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The final debate: Who won? What claims were true or false?

President Donald Trump and Biden clashed in a calmer contest Thursday night.
Image: President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Biden participate in their second debate in Nashville
President Donald Trump and Joe Biden participate in their second 2020 presidential campaign debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday. Mike Segar / Reuters

Good morning, NBC News readers.

President Donald Trump and Joe Biden had their last face-off ahead of Election Day. We breakdown how they fared in the more subdued forum and double-check their claims.

Here's what we're watching this Friday morning.


Biden and Trump clash on hot topics during cooler debate

The final debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden was a departure from their rancorous first clash in Cleveland. Instead, the two candidates sparred over federal Covid-19 policy, health care, energy, immigration policy and race.

With polls showing Biden holding a sizable national lead and Election Day just 12 days away — over 42 million ballots have already been cast — Trump delivered no obvious knockout blows, and Biden appeared to clear his final hurdle without a major stumble.

Moderator Kristen Welker — aided by a new rule that muted candidates' microphones while their opponent delivered their initial responses to questions — managed to keep order, which allowed for a more substantive conversation than the name-calling shouting match we all witnessed last time.

  • Trump looked backwards, Biden looked forward. Trump spent much of his time defending his actions over the last four years, but didn't take the opportunity to lay out his plans going forward for the coronavirus pandemic, health care or the economy. Biden came armed with talking points about his plans, from tackling Covid-19 to providing more subsidies for alternative energy sources and less for oil and gas. Check four key takeaways on the debate from NBC News' White House reporter Shannon Pettypiece.
  • Did Biden sell Ukraine "pillows and sheets"? Despite the generally calmer vibe, a lot of mud was still slung during the 90-minute event. Check out which claims were true and which were false in our fact check.
  • Who won the debate?: Experts grade the debate that cleared the "lowest bar of civility."
  • With just less than two weeks to go before Election Day, keep up on all the latest developments with our live blog.
  • And listen to our Into America podcast. In the latest episode, host Trymaine Lee digs into how both campaigns are targeting a crucial demographic: Black men.

Inside the campaign to 'pizzagate' Hunter Biden

Some of the same people who pushed the false "pizzagate" conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton that first emerged in 2016 are now targeting Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son, with similar falsehoods.

Back in 2016, the pizzagate-style rumors in were largely confined to far-right message boards like 4chan and parts of Reddit.

But not this year. These fringe claims are now reaching the mainstream with help from a website boosted by Trump and his surrogates, NBC News' Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny report.


Hailed at first, Germany is now grappling with a Covid-19 spike

A few months can make a world of difference during a pandemic.

After being lauded for its response to Covid-19 after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government flattened the curve this spring, Germany is now grappling with more than 10,000 daily coronavirus infections, the most it has seen since the outbreak started, and admissions to hospital intensive care units have doubled in the last two weeks.

While infection rates have spiked, Germany is still faring better than the rest of Europe, having reported less than 10,000 total deaths and under 400,000 infections, according to John Hopkins University data.

But the worsening situation is raising eyebrows in Germany, especially as people worry about "crisis fatigue."

Meantime, in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug for Covid-19 treatment: Remdesivir.

"We need to do everything now so that the virus will not spread uncontrollably. Every day counts now," Merkel, a physicist by training, said in a recent video. (Photo: Stefanie Loos / AFP - Getty Images file)


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Plus


THINK about it

The Iran "Proud Boys" email and alleged voter intimidation scam aren't about Trump or Biden, Geoff LaMear, Marcellus Policy Fellow at the John Quincy Adams Society, writes in an opinion piece.


Live BETTER

Who is out there feeding all those hungry voters stuck waiting in long lines at voting sites? "Chefs for the Polls," an initiative launched by Chef Jose Andres' not-for-profit organization World Central Kitchen.


Shopping

Looking for a new mask? These are best sellers that meet CDC guidelines.


One fun thing

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft touched down briefly on an asteroid Tuesday, gathering samples of the space rock that will be delivered to Earth in 2023. The intricate maneuver, conducted more than 200 million miles from Earth, was the first time NASA has collected pieces of an asteroid in space.

On Wednesday, the agency released new video of the spacecraft's cosmic encounter with the asteroid, named Bennu. The contact was more of a punch than a high-five, but it's pretty cool to watch. Check it out below.


Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.

Have a happy, healthy and restful weekend.

If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com

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Thanks, Petra