With five weeks to go until the U.S. presidential election, CGTN analysis shows Joe Biden 7.4 points ahead of Donald Trump in the national polling averages, and retaining narrow leads over the president in critical swing states like Florida and Arizona.

Here's what you might have missed from the past seven days.

In a week in which COVID-19 cases continued to rise at more than 30,000 per day in the United States and Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses in November, the race for the White House was dominated by the fallout from the death of liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the battle to replace her, as well as bombshell revelations about the president's tax returns.

Trump nominated conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, and Republicans in the Senate announced an expedited confirmation process with the aim of putting the 48-year-old mother of seven on the bench before the election.

2020 in 120 seconds

6 weeks: Ginsburg, tactics and town halls

7 weeks: Rage, money and Florida

Democrats, with little hope of blocking a confirmation that will give conservatives a 6-3 advantage on the court, have sought to make the conversation all about the electorally-important issue of healthcare, warning that by appointing Barrett the Republicans will effectively end the increasingly popular Obamacare policy.

The polls suggest opinion is on the side of the Democrats but the Republicans are determined to move ahead despite the possible electoral costs, given the possible longterm advantages of having a solid conservative majority on the court.

Eyes are now turning to the first presidential debate, with Biden – who was endorsed by superstar Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on Sunday – and Trump set to face off in Ohio on Tuesday evening U.S. time.

The clash will take place two days after the New York Times reported that the president paid just $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017 – the average taxpayer pays around 16 times more – and owes around $400 million in loans.

Trump characteristically dismissed the reports as fake news, but they’re certain to come up again in a debate hosted by Fox News’ Chris Wallace. The clash with Biden is likely to be one of the president’s best and last chances of changing the trajectory of the race for the White House. 

Video: Wang Zengzheng and Zhou Tingyu

Script: John Goodrich

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