2020 U.S. ELECTION: What you need to know right now

[October 08, 2020]  (Reuters) - -President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic took center stage at the vice presidential debate, although Mike Pence and Kamala Harris's relatively sedate performance stood in stark contrast to last week's chaotic presidential showdown.

-With a Fox Business TV interview scheduled, a quarantined President Trump starts to re-emerge in a bid to reinvigorate his stalled election campaign.

-Republicans fear that Trump's response to his COVID-19 diagnosis and his abandonment of pandemic stimulus talks put retaining control of the Senate on Nov. 3 in jeopardy.

-Facebook bans militarized language in calls for poll watching as it readies for the election, but won't take down "Army for Trump" video".

-Joe Biden takes to Twitter and asks supporters to "Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly" after a housefly makes an appearance during the vice-presidential debate and sits on Mike Pence's hair for several minutes.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

-U.S. prepares another round of new sanctions on Iran's financial industry, according to Republican aides, as Washington ramps up pressure on Tehran ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

INVESTOR VIEW

-A repeat victory by President Trump would continue his administration's agenda of deregulation, which has already handed banks $40 billion.

BY THE NUMBERS

Latest Reuters/Ipsos polling of likely voters in battleground states shows Joe Biden ahead of Trump by 4 points in Florida and up by 2 points - a statistical tie - in Arizona.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence clap hands during their 2020 vice presidential campaign debate held on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., October 7, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Expected events and Reuters coverage on Oct 8:

-Updates as Trump continues treatment for COVID-19 at the White House

-Trump appears in first TV interview since contracting COVID-19 with Fox Business (8 a.m. ET/1200 GMT)

-Joe Biden campaigns in Arizona

-Mike Pence campaigns in Nevada and Arizona

-TV audience ratings for vice-presidential debate to be released

(Reporting by Gayle Issa; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.