Fetterman vs. Oz debate takeaways | Morning Newsletter
And Pennhurst Asylum actors share a different side
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Expect more rain and fog but warmer temperatures with a high in the low 70s.
John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz finally faced off during their high-stakes televised debate last night. For many voters, this was likely their sole chance to see the candidates outside of ads and to hear them address specific policy issues.
If you weren’t able to catch it, we have you covered. Our lead story centers the takeaways.
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— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The intense and nationally-scrutinized Pennsylvania Senate debate last night was the first and only between the two candidates, and came during the final two weeks of campaigning.
Most polls indicate that the race between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz is neck-and-neck, with control of the Senate potentially riding on the outcome.
Some key takeaways:
Much of the attention was on Fetterman’s health. This was his first appearance taking live questions on television since his stroke in May. Fetterman appeared to be able to follow the debate and questions and used closed captioning to help with problems processing auditory inputs. But he struggled at times to articulate his views and he often provided halted and short answers.
When asked about a proposed national ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, Oz said it should be up to the states to decide — including local politicians. Meanwhile, Fetterman said he supports federal abortion law as it stood under Roe. v Wade.
Oz cast himself as a centrist — repeatedly using the word “balance” and calling Fetterman “extreme” — but dodged direct policy questions on gun laws and minimum wage.
Keep reading for a complete debrief.
What you should know today
The Phillies set a record for selling the most championship series merch in 24 hours.
Pennsylvania House Republicans are pushing for another investigation of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
North Wildwood defied a state order on repairing beaches battered by Hurricane Ian and a nor’easter.
The former Boot & Saddle is reopening with a new name, Solar Myth. It’ll be a cafe and wine bar.
Penn State canceled an event featuring Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes and fellow far-right personality Alex Stein after pushback from students and clashes between protesters and counterprotesters.
Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
Pennhurst Asylum, a former institution for people with disabilities turned haunted house, is a huge Halloween attraction that draws large crowds every year.
Also every year, critics chide the attraction as profiteering off of the suffering of about 10,600 people who were institutionalized at Pennhurst over eight decades. They argue that turning the facility into an entertainment attraction makes light of the true terror people experienced there.
But those who work there say there’s more nuance to the story. There’s a community of people with disabilities who participate in the show because they feel it’s empowering and preserves Pennhurst’s history.
Necessary context: The Pennhurst State School and Hospital opened in 1908 as a part of a state-funded effort to segregate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It was never an asylum or a psychiatric hospital, but warehoused thousands of people — called inmates, not residents or patients.
After NBC exposited its conditions in the 1960s, followed by patient-rights lawsuits, it closed in 1987. It was sold in 2008 and the new owners seized on its history and turned it into a Halloween attraction in 2010.
When the haunted house opened, the tourism was dark. It used original artifacts like restraining jackets and wheelchairs, and actors pretended to be mentally ill or have intellectual disabilities. It has since incorporated changes including:
Despite the tour still being set in a medical asylum, the actors’ makeup and costumes are fictional — like an axe-wielding giant with a skull face.
Artifacts are now displayed in a dedicated Pennhurst history museum elsewhere on the property, with tours that sell out every Saturday ahead of Halloween.
Actors undergo mandatory sensitivity and history trainings.
Keep reading to hear from the actors running the show about how they embrace the complexity.
State Sen. Doug Mastriano is counting on his current “army” — what his campaign staff calls his supporters — to make a last-minute push. Polls show Mastriano is trailing behind his better-funded Democratic competitor, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, but polls show the race could be tightening.
Regardless, he is pushing for his supporters to prove the polls wrong, just as former President Donald Trump did in 2016.
Two weeks from Election Day, he is hitting familiar buttons, like stroking anger over since-lifted COVID restrictions and culture-war grievances. He has done little to broaden his base.
Keep reading to discover how Mastriano is venturing into more unusual territory during the final days of his campaign.
What we’re...
📰 Reading: Elizabeth Wellington’s latest column all about Ye as he loses partnerships over his hate speech, “Of course, Ye has to go. But not alone.”
🍽️ Craving: Doro Bet’s fried chicken, Craig LaBan’s latest recommendation. 🔑
🎻 Listening: To Sudan Archive’s “Selfish Soul” on repeat.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: First woman to run for Philadelphia mayor
DYNAH FEZNAPPERA
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Photo of the Day
And that’s your Wednesday. I’m off to try my first pumpkin spice chai latte ☕. Thank you for starting it with The Inquirer.