Some good news to start: A pair of peer-reviewed studies show a sharp drop in mortality among hospitalized Covid-19 patients. / NPR

The only two residents of a remote Italian village both wear masks when they meet for coffee. "It's a matter of principle." / CNN

In case you missed it: The Department of Health and Human Services is spending $300 million on a campaign to distract you from facts about Covid. / The Hill

Unrelated/related: “Rudy Giuliani’s Embarrassing Borat Hotel Room Scene, Explained.” / GQ

A guide to tonight’s final presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. / BBC News

Lawyers working for a firm providing counsel to the president’s re-election campaign donated almost $90,000 to Biden’s campaign, only $50 to Trump’s. / The Hill

Obama: “I get this president wants full credit for the economy he inherited and zero blame for the pandemic he ignored. But you know what? The job doesn’t work that way.” / The Washington Post

The FBI says Russia and Iran are using American voter data in attempts to influence public opinion ahead of the election. / The New York Times

A new investigation alleges the Russian government is targeting CIA officers. / GQ

As US troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, the Taliban is stronger than at any point since 2001. / BBC News

“Spicy Curry, quick! The Iced Coffee is coming!” A guide to protest vocabulary adopted by Thai pro-democracy protesters. / Khao Sod

During a virtual conference, a profanity filter bans paleontologists from talking about bones, streams, or beavers. / The Guardian

Your weekly white paper: Scientists find widespread declines in Pacific salmon size based on 60 years of measurements. / Nature

Scientists have measured the shortest interval of time ever recorded: 247 zeptoseconds. / NBC News

Bots on the messaging app Telegram generate fake nudes on request, using photos of more than 100,000 real women. / Forbes

The history of Black suffering for white gain as seen in Lovecraft Country uses real places and people for stories. / Atlas Obscura

The great pianist Keith Jarrett is unlikely to perform again. A recent pair of strokes left his left side partly paralyzed. / Jazzwise

The high-profile streaming platform Quibi is shutting down. / The Los Angeles Times

Purdue Pharma will plead guilty to federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8 billion. / The Associated Press

See also: “The Sackler Family’s Plan to Keep Its Billions.” / The New Yorker

A bartering experiment in Osaka turns a spool of thread into a house. / The Mainichi