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Highlights

Biden maintains grip on 2020 Democratic race The former vice president survived another Democratic debate largely unbloodied and unbowed, leaving those on the margins of the race for the party’s 2020 nomination wondering if their time to gain ground on the front-runner is running out.

Government weighed using fentanyl for executions The Department of Justice examined using the powerful opioid fentanyl in lethal injections as it prepared last year to resume executing condemned prisoners. In the end, it decided against adopting the drug for executions, but the special consideration given to the possibilities of fentanyl show how much has changed since the federal government last carried out an execution nearly 20 years ago.

Trump trade-war aid sows frustration in farm country At Trump's direction, the Department of Agriculture has rolled out $28 billion in trade aid for farmers over the past two years. But the widely varying payouts have confused and irritated farmers nationwide as they complained of software problems and poor training of local USDA employees.

White House moves forward to strip California of vehicle authority The Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to revoke California’s authority to set its own vehicle greenhouse gas standards and declare that states are pre-empted from setting their own vehicle rules.

World

Hong Kong leader to focus on housing, jobs Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam promised to focus on housing and jobs to try to end three months of sometimes violent unrest, as pro-democracy demonstrators prepared for more protests involving lantern-carrying Mid-Autumn Festival human chains.

Ireland says gap between EU and UK on Brexit 'very wide' The gap between Britain and the European Union over Brexit remains "very wide", Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said as British leader Boris Johnson prepared to make a renewed push to reach an exit deal with the bloc. But signs of a breakthrough remained distant as Northern Irish allies poured cold water on suggestions that the contentious border “backstop” could be reworked.

New Zealand's PM acts to tighten gun laws further New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern introduced a new bill to parliament to tighten gun laws, as the country marks six months since the mass shooting in Christchurch that killed 51 Muslim worshippers.