test. test. tonight, donald trump and joe biden facing off in prime time the candidates appearing this evening as duelling town halls, 19 days until the election the president here on nbc facing questions from voters for the first time since his coronavirus battle. also kamala harris halting her travel after a top aide tests positive, and the scare for biden, someone in his flight this week testing positive plus, our new poll, where the race stands right now. the u.s. surpassing a grim milestone, 8 million covid cases. 37 states seeing surges, several shattering records hospitals again pushed to the brink while in europe the race to control a second wave.

but is it too late college football's growing crisis after alabama coach nick saban tests positive more games postponed and the nfl battling a new outbreak of its own. the grandfather charged after a toddler fell to her death on a cruise ship the plea he entered today. youtube the latest tech giant banning the far right qanon movement tonight we speak to followers. why do they believe this false conspiracy theory new answers, how safe is the air you breathe on planes? and the high-fly mystery, a new sighting 6,000 feet in the air near a major airport, someone in a jetpack. this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening, everyone donald trump and joe biden will be battling on prime time airwaves tonight but not in the debate that had been planned for this evening. both men instead facing voter questions in separate town hall events all under the shadow of the virus that has now infected

more than 8 million americans and as tonight hitting close to home for the biden campaign temporarily sidelining running-mate kamala harris after a top aide and a flight crew member tested positive for covid. hallie jackson is in miami tonight. >> reporter: a pandemic pause for half the democratic ticket with vice presidential nominee senator kamala harris grounded tonight after two people connected to her campaign tested positive for the coronavirus. one a flight crew member, the other her communications director an aviation company administrator who traveled on joe biden's plane also tested positive but the campaign said the person never came within 50 feet of the candidate. both biden and harris tested negative today but harris' north carolina event scrapped along with all her travel through sunday out of what the campaign calls an abundance of caution. >> we send our best wishes we extend our best which is more than they did to me but that's okay.

>> reporter: that is not accurate both democrats did wish the president a full recovery as h rallies in a key battleground of north carolina people there voting enthusiastically starting today traveling with president trump top adviser hope hicks and republican chair ronna mcdonald, both among the 28 people connected to the trump administration or campaign diagnosed with covid-19. now the daughter of rudy giuliani the president's attorney and ally revealing she will endorse biden quote, i may not be able to change my father's mind bu together we can vote this toxic administration out of office former president barack obama making the character case for his former running-mate >> he was always the guy in every meeting who asked, how's this helping regular folks? >> reporter: our latest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows biden with a 11-point lead nationally over president trump making tonight's head to head town halls one of the president's last big opportunities to try and turn the tide that's after he backed

out of the virtual debate initially set for tonight two weeks after the covid diagnosis. president trump set to appear on nbc hours after railing against what he attacked as the fake nbc news town hall forum the town hall as well as biden's i philadelphia airing at the same time triggering backlash on social media the nbc news group chairman defending the scheduling as fairness with biden's forum last week on the network in the same time slot. on set, a socially distanced audience required to wear masks and just off it, a trump boat parade, sharing the water with a floating billboard reading trump lied, 215,000 died the pandemic the backdrop to a campaign in its final stretch and on that note we are now hearing from former new jersey governor chris christie revealing tonight he spent a week in the icu after his own covid diagnosis and acknowledging he should have worn a mask at white house events and in those debate prep sessions with president trump lester >> all right hallie, thank you.

you can join savannah guthrie for tonight's town hall with president trump at 8:00 p.m. pacific on nbc. a big point of discussion in that town hall is certain to be the pandemic as we noted at the top the country surpassing 8 million covid cases, infections building across the country again and what the troubling new wave in europe means for us here at home here's miguel almaguer >> reporter: tonight in every region of our nation, covid cases are climbing as new infections hit ominous benchmarks overwhelmed, some hospitals are out of icu beds, north and south dakota have more new cases per capita than any other state kentucky declaring a record number of infections >> i have said wake-up call before. maybe this is a jolt or a shock to the system. >> reporter: with hospitals in houston and miami preparing for a third surge the state of colorado says it's experiencing a third wave of the pandemic, soaring today to 8 million

confirmed cases in the u.s. hotspots have flared across the country showing no signs of slowing. nbc news tracking what appears to be a third rise in infections dr. naya kazbah has seen how quickly the virus can kill she lost her father who just retired. >> always breaks my heart that 67-year life of my dad came to an end with his last conscious thoughts of being put on a ventilator. >> reporter: as states like oklahoma and kansas record a record number of hospitalizations or deaths - >> just praying. scary. >> reporter: wisconsin has opened a field hospital at the state fair and in illinois 50 people evacuated from a nursing home. despite all the new infections, experts say not enough americans are being tested and the true number of those sick and actively spreading the virus is higher than is being reported with our national

death toll climbing, sally and ben fontanella knew the risks as they cared for the sick this december they were set to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary but after she became infected sally died at the same hospital where she worked for 23 years. >> i want them to understand that people die. people die in the hospital. who's taking care of them >> reporter: tomorrow ben will hold sally's funeral on the same day more than 50,000 americans will likely be diagnosed with the virus. miguel almaguer, nbc news i'm richard engel. europe thought it had figured it out but tonight countries across the continent are reimposing the same covid restrictions they lifted months ago. paris is shutting down again with nearly half of icu beds now occupied by covid patients from saturday restaurants and bars must close at 9:00

p.m., the same for eight other regions. rome is becoming a ghost town again the government no longer ruling out city-wide lockdowns. in germany, chancellor angela merkel said toda this is the start of a very big second wave and even london open so far is banning people from meeting anyone outside their household in any indoor location. >> i know that these measures are not easy but i also know that they are vital. >> reporter: the new restrictions getting mixed reviews. >> we have to protect ourselves and protect everybody else >> hoping to work, a waste of time. it is affecting businesses employment >> reporter: here in london, the mayor suggested europe's tightening controls may not be a quick fix. it is going to be a long winter he said. lester >> all right richard engel, thank you. let's bring in senior medical correspondent dr. john torres i feel like we have seen this before could europe's second wave of covid cases now be a warning to

the u.s. as it was in the spring >> lester, yes what is happening right now in europe could indeed be an early indicator to the u.s. and should cause alarm. europe had a handle on covid cases this summer after instituting strict measures but once the country started reopening restaurants and bars and allowin travel cases went up and now they're in a second wave. here in the u.s. som states are seeing new highs so europe's second wave should serve as a warning that americans need to wear masks, limit gatherings and perhaps reverse some reopenings now, especially as colder weather forces many more americans indoors. lester >> that warning received dr. john torres, thank you. now the covid crisis is cascading through college football with a growing number of games postponed and training facilities closed as players and a top coach test positive morgan chesky reports. >> reporter: tonight football caught in a covid-19 blitz players, coaches in both college and pros

suddenly sidelined by coronavirus. >> at this point, i'm completely asymptomatic, feel fine. >> reporter: alabama head coach nick saban speaking out after testing positive. >> we are still doing everything possible to get ready for the georgia game >> reporter: the virus impact nationwide >> testing every day this week. >> reporter: 21 athletes on the florida gator football team testing positive. >> we don't think it's appropriate that we try to play the game this weekend >> reporter: when's the breaking point for entire conferences >> without complete total bubbling which is not practical for most of these football teams there's a great chance that every game that's scheduled wil not find a place to be played before the year is done. >> reporter: unlike the nba and major league baseball which found success by creating player bubbles, both the ncaa and nfl have yet to follow suit. today the atlanta falcons announced yet another positive case, the same day officials cleared patriots qb cam newton to play >> we'll just have to

see how things go here >> reporter: and tonight the nfl says despite these recent cases there is still no evidence the virus is transmitted from one team to another over the course of an actual game. lester >> all right morgan chesky, thank you. now to a guilty plea in a family tragedy. we told you about the man whos granddaughter fell to her death from a cruise ship window while he was holding her pleading guilty today to negligent homicide kerry sanders with late details. >> reporter: when 18-month-old chloe wiegand fell 11 stories last year, her grandfather sam anello who had been holding her in his arms told investigators it was a horrible accident but today in puerto rico where the royal caribbean ship had been docked when she died anello via video pled guilty to negligent homicide >> i'm not sure why they ever charged him with that because every single fact points to the fact it was an accident. >> reporter: the plea deal allows anello to avoid jail time and serve probation in

his home state indiana. the family attorney says now they can all close this horrible chapter. prosecutors say sentencing will be december 10th. chloe's parents who spoke to us last year were against charges being filed. >> there's no way you ever get over it i think it's a matter of finding how to get through the day. you never forget or get over it. >> reporter: the family is suing royal caribbean and pushing for better safety measures on board cruise ships royal caribbean called sam anello's actions irresponsible and reckless lester >> kerry sanders, thanks. in the west a wildfire is shattering records in colorado. the cameron peak fire raging near ft. collins is now the largest in state history. the fire is super charged by hig winds exploded by more than 22,000 acres on wednesday. in washington, the senate judiciary

committee wrapped up its confirmation hearings on judge am coney barrett's nomination to the supreme court. hearing from character witnesses today, she is expected to be approved by that committee on a party line vote next friday and then confirmed by the full senate the week before election day. also tonight, youtube taking a stand against conspiracy theories it is the latest tech giant to ban the far right qanon movement considered a domestic terror threat by the fbi. but is it enough to stop its flow of false information? kate snow has more >> reporter: suburban mom mindy wilson was horrified when a 3-year-old died outside pittsburgh allegedly from child abuse and then a comment on a local news story took her to an internet conspiracy phenomenon known as qanon. >> i believe some of the theories could be true i believe some of them are great fairytales but it all ties together. >> reporter: she is convinced of a completely unfounded

tenet of qanon that elite politicians and celebrities are running a child trafficking ring >> hillary clinton is involved in that you have got a lot of professional movie stars and actresses and singers involved that. >> and if i were to say to you that everyone aroun them says these are rumors, conspiracy theories that are completely unfounded and -- >> that is a lie because hillary clinton is on video, there is raw footage of her out there torturing a little girl. >> if the former secretary of state were sitting here and said, i have never harmed a child, that is not a real video, a fake video you would say -- >> i would look her straight in the eyes and tell her that she is a liar. >> reporter: she also believes the mainstream media is involved. i can tell you that i personally know no absolutely no fact to support what you are saying >> that's what the media is paid to say and it's okay. >> reporter: professor alice marwick studies qanon and says it's no accident they use

#save our children to draw women in. >> it's the sort of open doorway and once you go through it you find out about some of the more fring aspects of qanon. >> reporter: chloe is a mom of two who spends sundays on the soccer sidelines and subscribes to some of the more outlandish, unproven theories. do you believe that there is a satanic worshipping group of people who are trafficking children and drinking their blood? >> i would like not to believe that >> do you believe that >> i wish that wasn't -- you know, i hope it's not true >> but you think it might be or is? >> yeah. i think it definitely could be possible, yes. >> reporter: both women voted for president trump and plan to again. do you believe the president is stopping child trafficking rings? pedophile rings? >> yeah, i do. >> i don't know much about the movement other than i understand they like me very much which i

appreciate >> reporter: a video that helped introduce both chloe and mindy to qanon taken down by youtube but many "q" believers are already migrating to new platforms. kate snow, nbc news, pittsburgh. in just 60 seconds, how safe is it to fly? brand new information about your covid risk in flight and the top thing you can do to protect yourself thing you can do to protect yourself. five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke, while washing away dirt and oil. so you're ready for the day with a clean shave and a clean face. ♪ ♪

with millions of people still avoiding air travel there are some new findings tonight about how safe the air on planes is and how to best protect yourself from covid. here's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: tonight a new study may calm fears about flying researchers examined how simulated virus particles move through the aircraft both in flight and on the ground conducting 300 tests in empty united airlines planes over six months using both masked and unmasked mannequins, researchers released

more than 180 million particles into the cabin. that would be equivalent to the number of particles produced by thousands of human coughs. the department of defense report found when masked not even 1% of the particles made it to the nearby passengers 99.7% were filtered out within 6 minutes as fresh outside air cycled into the plane made even cleaner by hospital grade hepa filters. in comparison, researchers say it typically takes the average home 90 minutes to cycle similar particles from the air. >> the risk of getting coronavirus on a plane is probably less than, you know, any other indoor space that i can think of. >> reporter: while the study couldn't take into account passengers moving around the cabin, turning to talk to neighbors or eating, researchers say wearing a mask is most>> be sm. take precautions. follow the rules. effective protection >> be smart. take precautions follow the rules. >> reporter: tonight many flyers breathing a sigh of relief that the air they're

breathing on planes may be less risky than once feared. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. while we're on the subject of planes, up next, what or who was spotted flying at 6,000 feet who was spotted flying at 6,000 feet. . so the national eye institute did 20 years of clinical studies on a formula only found in preservision. if it were my vision, i'd ask my doctor about preservision. it's the most studied eye vitamin brand. if it were my vision, i'd look into preservision. only preservision areds2 contains the exact nutrient formula recommended by the nei to help reduce the risk of moderate to advanced amd progression. i have amd. it is my vision so my plan includes preservision. tums ver(bell rings)la stick when heartburn hits fight back fast... ...with tums chewy bites... beat heartburn fast tums chewy bites

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in the skies above los angeles it wasn't a bird and it wasn't a plane but was it a man flying at 6,000 feet sam brock now on the mystery in the air. >> reporter: midday pilots aboard a china airlines flight soaring at 6,000 feet as they approach lax look out the window

and do a double take spotting what they believe is a man wearing a jetpack. >> we just saw a flying object at 6,000. >> can you say that one more time, please? >> we just saw a flying object like a flight suit just passing by us at 6,000. >> flying object was it a uav or a jetpack? >> like a jetpack. too shiny, too fast. >> reporter: the faa is launching an investigation but says radar tapes so far show no jetpacks or drones this isn't the first time there's been a sighting at lax. six weeks ago this radio transmission from the cockpit of an american airlines flight >> tower, american 1997, we just passed a guy in a jetpack >> reporter: the tower in disbelief. >> only in l.a. >> reporter: the faa and fbi have an open investigation into that mid-air incident

as well. tonight a growing mystery. what was that? if anything. sam brock, nbc news. all right. up next for us, an artistic vision to get out the vote >> "nbc nightly news" is brought to you by - "nbc nightly news" is brought to you by -- with moments that matter. and a steady stream of protected income can help you secure the life you've planned. for more than 150 years, generations have trusted the strength and stability of pacific life with their tomorrows. because life isn't about what tomorrow brings. it's what you do with it. ask a financial professional about pacific life it's time for theraflu hot liquid medicine. powerful relief so you can restore and recover.

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and now the art of getting out the vote kevin tibbles with

"inspiring america." >> reporter: marking your "x" has never been more colorful of perhaps meaningful. >> i think they represent hope, change, equity. >> reporter: a summer of sometimes angry protests left many chicago storefronts boarded up, a discouraging message. >> the mission is to heal the city. >> reporter: local artists barrett and missy started painting them. >> 60 boards had been done by 50 artists >> reporter: now those plywood murals taken down and transformed into voting booths encouraging residents in minority communities to register. >> most of the time we just feel unheard. >> if just one more person votes because of the artwork we did a good job. >> reporter: a cell phone link in each booth assists with registering. >> i think it's beautiful. >> reporter: philip and natalia check it out in a booth from a mural on their store. >> i'm glad that it continues to live on in a positive manner.

>> reporter: democracy is indeed a masterpiece. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> what a creative idea that's "nightly news" for this thursday. thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night ♪ ♪ i get up in the evening ♪ and i ain't got nothing to say ♪

♪ i come home in the morning ♪ i go to bed feeling the same way ♪ ♪ i ain't nothing but tired ♪ man i'm just tired and bored with myself ♪ ♪ hey there baby i could use just a little help ♪ ♪ you can't start a fire ♪ you can't start a fire without a spark ♪ ♪ this gun's for hire ♪ even if we're just dancing in the dark ♪ ♪ you sit around getting older ♪ there's a joke here somewhere ♪ ♪ and it's on me ♪ i'll shake this world off my shoulders ♪ ♪ come on baby the laugh's on me ♪