10 things you need to know today: October 4, 2020

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1. Trump said to have 'concerning' symptoms as doctor shares optimistic outlook
2. Trump sends video message from Walter Reed thanking medical staff, well-wishers
3. Biden campaign to disclose results of every coronavirus test he takes
4. Christie, Johnson, among recent positive coronavirus tests
5. Azerbaijan accuses Armenian forces of shelling 2nd largest city
6. Regal owner reportedly planning to suspend movie theater operations
7. Graham debates Harrison amid close, crucial Senate race
8. Cam Newton reportedly tests positive for coronavirus
9. Swiss Skydiver wins Preakness Stakes
10. SNL returns for 46th season

last updated 4 October 2020

1. Trump said to have 'concerning' symptoms as doctor shares optimistic outlook

Speaking from outside Walter Reed hospital where the president was transferred a day earlier after being diagnosed with COVID-19, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said Trump is fever-free, has normal cardiac, liver, and kidney levels, is not requiring supplemental oxygen, and is in "exceptionally good spirits." On Saturday evening, Conley said he's "extremely happy" with Trump's progress, although he's "not yet out of the woods." But White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows cast the president's illness in a very different light shortly after the doctor initially spoke Saturday. Meadows told reporters on Saturday afternoon that the president's vital signs over the past 24 hours were "very concerning" and the next 48 hours would be critical. In a Fox News interview Saturday evening, Meadows confirmed that Trump's blood oxygen levels had dropped "rapidly" on Friday, prompting doctors to administer supplemental oxygen while he was still at the White House, but he also expressed optimism about Trump's condition going forward.

President Trump posted a video to his Twitter account Saturday evening from his suite at Walter Reed hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, where he's being treated for the coronavirus. Trump began by thanking the "incredible" medical team attending to him, and he also expressed gratitude for the responses he's received from the American people and world leaders. The president noted that first lady Melania Trump, who also contracted the virus, is "handling it very nicely." He did acknowledge, however, that when he first arrived at Walter Reed on Friday he "wasn't feeling so well," seemingly backing up reports that his condition was concerning, but he added that he was feeling better at the time of the video. Still, he said "over the next few days we're going to probably know for sure" how he is responding to treatment.

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Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, will disclose the result of every coronavirus test he takes going forward, his campaign said Saturday. The announcement comes in light of President Trump's positive COVID-19 test, which occurred just two days after the candidates faced off in a presidential debate last week. Biden subsequently tested negative for the virus on Friday, but he told reporters he would take another test Sunday. It's unclear exactly how often Biden will be tested, but a campaign spokesman said it would happen "regularly." The former vice president still plans to forge ahead with in-person campaigning during the final month before Election Day.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) announced Saturday he has tested positive for COVID-19. Christie said he later checked himself into a hospital as a precautionary measure because of his asthma history. He is reportedly experiencing mild symptoms. Christie helped Trump prepare for the presidential debate and attended Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination ceremony at the White House. Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) on Saturday became the third GOP senator to announce this week that he had contracted the virus, following Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah). His office said he is not experiencing symptoms. White House aide Nicholas Luna, an assistant to Trump who is often in close proximity to the president, has also tested positive.

Azerbaijan said Sunday that Armenian forces shelled its second largest city, Ganja, and that one civilian was killed, marking an escalation in the conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but is mostly run by a breakaway, ethnically Armenian government. Armenia denied attacking Ganja, although Arayik Harutyunyan, the leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, said his forces destroyed an airbase in the city. Armenia said two cities in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the capital Stepanakert, were under attack by Azerbaijan's air force and long range missiles. The conflict over the region has sparked fighting intermittently over the last few decades, but the current fighting appears to be the most violent since 2016.

Cineworld, the owner of Regal, is reportedly planning to close its movie theaters across the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland this week as studios continue to push back the release of major films, like the upcoming James Bond installment No Time to Die, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The plan isn't definite, The Wall Street Journal reports, but source said a final decision should be reached early this week. Cineworld, which is the second largest movie theater operator in both the world and the U.S. (where it operates 546 sites and employs thousands), had begun reopening its venues earlier in the summer. But after a shaky box office performance from Christopher Nolan's blockbuster Tenet, studios are now leaning toward postponing their most expensive features until its safer for audiences to return to theaters en masse.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) debated his Democratic opponent Jaime Harrison on Saturday night for the first time as the two remain locked in a close contest just a month before Election Day. The competitors were combative at times, but they both portrayed themselves as willing to work with the other party to move legislation through congress. Graham is seeking his fourth term representing the Palmetto State in the Senate, but Harrison appears to be mounting the toughest challenge against him yet. Polls have shown Graham's lead tighten significantly in recent weeks to the point where Harrison is neck-and-neck with the incumbent.

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has tested positive for the coronavirus, ESPN reports. The Patriots announced Sunday that an unnamed player received a positive result, with league sources telling ESPN's Adam Schefter that it was Newton. New England also said "several additional players, coaches, and staff who have been in close contact with the player received point of care tests" Saturday morning and "all were negative for COVID-19." Subsequent tests also returned negative Saturday night. Still, the Patriots' game against the Kansas City Chiefs will be postponed until either Monday or Tuesday. Kansas City reportedly had a positive coronavirus test of its own. The Chiefs-Patriots matchup is the second NFL game scheduled for Sunday to get bumped. The Tennessee Titans have had several players and team personnel test positive throughout the week; their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is being moved to a later date.

Swiss Skydiver on Saturday won the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, upsetting the favorite Authentic, who was fresh off a Kentucky Derby victory, in a photo finish. She was the first filly to win the Preakness since Rachel Alexandra in 2009, and just the sixth ever. Three different horses won each Triple Crown race this year, which saw two of the three events postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic — Swiss Skydiver took the Preakness, Authentic the Derby, and Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes before losing his bid for the crown with a second place finish at Churchill Downs in September.

Saturday Night Live returned for its 46th season on NBC on Saturday evening. The episode began with a parody of Tuesday evening's presidential debate between the incumbent, President Trump, who was once again portrayed by Alec Baldwin, and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, who was played by Jim Carrey. SNL alum Maya Rudolph also returned to the stage during the skit as Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). Chris Rock hosted the premiere, with Megan Thee Stallion appearing as the musical guest. Later in the show, cast member Kate McKinnon portrayed the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September, in a tribute sketch.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.