one final question. >> would you close down the -- >> i would transition from the oil industry. >> that's a big statement. >> why would you do that >> the oil industry pollutes significantly. >> clash of the candidates biden and trump go head to head in their file face-to-face before the majority of the voters hit the polls in just 11 days. new this morning, the fda has just approved remdesiver and

not too soon. fast-moving fires burning at a pace of almost 80 football fields every minute as colorado wildfires explode forcing evacuations. the world's highest set off enough lights to make even las vegas jealous. and the inspiring author helping so many others through this pandemic. "early today" starts right now good friday morning. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. 11 days until the election and the final presidential debate is in the books with it a chance for both candidates to make their case to undecided voters much to relief of americans everywhere, last night's showdown remained much more restrained compared to the first debate thanks in part to the moderator, nbc's own kristen

welker there was none more stark than how they're going to handle the coronavirus pandemic. >> we're fighting it and we're fighting it hard it will go away, and as i say, we're rounding the turn, we're rounding the corner. it's going away. >> 20,000 americans dead if you hear nothing else i say tonight, hear this anyone who's responsible for not taking control, in fact, not saying i take no responsibility initially, anyone who's responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the united states of america. >> we're learning to live with it we have no choice. we can't lock ourselves up in a basement like joe does. >> he says, you know, we're learning to live with it people are learning to die with it you folks at home will have an empty chair at the kitchen table this morning. >> and with the economy reeling from the pamds, both laid out a vision for a path toward recovery. >> they stay the stockmarket will boom if i'm elected

if he's elected, the stockmarket will crash. >> let me move on to the next question very quickly. >> look, the measure that the stockmarket is booming is the only thing he's looking at what happens to the people out there, the ordinary people what happens to them >> 401(k)s are through the roof. in 2016, an immigration crackdown helped carry trump to the white house. and yesterday a policy took center stage in one of the most heated moments. >> the united states can't locate the patients of more than 500 children, so how will these families ever be reunited >> the children are brought here by coyotes around really bad people. >> how will they be reunited with their families?

>> we're trying very hard. >> now they can't find over 500 sets of those parents, and those kids are alone, nowhere to go, nowhere to go. it's criminal. it's criminal. >> i will say this, they went down we brought reporters, everything they're so well taken care of. >> and in one of the more revealing moments of the night, both candidates were asked why they decided to run for the white house in the first place >> i ran because of you, because of barack obama. if i thought you did a good job, i would have never run i ran because of you i'm looking at you now you're a politician. i ran because of you. >> you know who i am you know who he is you know his character you know my character. you know my reputation is for honor and telling the truth. i'm anxious to have this race. i'm anxious to see this take place. i am character of the country is on the ballot.

>> the question now is was last night's performance enough to win over any undecided voters. o our capitol hill reporter tracie potts has more tracie, where do they go from here >> physically is tthe presidentl stay down there. joe biden is heading back. in terms of the race and where we go in the next 11 days, both candidates have got some work to do to win over still undecided voters, even though more than 45 million people around this country have already cast their ballots. that's 90% of their early vote total from 2016. one of the things we heard last night was president trump trying to pin down joe biden on whether or not he would get rid of jobs in the oil industry.

>> would you close down the oil industry >> i would transition from the oil industry, yes. >> oh, that's a big statement. >> it is a big statement. >> why would you do that >> because the oil industry pollutes significantly. >> i see that's a big statement. >> well, if you let me finish the statement, because it has to be replaced by renewable energy over time. >> that's the biggest statement in terms of business because basically what he ee's saying is he's going to destroy the oil industry will you remember that texas pennsylvania, oklahoma, ohio >> we need to get to the final question vice president biden. >> he takes everything out of context. look, we have to move toward a net zero emissions. >> now, afterward biden clarified with reporters we're not getting rid of fossil fuels. we're getting rid of the

subsidies of fossil fuels, the federal subsidies to those companies, and that brings us to this 11-day mark when both candidates are back hitting the campaign trail, trying to convince the last-minute undecided voters go their way. phillip. >> we're at the home stretch there. important clarification as well too. thank you, tracie. record-breaking covid surges are hitting several states, illinois, ohio, indiana, oklahoma, montana, and utah all shattered single-day records for new cases, this as the fda approves remdesiver as a covid-19 treatment the drug, which was given to president trump, shortens recovery time for some patients. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: this is what it looks like to enter a war zone in utah, inside one of the busiest e.r.s as staff is overwhelmed. they have no more icus. >> some days you go to work and

you really hope that someone doesn't pass away on your shift. >> reporter: so many states and a growing number of cities are in crisis. in chicago, a return to restrictions the city is ordering all bars, restaurants, and non-essential businesses to close by 10:00 p.m., also asking that groups be limited to six and no longer gather after that same hour. >> people are letting their guard down and they're giving it to their families. >> reporter: as we average 6,000 new cases and 700 deaths a day, the hospital is trying to relieve, sending a box of equipment to patients to monitor them remotely. >> we're hoping to reduce the amount of burden that the emergency room and hospitals are seeing, but we're also keeping patients isolated at home. >> reporter: the fda approved remdesiver as the first covid treatment. doctors say it can reduce virus load and get patients out of the hospital quicker

but minnesota, iowa, and wisconsin are already reporting death tolls. wendy lost her parents just days after their 50th wedding anniversary. >> we did vacations together and holidays they were just fun and happy people and they loved their grandkids. >> reporter: one family's grief in a nation full of loss miguel almaguer, nbc news. colorado is now battling the two largest wildfires that state has ever seen. reaching that milestone after powerful winds caused this fire to grow dramatically over 20 hours. nbc's steve patterson reports. >> there's a road that leads right here, boss. >> reporter: firefighters racing against a raging wall of flames. >> i want everybody out of that town in five minutes. >> reporter: locked in a desperate scramble to save lives while struggling to get their own. >> you need to get moving now. the fire is coming over you.

>> reporter: the so-called east troublesome fire eroded. it's destructing at 80 football fields a minute. >> the winds were strong, the fires were strong. it was a challenging day. >> reporter: shutting down rocky mountain national park, forcing thousands to flee. >> it's getting worse. >> reporter: this homeowner told to evacuate as the flames came rushing in. >> it's bad, it's really bad. >> reporter: docketing a harrowing escape out of town. >> reporter: meanwhile the peak fire burned an estimated 50 structures since monday. the fires ten miles apart. authorities are worried it could combine into a monstrous mega fire. >> i know people will come back and rebuild. >> reporter: a wildfire crisis unlike anything residents in the rocky mountain state have ever seen. a judge has dropped a

third-degree murder charge against derek chauvin, the minnesota police officer charged with killing george floyd. he's still facing second degree murder and second degree manslaughter charges earlier this month he was released on a $1 million bond. the judge dismissed charges for two other ex-cops involved in the case. judge amy coney barrett is one step closer to becoming the next supreme court justice on thursday republicans on the senate judiciary committee voted unanimously to advance her nomination to the full senate even as democrats boycotted the vote a final vote is expected on monday. let's get a check of your friday weather with nbc meteorologist janessa webb janessa, good morning. >> good morning. good morning, everyone i want to touch on the fire in colorado see this shmnow we're tracking l

week long? that's heading here and will help the fire area we're looking at 18 inches of snow on top of the 15 we've already seen across the upper midwest this week. so it's going to be rounds and rounds of snow throughout the weekend all the way into next week alsoa high of 41 for the day, wh overnight lows in the single digits new orleans to jacksonville, you're in the mid-80s. we'll take a look at that weekend forecast coming up. >> all important, janessa. thank you so much. up next, ballot bonanza. early voting hits recordumrs nbe in several state zwroos and still ahead, a fountain that

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we're back with our vote watch. and in georgia, more than 2.2 million voters have already cast their ballots. this record-early voting follows disastrous voting this year. joining us, blayne alexander good morning, blayne. >> reporter: good morning to you. we're still a week away from election day, but officials have one strong message vote early it appears people are getting the message. we've seen a steady stream in constantly but consider the numbers statewide here in georgia. more than 2.2 million people have cast a ballot frances, that accounts for about 29% of all registered voters here in the state of georgia officials say in order to avoid the long lines, avoid the long waits on election day because we're expecting to see a record turnout this cycle, they want

people to vote early either by absentee ballot or mail-in voting, and they say that will make things go smoothly on november 3rd. meanwhile voting started early at arizona state university, my alma mater. for more than 70,000 students on campus, these voters are an important part of the 2020 election back in 2016, 63% went with hillary clinton. vaughn hillyard has more hey, vaughn. >> reporter: phillip, this is a campus you know well here as do i. today on campus, the first day of early voting here at the location behind me, there's been a trickle-in of folks they're crucial for the democrat we should note, here in the state of arizona, polling shows biden with an edge over donald

trump. when you look at four years ago, hillary clinton had just a 17-point edge. so joe biden has essentially doubled his support. if he can rely maintaining that support of these young voters here on a campus with more than 70,000 students, this is an encouraging sign for a democratic vote here in arizona. >> i love that place best seven years of my life. coming up, miley cyrus reveals who she's supporting this election. and we look at the dip of someone's toes in a photoshop. with extra tomatoes. [full emphasis on the soft a] so its come to this? [doorbell chimes] thank you. [doorbell chimes] bravo. careful, hamill. daddy's not here to save you. oh i am my daddy. wait, what? what are you talking about?

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guinness world records has just named the fountain in dubai the world's largest fountain it's 14,000 square feet of water front and can shoot water up to 343 feet in the air. it also features over 3,000 l.e.d. lights and will show three-minute moving dancing water displays every 30 minutes. more fascination to see in dubai with the skyscrapers and the amazing fountain too. >> that's a cool place to go. my liley cyrus with kamela harris. >> the way you use the power of your voice during elections, you've got to vote people will respond and see who's voting that's just the way it works so people have to vote

and i encourage everyone go to iwillvote.com. make sure you are registered to vote, know where to vote, and vote every, vote every, vote every. >> two discussing voting in the upcoming presidential election and how young people can make a political decision if t the evolution of miley cyrus. nothing gets past instagram. ryan reynolds is shared this photo with them voting. when blake put hers out, she photo shopped and put louboutins on her feet. they voted for the first time because he's canadian. >> i was thinking about that

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hi, i'm adele hosting "saturday night live." >> it's fit to be wicked i'm sorry. bad idea that was a bad idea. >> oh, my god. >> adele and musical guest her, giving a little tease where she imitated adele what a big transformation. >> this is her big comeback. now to a 5-year-old boy and a special message. it's inspired readers to stay

strong during this pandemic. nbc's kevin tibbles joins us now with this story. this is about a young writer that's burst onto the scene. let's just say a very young writer, and he's helping kids cope with covid. 5 years old and already a published author, and he didn't even use a crayon. wade williams of atlanta along with his dad has written "wade through the pandemic." >> i like to draw pictures. >> reporter: a point-sized page turner to help kids cope with covid. >> he said, let's write a book i said, okay i said let's use your own story. >> reporter: it's been quite a year frighteningly wade's grandmother got sick with the virus. >> she's doing fine. >> reporter: then finally his brand-new sister arrived. >> she's pretty. >> reporter: he wrote about that too. >> i can't wait to be her big brother so i can given her lots

of kisses. >> and hugs. >> reporter: "wade through the pandemic" describes all the ups and downs as a kid hurt and confused by what's going on but hanging in there with those who he loves and, of course, when he wear as mask, he gets a bowl of ice cream. >> what flavor >> oreo. >> that's a happy ending. >> reporter: until you stop and wonder, you don't realize how much is packed in a year now he's helping other kids cope with what's been going on. phillip, back to you. >> all right, kevin. thank you so much for that story. what a great story too and wade. >> yeah. not only helping kids, but a whole lot of adults can help with that lesson he's giving through that book during this period of time. one swiss couple threw the baby out when naming their daughter, naming her twtwicia

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