Sep 29, 2020 - Economy & Business

Women historically not assigned to moderate first presidential debate slot

Data: Commission on Presidential Debates/Axios Research; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios

Women have historically not been awarded the first debate moderator slot, even though more women have been selected to moderate debates in recent history.

The state of play: The one exception is Barbara Walters of ABC News, who moderated the first presidential debate in 1984 between Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democratic former Vice President Walter Mondale.

  • In the past five cycles, women have been awarded the Vice Presidential debate moderator slot, but only three women — Martha Raddatz of ABC News, Candy Crowley of CNN, and Kristen Welker of NBC News— have been awarded a presidential debate moderator position.
  • An all-female panel moderated the November 20th Democratic primary debate — only the third time that's happened in U.S. history, per Vox.

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Rebecca Falconer
Updated 20 hours ago - Health

Fox News president and several hosts advised to quarantine in COVID-19 precaution

A political display is posted on the outside of the Fox News headquarters on 6th Avenue in New York City in July. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Fox News president Jay Wallace and anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are among those recommended to get tested and quarantine after possible exposure to COVID-19, the New York Times first reported Sunday night.

The big picture: The Fox News contingent, which also included "The Five" show hosts Juan Williams and Dana Perino, were on a charter flight from Nashville to New York following Thursday's presidential debate with a person who later tested positive for the coronavirus.

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Mike Allen, Margaret Talev
Oct 24, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Post-debate poll finds Biden strong on every major issue

Joe Biden speaks Friday about "The Biden Plan to Beat COVID-19," at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

This is one of the bigger signs of trouble for President Trump that we've seen in a poll: Of the final debate's seven topics, Joe Biden won or tied on all seven when viewers in a massive Axios-SurveyMonkey sample were asked who they trusted more to handle the issue.

Why it matters: In a time of unprecedented colliding crises for the nation, the polling considered Biden to be vastly more competent.

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Axios
Updated Oct 25, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Presidential debate mute button gets starring role in "SNL" cold open

Maya Rudolf NBC's Kristen Welker moderating the presidential debate on "Saturday Night Live." Photo: NBC

"Saturday Night Live" sent up Friday's presidential debate with plenty of microphone mute button jokes, as Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey returned to duel as President Trump and Joe Biden in the latest cold open.

Highlights: Maya Rudolph as the moderator, NBC's Kristen Welker, noted, "Tonight, we have a mute button, because it was that or tranquilizer darts and the President has a very high tolerance for those after his COVD treatment." And Kate McKinnon, spoofing President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani over a scene in the new "Borat" movie, exclaimed: "It's not what it looks like! My microphone was stuck."

  • Singer Adele hosted "SNL" and H.E.R. was the musical guest.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more details from the show.