US Elections 2020: Tax bombshell, presidential debate prep

Here’s what’s happening Monday in Election 2020 , 36 days until Election Day:

HOW TO VOTE: AP’s state-by-state interactive has details on how to vote in this election.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES:

TAX BOMBSHELL: President Donald Trump's tax revelations threaten to undercut a pillar of his appeal among blue-collar voters while providing a new opening for his Democratic rival just two days before first presidential debate. Trump has worked for decades to build an im of himself as a hugely successful businessman — even choosing “mogul” as his Secret Service code name.

DEBATE PREP: Ahead of first debate between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, each campaign is promising a stark contrast in policy, personality and preparation . Trump has only recently begun serious preparation, telling reporters Sunday that Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani are helping him prepare. While Biden’s team believes significance of Tuesday’s prime-time affair may be exaggerated, former vice president has been aggressively preparing to take on Republican president.

MESSAGING CHALLENGE: Republican president and his allies continue to downplay coronavirus pandemic, but for swing voters on ground in rth Carolina, coronavirus and related ecomic challenges are a much more pressing concern than Trump’s push to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. Trump’s challenge is acute in rth Carolina, a state that his senior aides describe as a “must-win.”

REFUGEE VOTERS: Tens of thousands of refugees fleeing wars and persecution who were welcomed into U.S. are w American citizens voting first time in what could be most consequential presidential election of ir lifetimes . From Arizona to Florida, first-time voters are studying candidates, excited but mindful of ir weighty responsibility in helping to choose ir country’s leader.

QUOTABLE: “That’s why he hid his tax returns. Because whole time, he wasn’t paying taxes. But you were." —- Sen. Chris Murphy on President Donald Trump's tax return bombshell.