's top court allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to three days later to be counted.

Facebook added a disclaimer to Trump's post, which had been shared 4,200 times, saying that voting by mail and voting in person have a "history of trustworthiness" in the United States, with voter fraud being extremely rare.

Facebook also labeled a Fox News video posted by Trump in which he talked about "cheating" in Pennsylvania with the same message.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Culliford in Birmingham, England Kanishka Singh and Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lincoln Feast.)

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2020-11-03 07:18:45Z
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Senin, 02 November 2020

Gunmen kill two in 'terror attack' in Vienna, manhunt launched - CNA

VIENNA: Gunmen attacked six locations in central Vienna on Monday (Nov 2) starting outside the main synagogue, killing two people and injuring at least 14 in what Austria called a "repulsive terror attack" while hunting one or more assailants on the loose.

Witnesses described the men firing into crowds in bars with automatic rifles, as many people took advantage of the last evening before a nationwide curfew was introduced because of COVID-19. Police shot and killed one assailant.

Police sealed off much of the historic centre of Vienna, urging the public to shelter in place. Many sought refuge in bars and hotels, while public transport throughout the old town was shut down and police scoured the city.

Gunfire exchanges in Vienna
Police officers aim their weapons on the corner of a street after exchanges of gunfire in Vienna, Austria on Nov 2, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Lisi Niesner) 

"It is the hardest day for Austria in many years. We are dealing with a terror attack the severity of which, thank God, we have not experienced in Austria in many years," Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told a news conference.

Austria's capital had so far been spared the kind of deadly militant attacks that have struck Paris, London, Berlin and Brussels, among others, in recent years. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the "repulsive" act was "definitely a terror attack", but he could not say what the motive was.

Oskar Deutsch, the head of Vienna's Jewish community, which has offices adjoining the synagogue on a narrow cobbled street dotted with bars, said on Twitter that it was not clear whether the temple or offices were targeted but that they were closed at the time.

Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister told London's LBC radio he was living in the compound of the synagogue. "Upon hearing shots, we looked down (from) the windows and saw the gunmen shooting at the guests of the various bars and pubs," he said.

"The gunmen were running around and shooting at least 100 rounds or even more in front of our building," he said.

Border checks were being reinforced, the Interior Ministry said, and children would not be required to attend school on Tuesday. Although people were urged to stay indoors Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig told broadcaster ORF the city would run normally on Tuesday, albeit with a tougher police presence.

Police officers were checking people in central Vienna for weapons after the shootings
Police officers were checking people in central Vienna for weapons after the shootings AFP/ROLAND SCHLAGER

Gunfire exchanges in Vienna
A man holds his hands up as police officers check him on a street after exchanges of gunfire in Vienna, Austria on Nov 2, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Lisi Niesner) 

MANHUNT

"According to what we currently know, at least one perpetrator is still on the run," Nehammer said.

"We have brought several special forces units together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists. I am therefore not limiting it to an area of Vienna, because these are mobile perpetrators," Nehammer earlier told ORF.

Kurz said the army would protect sites in the capital so the police could focus on anti-terror operations. Speaking to ORF, he said the attackers "were very well equipped with automatic weapons" and had "prepared professionally".

Videos circulated on social media of a gunman running down a cobblestone street shooting and shouting. One showed a man gunning down a person outside what appeared to be a bar on the street housing the synagogue. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

Authorities gave no indication of the identity of the assailants or reason for the attack.

"We really can't say anything about the background yet," Kurz told ORF. "Of course an anti-Semitic background cannot be ruled out."

Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna
Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna on Nov 2, 2020, following a shooting near a synagogue. (Photo: AFP/Joe Klamar)

In 1981, two people were killed and 18 injured during an attack by two Palestinians at the same Vienna synagogue. In 1985, a Palestinian extremist group killed three civilians in an attack at the airport.

In August, authorities arrested a 31-year-old Syrian refugee suspected of trying to attack a Jewish community leader in the country's second city Graz. The leader was unhurt.

"COWARDLY ACT"

Condolences poured in from around the world, with top officials from the European Union, France, Norway, Greece and the United States expressing their shock at the attacks.

President Emmanuel Macron of France, which has seen two deadly knife attacks in Paris and Nice in recent weeks, issued a statement expressing shock and sorrow.

"This is our Europe," he said. "Our enemies must know with whom they are dealing. We will not retreat."

Germany's foreign ministry tweeted that the reports from Austria were "horrifying and disturbing". "We can't give in to hatred that is aimed at dividing our societies," the ministry added.

Czech police said they had started random checks on the border with Austria.

"Police are carrying out random checks of vehicles and passengers on border crossings with Austria as a preventive measure in relation to the terror attack in Vienna," Czech police tweeted.

Robert O'Brien, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, said Americans were praying for the people of Vienna.

"There is no justification for hatred and violence like this. We stand with Austria, France, and all of Europe in the fight against terrorism,” O'Brien said.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden condemned what he called a "horrific terrorist attack," adding, "We must all stand united against hate and violence."

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2020-11-03 03:11:15Z
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Gunmen kill two in 'terror attack' in Vienna, manhunt launched - CNA

VIENNA: Gunmen attacked six locations in central Vienna on Monday (Nov 2) starting outside the main synagogue, killing two people and injuring at least 14 in what Austria called a "repulsive terror attack" while hunting one or more assailants on the loose.

Witnesses described the men firing into crowds in bars with automatic rifles, as many people took advantage of the last evening before a nationwide curfew was introduced because of COVID-19. Police shot and killed one assailant.

Police sealed off much of the historic centre of Vienna, urging the public to shelter in place. Many sought refuge in bars and hotels, while public transport throughout the old town was shut down and police scoured the city.

Gunfire exchanges in Vienna
Police officers aim their weapons on the corner of a street after exchanges of gunfire in Vienna, Austria on Nov 2, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Lisi Niesner) 

"It is the hardest day for Austria in many years. We are dealing with a terror attack the severity of which, thank God, we have not experienced in Austria in many years," Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told a news conference.

Austria's capital had so far been spared the kind of deadly militant attacks that have struck Paris, London, Berlin and Brussels, among others, in recent years. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the "repulsive" act was "definitely a terror attack", but he could not say what the motive was.

Oskar Deutsch, the head of Vienna's Jewish community, which has offices adjoining the synagogue on a narrow cobbled street dotted with bars, said on Twitter that it was not clear whether the temple or offices were targeted but that they were closed at the time.

Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister told London's LBC radio he was living in the compound of the synagogue. "Upon hearing shots, we looked down (from) the windows and saw the gunmen shooting at the guests of the various bars and pubs," he said.

"The gunmen were running around and shooting at least 100 rounds or even more in front of our building," he said.

Border checks were being reinforced, the Interior Ministry said, and children would not be required to attend school on Tuesday. Although people were urged to stay indoors Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig told broadcaster ORF the city would run normally on Tuesday, albeit with a tougher police presence.

Police officers were checking people in central Vienna for weapons after the shootings
Police officers were checking people in central Vienna for weapons after the shootings AFP/ROLAND SCHLAGER

Gunfire exchanges in Vienna
A man holds his hands up as police officers check him on a street after exchanges of gunfire in Vienna, Austria on Nov 2, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Lisi Niesner) 

MANHUNT

"According to what we currently know, at least one perpetrator is still on the run," Nehammer said.

"We have brought several special forces units together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists. I am therefore not limiting it to an area of Vienna, because these are mobile perpetrators," Nehammer earlier told ORF.

Kurz said the army would protect sites in the capital so the police could focus on anti-terror operations. Speaking to ORF, he said the attackers "were very well equipped with automatic weapons" and had "prepared professionally".

Videos circulated on social media of a gunman running down a cobblestone street shooting and shouting. One showed a man gunning down a person outside what appeared to be a bar on the street housing the synagogue. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

Authorities gave no indication of the identity of the assailants or reason for the attack.

"We really can't say anything about the background yet," Kurz told ORF. "Of course an anti-Semitic background cannot be ruled out."

Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna
Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna on Nov 2, 2020, following a shooting near a synagogue. (Photo: AFP/Joe Klamar)

In 1981, two people were killed and 18 injured during an attack by two Palestinians at the same Vienna synagogue. In 1985, a Palestinian extremist group killed three civilians in an attack at the airport.

In August, authorities arrested a 31-year-old Syrian refugee suspected of trying to attack a Jewish community leader in the country's second city Graz. The leader was unhurt.

"COWARDLY ACT"

President Emmanuel Macron of France, which has seen two deadly knife attacks in Paris and Nice in recent weeks, issued a statement expressing shock and sorrow.

"This is our Europe," he said. "Our enemies must know with whom they are dealing. We will not retreat."

EU Council chief Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc "strongly condemns this cowardly act".

And Germany's foreign ministry tweeted that the reports from Austria were "horrifying and disturbing".

"We can't give in to hatred that is aimed at dividing our societies," the ministry added.

Czech police said they had started random checks on the border with Austria.

"Police are carrying out random checks of vehicles and passengers on border crossings with Austria as a preventive measure in relation to the terror attack in Vienna," Czech police tweeted.

Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said in a tweet Czech police were in touch with Austrian colleagues following the "dreadful news from Vienna".

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also "strongly condemned" the shootings.

"There is no room for hatred and violence in our common European home," he said on Twitter in Italian and German.

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2020-11-03 02:31:08Z
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3 killed in Vienna 'terror attack'; at least one gunman still at large - CNA

VIENNA: Three people have been killed after multiple gunmen opened fire across central Vienna on Monday (Nov 2), and at least one attacker remained on the run after what Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described as a "repulsive terrorist attack".

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer warned people to stay away from the centre of the city, adding that border checks were being reinforced and that children would not be required to attend school on Tuesday.

"We have brought several special forces units together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists. I am therefore not limiting it to an area of Vienna, because these are mobile perpetrators," Nehammer earlier told broadcaster ORF.

Gunfire exchanges in Vienna
Police officers aim their weapons on the corner of a street after exchanges of gunfire in Vienna, Austria November 2, 2020. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Kurz said the army would protect sites in the capital so the police could focus on anti-terror operations. Speaking to ORF, he said the attackers "were very well equipped with automatic weapons" and had "prepared professionally".

Police said on Twitter that at least one person had been killed and that the injured included a police officer. Vienna mayor Michael Ludwig told ORF that 15 people were being treated in Vienna hospitals, and that seven were in a serious condition. He said later that one of the wounded, a woman, had died of her injuries.

Police also said they had shot dead one of the attackers.

Nehammer said all six locations in the attack were near the street housing the central synagogue.

Jewish community leader Oskar Deutsch said on Twitter it was not clear whether the Vienna synagogue and adjoining offices had been the target and said they were closed at the time.

Police officers were checking people in central Vienna for weapons after the shootings
Police officers were checking people in central Vienna for weapons after the shootings AFP/ROLAND SCHLAGER
Gunfire exchanges in Vienna
A man holds his hands up as police officers check him on a street after exchanges of gunfire in Vienna, Austria November 2, 2020. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister told London's LBC radio he was living in the compound of the synagogue. "Upon hearing shots, we looked down (from) the windows and saw the gunmen shooting at the guests of the various bars and pubs," he said.

"The gunmen were running around and shooting at least 100 rounds or even more in front of our building," he said.

Videos circulated on social media of a gunman running down a cobblestone street shooting and shouting. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

ATTACKERS' IDENTITY UNKNOWN

The attack happened hours before a partial lockdown was due to go into place due to the rising spread of the coronavirus, with restaurants, cafes and hotels shuttered and restrictions on movement at night.

Authorities gave no indication of the identity of the assailants or reason for the attack.

"We really can't say anything about the background yet," Kurz told ORF. "Of course an anti-Semitic background cannot be ruled out."

Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna
Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna on Nov 2, 2020, following a shooting near a synagogue. (Photo: AFP/Joe Klamar)

In 1981, two people were killed and 18 injured during an attack by two Palestinians at the same Vienna synagogue. In 1985, a Palestinian extremist group killed three civilians in an attack at the airport.

In August, authorities arrested a 31-year-old Syrian refugee suspected of trying to attack a Jewish community leader in the country's second city Graz. The leader was unhurt.

"COWARDLY ACT"

Austria had until now been spared the sort of major attacks that have hit other European countries.

President Emmanuel Macron of France, which has seen two deadly knife attacks in Paris and Nice in recent weeks, issued a statement expressing shock and sorrow.

"This is our Europe," he said. "Our enemies must know with whom they are dealing. We will not retreat."

EU Council chief Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc "strongly condemns this cowardly act".

And Germany's foreign ministry tweeted that the reports from Austria were "horrifying and disturbing".

"We can't give in to hatred that is aimed at dividing our societies," the ministry added.

Czech police said they had started random checks on the border with Austria.

"Police are carrying out random checks of vehicles and passengers on border crossings with Austria as a preventive measure in relation to the terror attack in Vienna," Czech police tweeted.

Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said in a tweet Czech police were in touch with Austrian colleagues following the "dreadful news from Vienna".

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also "strongly condemned" the shootings.

"There is no room for hatred and violence in our common European home," he said on Twitter in Italian and German.

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2020-11-03 01:41:15Z
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2 killed in Vienna 'terror attack'; manhunt under way for several gunmen - CNA

VIENNA: Gunmen fired shots at six locations in central Vienna starting near the central synagogue on Monday (Nov 2), killing at least two people - including one attacker - and wounding others in what Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described as a "repulsive terror attack".

A manhunt is under way for several suspected perpetrators Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said are "heavily armed and dangerous". 

"We have brought several special forces units together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists. I am therefore not limiting it to an area of Vienna because these are mobile perpetrators," Nehammer told broadcaster ORF, urging the public to stay indoors until the all-clear is given.

Police said there was "one deceased person" and several injured, including one police officer.

Meanwhile, one suspect had been "shot and killed by police officers", Vienna police said on their Twitter account.

The attack had been carried out by "several suspects armed with rifles", and police added that there had been "six different shooting locations".

Gunshots were fired at around 8pm, beginning at the Seitenstettengasse in the city's centrally located first district.

The shooting began just hours before Austria was to re-impose a coronavirus lockdown to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, and bars and restaurants were packed as people enjoyed a final night of relative freedom.

Nehammer told ORF that the attack was carried out in the immediate vicinity of the street housing the central synagogue.

"At the moment I can confirm we believe this is an apparent terror attack," he said.

"We believe there are several perpetrators. Unfortunately there are also several injured, probably also dead."

Frequent sirens could be heard in central Vienna as emergency services responded to the incident.

ORF reported that 15 people were being treated for injuries in Vienna hospitals, and that seven were in serious condition.

Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna
Armed police control a passage near the opera in central Vienna on Nov 2, 2020, following a shooting near a synagogue. (Photo: AFP/Joe Klamar)

Authorities gave no indication of the identity of the assailants or reason for the attack.

The president of Vienna's Jewish community Oskar Deutsch said that shots had been fired "in the immediate vicinity" of the Stadttempel synagogue but added that it was currently unknown whether the synagogue itself had been the target of an attack.

He said that the synagogue and office buildings at the same address had been closed at the time of the attack.

"It sounded like firecrackers, then we realised it was shots," said one eyewitness quoted by ORF.

A shooter had "shot wildly with an automatic weapon" before the police arrived and opened fire, the witness added.

An armed policeman guards the passage of the state opera in central Vienna
An armed policeman guards the passage of the state opera in central Vienna on Nov 2, 2020, following a shooting near a synagogue. (Photo: AFP/Joe Klamar)

Videos circulated on social media of a gunman running down a cobblestone street shooting and shouting. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

In 1981, two people were killed and 18 people were injured during an attack by two Palestinians at the same synagogue. In 1985, a Palestinian extremist group attacked Vienna airport with hand grenades and attack rifles, killing three civilians.

In August, authorities arrested a 31-year-old Syrian refugees suspected of trying to attack a Jewish community leader in the country's second city Graz. The leader was unhurt.

'COWARDLY ACT'

Austria had until now been spared the sort of major attacks that have hit other European countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that "we French share the shock and sorrow of the Austrian people".

"After France, it's a friendly nation that has been attacked," he added, referring to the killing on Thursday of three people by a knife-armed attacker in southern city Nice and the beheading of a schoolteacher by a suspected extremist outside Paris several days before.

EU Council chief Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc "strongly condemns this cowardly act".

And Germany's foreign ministry tweeted that the reports from Austria were "horrifying and disturbing".

"We can't give in to hatred that is aimed at dividing our societies," the ministry added.

Czech police said they had started random checks on the border with Austria.

"Police are carrying out random checks of vehicles and passengers on border crossings with Austria as a preventive measure in relation to the terror attack in Vienna," Czech police tweeted.

Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said in a tweet Czech police were in touch with Austrian colleagues following the "dreadful news from Vienna".

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also "strongly condemned" the shootings.

"There is no room for hatred and violence in our common European home," he said on Twitter in Italian and German.

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2020-11-02 23:03:45Z
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Biden leads in polls going into Election Day but battlegrounds tight - CNA

WASHINGTON: Democrat Joe Biden leads in the national polls and most of the battleground states going into Election Day but President Donald Trump is insisting they're wrong and he'll repeat his upset victory of 2016.

Biden, the 77-year-old former vice president, has enjoyed a solid lead over Trump, 74, in the national polls for months, at times reaching double digits.

But US presidential elections are not decided by the popular vote.

They are won in the 538-member Electoral College, where each state has a number of electoral votes equivalent to its representation in the House and Senate.

And the electoral votes of battleground states such as Florida and Pennsylvania could determine the winner of Tuesday's battle for the White House.

Here is a look at the latest national polls and polls in key battleground states:

NATIONAL POLLS

An average of national polls by the RealClearPolitics (RCP) website gives Biden a 6.8 point lead over Trump - 50.7 per cent to 43.9 per cent.

That is roughly in line with the averages of other leading outlets such as FiveThirtyEight.com, which has Biden up by 8.4 points nationally.

Biden's lead nationally is more than double that of Hillary Clinton going into the 2016 election, when the polls were relatively accurate concerning the popular vote, which she won while losing in the Electoral College.

FLORIDA

In Florida, Biden has a 1.7 point lead over Trump, according to the RCP average of state polls.

A Siena College/New York Times poll has Biden up by three points in the Sunshine State but a Washington Post/ABC News poll has the Republican incumbent up by two points.

Trump won Florida and its 29 electoral votes in 2016 and winning the state again is seen as crucial to his hopes of victory.

PENNSYLVANIA

In Pennsylvania, Biden has a 2.9-point lead, according to the RCP average of polls in the Keystone State, which has 20 electoral votes.

Trump won Pennsylvania by just 44,000 votes in 2016 and his reelection hopes could hang on taking the state again.

MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN

Michigan and Wisconsin are two Midwestern states Trump won narrowly in 2016 but the RCP averages have him trailing in both this time.

According to the RCP averages, Biden is up by 5.1 points in Michigan, which has 16 electoral votes, and by 6.6 points in Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes.

ARIZONA, NORTH CAROLINA

The battleground states of Arizona and North Carolina, both of which Trump won in 2016, are also being closely watched.

According to the RCP averages, Biden has a 0.5 point lead in Arizona, which has 11 electoral votes, while Trump leads by 0.5 points in North Carolina, which has 15 electoral votes.

GEORGIA, IOWA, OHIO, TEXAS

Four other states are also being closely watched this time - Georgia (16 electoral votes), Iowa (six), Ohio (18) and Texas (38).

Trump won all four states relatively easily in 2016 but the polls are showing close races there this time.

Trump is up by 0.2 points in Georgia, according to the RCP average, a state Trump won by 5.1 points in 2016.

Trump is up by 1.4 points in Iowa - he won by 9.4 points four years ago - and by 1.4 points in Ohio, a significantly smaller margin than his 8.1-point win last time around.

Trump won Texas, one of the biggest prizes of the night, by nine points in 2016 but the RCP average gives him a narrow 1.2 point lead there ahead of Tuesday's vote.

An average of national polls by the RealClearPolitics (RCP) website gives Biden a 6.7 point lead over Trump - 51 per cent to 44.3 per cent.

That is roughly in line with the averages of other leading outlets such as FiveThirtyEight.com, which has Biden up by 8.5 points nationally.

Biden's lead nationally is more than double that of Hillary Clinton going into the 2016 election, when the polls were relatively accurate concerning the popular vote, which she won while losing in the Electoral College.

FLORIDA

In Florida, Biden has a one-point lead over Trump, according to the RCP average of state polls.

A Siena College/New York Times poll has Biden up by three points in the Sunshine State but a Washington Post/ABC News poll has the Republican incumbent up by two points.

Trump won Florida and its 29 electoral votes in 2016 and winning the state again is seen as crucial to his hopes of victory.

PENNSYLVANIA

In Pennsylvania, Biden has a 4.3-point lead, according to the RCP average of polls in the Keystone State, which has 20 electoral votes.

Trump won Pennsylvania by just 44,000 votes in 2016 and his reelection hopes could hang on taking the state again.

MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN

Michigan and Wisconsin are two Midwestern states Trump won narrowly in 2016 but the RCP averages have him trailing in both this time.

According to the RCP averages, Biden is up by 5.1 points in Michigan, which has 16 electoral votes, and by 6.6 points in Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes.

ARIZONA, NORTH CAROLINA

The battleground states of Arizona and North Carolina, both of which Trump won in 2016, are also being closely watched.

According to the RCP averages, Biden has a one-point lead in Arizona, which has 11 electoral votes, while Trump leads by 0.6 points in North Carolina, which has 15 electoral votes.

GEORGIA, IOWA, OHIO, TEXAS

Four other states are also being closely watched this time - Georgia (16 electoral votes), Iowa (six), Ohio (18) and Texas (38).

Trump won all four states relatively easily in 2016 but the polls are showing close races there this time.

Biden is up by 0.4 points in Georgia, according to the RCP average, a state Trump won by 5.1 points in 2016.

Trump is up by 1.4 points in Iowa - he won by 9.4 points four years ago - and by 0.2 points in Ohio, a significantly smaller margin than his 8.1-point win last time around.

Trump won Texas, one of the biggest prizes of the night, by nine points in 2016 but the RCP average gives him a narrow 1.2 point lead there ahead of Tuesday's vote.

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2020-11-02 22:42:09Z
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Trump dismisses 'fake' polls, Biden says time to end the 'chaos' - CNA

FAYETTEVILLE: President Donald Trump entered his final day of campaigning for reelection on Monday (Nov 2) by dismissing polls that show him headed for a humiliating loss, while Democrat Joe Biden urged Americans to draw a line under the "chaos" of the last four years.

"I watch these fake polls," Trump, 74, told a crowd in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on the eve of Election Day. "We're going to win anyway."

The Republican's gripe at pollsters - combined with angry swipes at everybody from journalists, social media CEOs, his defeated 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton and Democratic opponents in Congress - reflected the bitter mood as he faces the possibility of being removed from the White House after one term.

When he wasn't complaining about his "crooked" opponents, Trump focused back on his months-long attempts to paint Biden as "sleepy" and "corrupt," leading the crowd to chant: "Lock him up!"

And Trump sought to recapture the spirit of his shock win four years ago by casting himself as the rebel against an "arrogant, corrupt, ruthless" establishment.

"You elected an outsider as president who is finally putting America first," he told the crowd. "Get out and vote, that's all I ask."

US President Donald Trump is behind in the polls but has five more rallies on the last day of
US President Donald Trump is behind in the polls but has five more rallies on the last day of campaigning. (Photo: AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

But Biden, who has built his campaign on casting Trump as a reckless failure during the coronavirus pandemic, scents victory.

Opinion polls give him small but steady advantages in all the swing states that tip close elections and even threatening Republican strongholds like Georgia and Texas.

Opinion poll averages for Donald Trump and Joe Biden nationwide and in 6 key battleground states, as
Opinion poll averages for Donald Trump and Joe Biden nationwide and in 6 key battleground states, as of Nov 1. (Graphic: AFP)

"It's time for Donald Trump to pack his bags and go home," Biden, 77, told supporters in Cleveland, Ohio.

"We're done with the chaos! We're done with the tweets, the anger, the hate, the failure, the irresponsibility," said Biden.

FEARS OF VIOLENCE, CHAOS

Tuesday is formally Election Day but in reality it marks the culmination of a drawn-out election month.

With a huge expansion in mail-in voting to safeguard against the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 95 million people are estimated to have already cast ballots, highlighting the raw passion in what is turning into a referendum on the norm-shattering Republican's first term.

All over central Washington, businesses boarded up windows in expectation of unrest and NBC News reported that a new "unscalable" fence was planned around the White House, which has been behind growing layers of fortifications since a summer of anti-racism protests.

While the Trump administration warned of left-wing extremists causing havoc, the president's supporters made their own show of force, driving in caravans of flag-bedecked pick-up trucks and blocking roads around the country.

The FBI said it was investigating an incident in Texas where Trump supporters in trucks swarmed around a Biden campaign bus while it was on a highway.

READ: Trump decries FBI probe of supporters surrounding Biden bus

Biden was closing up his startlingly low key campaign with socially distanced events in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the fiercest battleground of them all.

Pop superstar Lady Gaga was to join the 77-year-old, while former president Barack Obama was lending his own political star power by rallying for Biden in Florida and Georgia - a steady Republican state targeted by the Democrats.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden flies off to the final campaign stops of 2020
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden flies off to the final campaign stops of 2020. (Photo: AFP/Jim Watson)

Trump, who mocks Biden's modestly attended events as proof that the opinion polls must be wrong, was capping his closing surge of 14 rallies in three days with visits to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The last rally will be in Grand Rapids - the site where Trump delivered the final speech of his victorious 2016 campaign and where he hopes he will once more spark an upset.

TRUMP ATTACKS ELECTION INTEGRITY

The president, who for months has been falsely claiming that mail-in votes will lead to mass fraud, upped the ante in the final days by suggesting that he will push to disqualify votes that arrive after Tuesday - a practice which is in fact legal in several of the key states, provided that the ballots are postmarked in time.

Together with Republican attempts to get a court to throw out more than 100,000 ballots in Texas and other aggressive legal measures, Trump's hostility to the election rules is raising fears that he will try to declare premature victory or refuse to accept defeat.

The Axios news site reported Sunday that Trump has told confidants he will declare victory right away if it looked like he was ahead.

Trump called it a "false report" but repeated his argument that "I don't think it's fair that we have to wait for a long period of time after the election."

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC90cnVtcC1kaXNtaXNzZXMtZmFrZS1wb2xscy1iaWRlbi1zYXlzLXRpbWUtdG8tZW5kLXRoZS1jaGFvcy0xMzQ0Mzk5MtIBAA?oc=5

2020-11-02 20:07:19Z
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