| THE BIG STORY
Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s town halls created a wild split screen for a very split America
President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden held dueling town halls on different networks — Trump on NBC, Biden on ABC.
The result: a wildly split evening where the two candidates seemed to exist in two different realities — not just in policy, but in tone and temperament, too. If you tried to switch between the two, it would’ve been like flipping between Wrestlemania and the Masters.
Trump was pressed about how he has handled the pandemic. He was combative and defensive, at times setting the moderator up as a pseudo debate opponent. Biden fielded tough questions, too, but kept in check a testiness he at times has trouble hiding. He offered calm, and often long-winded, answers tethered to policy and American ideals.
Both made headlines, too: Trump refused to condemn the QAnon mass delusion, while Biden said he’s “not a fan” of court packing.
Other campaign stories you need to know:
👉 Kamala Harris has suspended travel after two people close to the campaign tested positive for COVID-19. Biden will keep his schedule.
👉 Ohio has reemerged as a battleground state and it’s a huge problem for Trump. Republicans wonder if Trump will drag down-ballot candidates, too. ABC; NBC. THE FINCEN FILES Banks flagged Trump associate Felix Sater for $100 million in suspicious activity
Secret documents show that Felix Sater, an associate of Donald Trump’s and a central figure in the Mueller investigation, was involved in more than $100 million in transactions that banks regarded as suspicious.
The money passed between Sater, his real estate ventures, a children’s clothing company, a granola company, and associates, including a powerful political family in Kazakhstan.
During a two-hour interview, Sater went through every transaction that the banks flagged as suspicious. He said all the transactions were legitimate.
Read more in our latest FinCEN Files investigation.
SNAPSHOTS A federal judge accused other judges across the country of a “systematic effort” to suppress votes. In a scathing dissent on a case about how Tennessee handles absentee voting, Federal Judge Karen Nelson Moore criticized judges across the US who have sided with states seeking to limit mail-in voting this year.
YouTube just announced a partial QAnon ban. Less than two weeks after Facebook banned QAnon content, YouTube says it’ll institute a ban of its own. YouTube’s announcement stops short of banning all QAnon content outright. Instead, the company promises to remove videos “used to justify real-world violence.”
A white supremacist admitted to trying to blow up a synagogue. Richard Holzer told undercover FBI agents that he wanted to do something that would tell Jewish people they were not welcome in Pueblo, Colorado.
Justin Bieber called out people who stand outside his house to take Instagram pictures. In a post on Instagram, Bieber wrote “How do you convince yourself it's not completely inappropriate and disrespectful to wait outside my home to gawk, stare and take pictures as I walk into my apartment?”
FOR THE LONG HAUL Trump said don’t let COVID dominate your life. These millennials don’t know if they’ll ever get better.
Thousands of people are still suffering from debilitating symptoms months after they contracted COVID-19. The illness has upended their lives, changed their bodies, and made it difficult to complete everyday tasks or, in some cases, hold down jobs
These folks are known as the COVID-19 long-haulers. A CDC study from this summer found that 1 in 5 people aged 18 to 34 who tested positive for COVID-19 had not recovered their health after a few weeks. Some may be chronically ill and need long-term care.
We’ve spoken with more than 100 long-haulers. They told us how in the beginning of their journey, they felt alone, finding solace in online support groups. Many previously healthy long-haulers describe a common set of symptoms: fatigue, recurring headaches and fevers, trouble breathing, and a persistent "brain fog" that makes it difficult to remember things or focus.
Their stories are hard, and very much worth your time.
COZY FALL READING TIME Hang out with these longreads That photo of Billie Eilish isn’t brave. It’s just typical. The internet was flooded with vicious comments about Billie Eilish’s body after a photo went viral. Those comments were counteracted by praise for Eilish as “brave.” Scaachi Koul takes on the “noxious positivity” of the response: “Insisting upon being alive and comfortable isn’t ballsy — it’s just a far better option than self-loathing.”
Does The Bachelorette think we’re stupid? The iconic reality show changed television. But as Stephanie McNeal points out, “from not addressing the Colton Underwood allegations to keeping Tayshia Adams under wraps, the show is acting as if its fans live in a vacuum.”
Is The Shade Room too toxic to function? The Instagram account quickly became one of the most prominent platforms in the celebrity gossip arena. Michael Blackmon explores how the page attracted criticism for the way it covers LGBTQ celebrities.
Spend time slowing down and taking notice today, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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